I think for everyone, Summer is here! As a business owner, this leads to all manner of higher costs, whether it be surging prices for water, power, and HVAC service and repair. While less explicit, heat can exert an expensive toll on your elevator equipment that can actually outpace your electrical bill. How so? Well, let’s take a look.
In this day and age, even 30-year-old elevators have computer-based controllers. What is one of the largest enemies of the computer? Heat has to be right at the top of the list. This is why computer server rooms routinely have their own air conditioning units. Similarly, desktop computers have huge fans that constantly pull cool air into the computers case to cool processors, computer chips and electronic components. These very same components are vital to the operation of your elevator.
However, elevator components are to be shielded in an enclosed cabinet. Moreover, those cabinets have little or no ventilation. Other components in the elevator machine room also generate large amounts of heat, such as hydraulic pumping units and traction elevator machines. For that reason, it’s vital that the room in which they are housed is kept as cool as possible. Failure to do so can result in damage to your elevator. The damage from heat to these components can create costly downtime, repairs, or even the need to replace the entire system.
It should also be noted that the elevator car itself can get pretty hot if exposed to outside sunlight, such as glass back units or units where the sun shines on the elevator’s outer doors. This is a simple matter of comfort for the riding public. So, the fans should be working properly and all areas that provide ventilation should be clear of any obstructions prohibiting free airflow as the car moves through the hoistway. Finally, make sure your elevator phones are in working order and that the alarm bell works in case of entrapment.
If you have any questions feel free to contact us. Until next time stay safe, stay put and this time of year try and stay cool!