Elevators aren't built to last forever. Once they hit the 20-year mark, it's usually time for an upgrade.
However, William McGrath, the president and CEO of South Jersey Elevator, points out facility executives often focus on aesthetics, while neglecting crucial behind-the-scenes elements like elevator functionality.
“They do what we call gingerbreading," he says. "People might step into a nice-looking elevator, but the mechanics could be decades old, and they have no idea because they can't see that part."
Constant capital expenses can tempt owners to delay elevator maintenance. However, McGrath urges building operators to ask, “What moves my building? What transports people and materials from the ground floor to the upper levels? The answer is the elevator.”
Elevators have long been essential in large buildings, but the 1980s brought a significant change with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) mandating elevators in low- to mid-rise buildings, too.
Joe Bera, vice president of modernization, sales, and fulfillment at Schindler, explains this shift significantly increased demand for lower to mid-rise elevators to satisfy ADA needs.
Now, millions of elevators installed around the same time are nearing the end of their lifespan. While the global elevator modernization need is estimated at 7 million units, the United States has about 1.3 million elevators needing modernization.
Today, Bera says it’s vital for facility executives to evaluate their elevators, exploring modernization or replacement options and their budget implications.
“Modernizations are not rising at the level they need to,” he says. “It will take 100 years to modernize all the elevators out there at our current pace. We need to step it up.”
The swift advancement of technology and design standards makes elevator modernization necessary.
But the goal of modernization is broader than simply staying technologically current. Enhancing safety, increasing efficiency, and improving the user experience are also reasons to modernize, says Crawford Green, vice president of Modernization Acceleration, Americas for Otis.
To determine if the time is right for elevator modernization, he recommends considering factors such as the age of the elevator, the frequency of malfunctions, and outdated technology and safety features.
Green cites the top criteria for modernization as the elevator’s age, explaining that “if you have elevators in that 15- to 20-year mark, it’s time to plan for modernization.”
An increased need for maintenance and repairs is another red flag for modernization, says Lawrence Marley, a Rimkus mechanical and electrical practice leader with over 25 years of experience in vertical transportation.
“If you start to see your elevator having more downtime, you need to think about modernizing it,” he says. “If your elevators are down 10 percent to 15 percent of the time, it’s time to modernize.”
Soaring repair costs also signal a need to modernize. “All of these things are signs that your elevator is aging out,” Marley says.
Obsolete equipment and parts are also a consideration, as they pose safety and efficiency risks, Marley says.
“There is nothing worse than learning that it’s hard or even impossible to find a part that an elevator needs,” he says. “More disruption will come your way if an elevator is down, and you need a part that’s not immediately available.”
Bera stresses that obsolescence impacts all components and ultimately results in modernization. “We collaborate closely with customers to keep them informed about which components might go obsolete, when we expect that to happen, and when they should start planning their budget to avoid being hit with a hefty bill unexpectedly,” he says.
All too often proprietary equipment is in play. When those parts are obsolete, “that customer is dead in the water,” says McGrath.
According to Marley, elevator repairs also may trigger compliance issues that prompt modernization.
He explains ASME A17.1/CSA B44-2022 sets standards for elevator design, construction, and maintenance, and emphasizes the code enforced is the version that existed at the time of installation.
“That code will be enforced until you make a significant change,” Marley says. “Once you change the controller, the hoist motor and things like that, you will have to bring whatever you touch up to code and there may be a ripple effect.”
Even as building owners consider all these things, Andy Kohl, consultant for The Elevator Consultants, recommends considering the answers to the following questions before moving forward with modernization.
What type of building are they in? “Is it an office building, a campus building or a hospital?” Kohl asks. “All of these buildings are massively different in how the elevators are used. The height of the building also changes the answer to the question of whether to modernize.”
Marley adds 20 to 30 years is a blanket lifespan based on the concept of average use. But, he says, “an elevator in a hospital may see constant use while an elevator in an office building may only experience limited use. So, the need for modernization will vary.”
How are the buildings used and what is their need? This needs analysis should consider what level of shutdowns is acceptable for building operations, Kohl adds.
How long do you expect the equipment to last? “If they only expect the equipment to last 10 to 15 years, they will have more options than if they expect it to last longer,” Kohl says. “If they expect it to last longer, they will also need a maintenance plan.”
According to Marley, facility managers need to decide whether to repair or modernize. Choosing between the two options requires a clear understanding of maintenance, repair, and replacement.
Elevator maintenance involves regularly checking, lubricating, cleaning, and adjusting parts to ensure they work safely and meet all relevant codes. Repair involves restoring parts, components, or subsystems to meet code standards and keep equipment operational. Replacement involves substituting a device, component or subsystem entirely with an identical unit to maintain performance according to modern standards.
Marley cites examples for each type: A rewound hoist motor is a repair, a new hoist motor with the same characteristics is a replacement, and a new hoist motor with new controls, features, or functions is a modernization.
He argues if the elevator is affordable to fix and functions well, it shouldn't be modernized just because of age.
“An older elevator is not a ticking time bomb. It’s not going to catastrophically fail,” Marley says. “You will see signs before that. You will have stoppages and other issues that are the warning lights of modernization.”
Code changes are also a case for repair instead of modernizing, he says. Any substantial changes will require upgrading the entire elevator system to current building codes.
“They may think they need a full modernization because they are having performance issues, but those performance issues may not require full modernization,” he says. “If your car needed a new engine, would you replace the transmission, too?”
However, as cues for modernization appear, facilities should prepare a capital improvement plan. “You need to plan for modernization,” he says. “You need to save for that update.”
Ronnie Wendt is a freelance writer based in Minocqua, Wisconsin.
When is it Time for an Elevator Update?
