Winter can bring lots of hazardous weather such as high winds, snow and ice. Any one of those weather events can cause interruptions and repair issues for your elevators, leading to headaches and safety issues for everyone involved. Here’s how to handle those service interruptions and maintenance needs when bad weather strikes.
Step by Step Guide
- Create a diagram or blueprint showing the locations of all your elevators, as well as car numbers and the elevator car phone numbers, and place them all in a designated security area. Make sure your trusted elevator company’s emergency phone number is posted as well in case of emergency.
- Before a storm is even on the horizon, regularly inspect areas of your elevator machine room, such as ventilation openings, and windows and doors that may need to be sealed against rain leakage. If you find water leakage, install metal splash guards around weather stripping and ventilation openings to keep water from getting at electrical panels.
- When a storm is approaching, close all openings and vents at the hoistway’s top so water doesn’t enter the elevator shaft.
- Barricade the machine room and verify that all occupants who rely on your elevators for entry and exit have left the building.
- Park elevator cars properly. Bring each car to the middle of the building. If you have an elevator that is exposed to the outdoors, run them to the floor below the top.
- Shut the elevator with the keyed switch, closing the doors so unauthorized personnel can’t use the equipment. Disconnect the mainline to cut power from the elevator.
- Anticipate power problems and make sure you’re familiar with all emergency systems. Make sure your elevators are on a surge-protection system.
- Check the emergency power generation backup system and make sure emergency lighting and elevator communications are OK.
- Check your battery backup systems frequently leading up to a storm. This is what will keep your elevator systems running seamlessly in the event of emergency.
- Don’t use the elevator during a storm, as entrapment can occur due to water intrusion.
After the storm, check for water that has gotten into the control panels or the machine room before you restore power. If you detect the presence of water, don’t resume operation until your elevator service provider performs an inspection. - Come up with an emergency plan well before hand and practice it often during off-peak hours.
Contact Mowrey Elevator
We have a 24/7 hotline you can call with any emergency repair issues due to weather. Just get in touch with our team whenever needed and we will be there. Call our repair hotline at 800-441-4449 if you are facing a foul weather emergency in Florida or wherever else your building is located.