Tips for Bad Weather and Elevators

With bad weather comes the need for taking necessary precautions to keep your patrons and employees safe. Elevators and bad weather don’t always mix, so it’s important to be prepared with these tips if you are a building manager.

Bad Weather Tips for Elevators

Prepare in Advance

If you’re heading into a season that’s known for its bad weather, such as winter in the northeast or tornadoes in the mid-west, prepare for any eventuality ahead of time. Keep a diagram handy in plain view that illustrates where your elevators are located, the car numbers, and phone number to security. Keep up with regular inspections of your elevators, ensuring the vents, windows and doors are operating correctly. Check for leaks and have any small issues repaired before they get out of control.

Before a Storm

If the news report calls for nasty weather, put your contingency plan into motion and ensure you take the proper steps to prevent damage to the elevator or harm to occupants.

Familiarize yourself with your elevators’ emergency systems to ensure you can get passengers out quickly if the situation demands. Is there a surge protection system in place? Is there an emergency power generation system backup or an emergency return system? Check on their reliability. Now’s a good time to inspect your emergency lighting and elevator communications situations as well.

Here are some tips on what you should do to prepare:

  • Close all vents and openings at the hoistway. This will keep water from getting in, in the event of torrential rain storms.
  • Close off the machine room.
  • Check that no one is in the building who must rely on elevators.
  • Run all enclosed elevators to the middle of the building. If you have a two-story building, they should be run to the top floor.
  • All exposed elevators should go to the floor directly underneath the top floor.
  • Shut all elevators down with the key switch when you know they are at the proper floor position.
  • Close all doors to keep unauthorized personnel from accessing the elevators and equipment.
  • Make sure the mainline disconnect is switched off so there is no power going to the elevators.

During the Storm

No one should be allowed to use the elevators during the storm. Not only can leaks cause entrapment due to disabled cars, electrical storms can pose an additional threat. Structural damage could occur in the case of tornadoes and hurricanes.

After the Storm

Before turning the elevators back on, ensure there is no water on the control panels or in the machine room. Call the elevator service provider to inspect the units before restoring power.

Contact Mowrey Elevator

As your leader in commercial and residential elevator installation, service, and maintenance, Mowrey Elevator is happy to assist you with any needs you may have, during storm season or any time of the year. Call us at one of our many convenient locations.