Avoid Chargeable Calls – Clean those Door Tracks!

By Rolly Mechler,
Sales & Marketing Manager at Elevator One

Elevator owners recognize that chargeable service calls can be very costly. As summer winds down and we move into the fall, with winter not far behind (sorry to bring it up), we find that one particular service call increases significantly – shutdowns due to door issues. Many of these calls can be avoided.

Elevators Shutting down: People often get annoyed when an elevator shuts down, but the reality is that this typically means that the safety features of the elevator are working as they should. Sophisticated door protection timers attempt to close the doors and if an obstruction persists, they can send a fault code which shuts the elevator down. Where such sensors are not working, door motors can burn out.

Dirt, debris, or objects in the door tracks: Many door related issues are caused by obstructions in the doorway that can prevent the door from closing. It can be as simple as a small stone coming dislodged from a boot, or larger salt granules making their way into the door tracks. The best way to prevent these problems is to regularly vacuum both the hall door tracks and the car door tracks on every floor.

Be especially aware of chunks of salt during the winter months, small coins and also dust mats that have shifted into the door path. Once obstructions have been cleared, many elevators can be reset by pressing the door close button or turning the elevator onto independent service and then back to normal operation. If that doesn’t work, log a trouble call to your elevator contractor.

Rolly has been in the elevator industry for nearly 20 years in both a sales role and running an Operations Department. He works hard to help implement methods to provide superior service to Elevator One clients.