How long should an elevator last?

[BCinSC]

In my 3 floor building, we have an OTIS hydraulic unit with maintenance contract. Getting maintenance is difficult and usually results in a bandage rather than a fix. Now they expect us to replace the entire thing at a cost of nearly $30K. Granted the building is 40 years old and to best of my knowledge, the elevator is original unit, but I can't imagine that this is really necessary. I think they are just milking us for all it's worth. Thoughts?

 

[Yossarian]

sounds ok to me. I'm sure elevator safety has improved a lot over the years, and putting a new one in can't be cheap.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: BCinSC
In my 3 floor building, we have an OTIS hydraulic unit with maintenance contract. Getting maintenance is difficult and usually results in a bandage rather than a fix. Now they expect us to replace the entire thing at a cost of nearly $30K. Granted the building is 40 years old and to best of my knowledge, the elevator is original unit, but I can't imagine that this is really necessary. I think they are just milking us for all it's worth. Thoughts?

What did they say is wrong with it? I would get multiple estimates on such a purchase.

 

[rgwalt]

Elevators last awhile, but not 40 years. I'd look at a replacement.

R

 

[GreenGhost]

Replace what? Motor, pulleys, cables? Certainly these things last less than 40 years, but there are thousands of elevators from the 1940's working fine. Most people replace the electro-mechanical controls in favor of modern ones. For a 3-story building it cannot be that expensive.

 

[zixxer]

I stayed at some hotel awhile back with an original 40 year old elevator. I rode the thing ONCE.

After that I walked up/down three flights of stairs to not have to do it again.

 

[Thegonagle]

Three floor buildings don't need elevators!

Here's your perfect solution! 😉

 

[BCinSC]

🙂 That was funny. Well, I'm the youngest in the building. The rest of the tenants could swan-dive off their back porches into the cemetary behind. OK, so list some other manufacturers, aside from OTIS and Schindler.

 

[tranceport]

We have a 3 story buidling with a otis hydrolic elevator also.