The Downsides of Downtime
Downtime isn’t just what happens when your elevator has broken down unexpectedly. It could also include scheduled service, maintenance, and upgrades; basically any time that your elevator is not in normal service. Many building owners don’t actively monitor their elevator uptime to downtime ratio, which means they don’t have a clear view of how well their equipment is running. So – why is this something worth looking at? Let’s dive into some of the benefits of understanding these metrics.
Why Monitoring Matters
Monitoring your elevator uptime gives you valuable insight into the efficiency of your elevators, but it also offers more than that. Your downtime numbers will give you an indication of the overall health of your elevators and can help to predict future breakdowns and disruptions – and everything it brings in terms of disruption of service to your tenants, their business activities, as well as serious tenant dissatisfaction. Sudden, unexpected shutdowns can generate major costs for emergency repairs, not to mention safety hazards for your tenants and visitors. Having a property known for constant elevator problems can result in damaged reputation and market value. This means that it can literally pay to keep your elevator uptime as high as possible.
How to Maximize Elevator Uptime
Here are some tips for how to avoid expensive, unexpected downtime.
Don’t Avoid Maintenance
- By arranging for regularly-scheduled service to monitor performance, you can limit the frequency of emergency service calls, and address any issues before they turn into a complete shutdown.
Check The Control System
- Ensure that the elevator control system is operating properly. The longer it takes for your elevators to arrive and move people through your building, the more frustration your passengers will experience. Long wait times can often contribute to incidents of vandalism – and expensive downtime to repair them.
Bite the Modernization Bullet When Needed
- It’s important to understand that even well-maintained systems will age and eventually require modernization or replacement to keep running reliably and safely.
Take A Phased Approach
- When it’s time to modernize, you may want to consider a phased work plan. Your elevator service provider will give you options to suit your budget, and allow you to avoid an immediate one-time hit to the bottom line. You can often work to an extended period of up to 5 years if needed, helping you maximize your elevator uptime during the modernization work. This is a great way to enjoy the ongoing benefits and cost-efficiencies of an upgrade, while comfortably managing your financial resources.
Keep An Eye On The Doors
- The majority of elevator shutdowns result from problems with the doors, since they wear out far quicker than the rest of the elevator. Proactively upgrading your elevators’ door systems is a great step toward preventing future downtime and possible passenger entrapment.
Being Proactive is Less Expensive
The costs of a regular elevator maintenance program are typically significantly lower than those of financing a poorly-maintained, deteriorating system that becomes increasingly likely to fail and require emergency repairs. The best way to keep your elevator uptime as high as possible, to benefit from a high level of tenant satisfaction, and support the value and reputation of your property, is to keep your elevators regularly serviced and upgraded.
Talk To Us – We Can Help
For help with proactively monitoring the health of your elevator systems and determining the best course of action going forward, call our friendly team on (347) 592-1555.