Rant: The new code for elevator door force limits is making our job harder

Last week, I was working on a 20 year old hydraulic lift in a Chicago office building. The doors were sticking, and adjusting them to meet the new 30 pound max opening force felt impossible without a full rebuild. Some guys on my crew say the new rule is a good safety step, especially for older folks. Others think it's a waste of time on systems that were fine for decades. We spent three hours on that one door just to get it to pass. What's your take on these stricter door force codes?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_ruby1d ago

Ugh, I feel your pain. Had the same fight with a bank of four old Otis units last month. The trick that saved us was a full clean and lube of the door track and rollers first, before we even touched the spring tension. That old grease turns to glue. Once it moved freely, a tiny adjustment on the clutch got us under the limit. Still took forever, but it beat a rebuild.

the_lisa1d ago

That trick about cleaning the old grease first is smart. Did you find the clutch adjustment was super touchy after that, or was it pretty smooth?