How to Prepare Your Elevators for Winter

As winter rapidly approaches, it’s time to start preparing your elevators for bitter temperatures and inclement weather. Even if your elevator system is sheltered indoors, winter preparation remains a necessity to avoid unscheduled shutdowns and other mechanical failures.

To ensure the safety of your passengers, we’ve comprised a list of measures you can take to prepare your elevators for winter.

Regulate Temperature

Climate control in your machine room is paramount to operating an elevator during the winter. In order to keep an elevator’s motors and controls functioning properly, the temperature in the machine room must remain between 50 and 70-degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, it’s crucial to keep your machine room properly heated and to prevent cold air from seeping in.

Furthermore, if your elevator runs on a hydraulic system, the temperature of the hydraulic oil must remain between 85 and 95-degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature drops well below 85-degrees, the oil can solidify and ultimately cause a complete system failure. To help maintain the temperature of hydraulic oil, it’s sometimes necessary to install a heater in the oil reservoir.

Lubricate Elevator Rails

Thanks to the harsh winter air, elevator equipment can easily dry up and cause friction between rails. In addition to interfering with the efficiency of your transportation system, dry rails can cause loud noises to emanate from your elevators. In order prevent further complications, regular maintenance is the most effective way to ensure an elevator’s rails remain well lubricated.

Prevent Ice & Snow Buildup

In order to prevent issues with elevator doors opening and closing, it’s important to clear winter debris from the door tracks, such as snow, ice, salt, and mud. Although this is a safety measure that should be practiced year-round, building managers should be particularly vigilant about ice and snow buildup. Not only can winter debris interfere with an elevator door’s functionality, but it can also cause passengers to slip or fall.

Invest in Backup Batteries

In the case of a power outage caused by inclement weather, it’s crucial to invest in uninterruptable power supply (UPS) batteries. Backup batteries will keep your elevators operating properly and prevent your system from shutting down in the case of a power outage. This is particularly important as it relates to the safety of your passengers because they won’t be trapped in a stalled elevator.

Schedule Maintenance Checks with CBA Elevator Consultants

As a building manager, it’s important to be vigilant about the integrity of your elevator system—especially as temperatures drop. That’s why we suggest scheduling regular maintenance checks throughout the winter to keep your elevators operating smoothly. In addition to ensuring the safety of your passengers, elevator maintenance professionals can help regulate the temperature of your machine rooms, lubricate elevator rails, clear debris, and inspect backup batteries.

Start your winter preparation by scheduling regular maintenance with CBA Elevator Consultants. Visit our website to learn more!