Urban Elevator Service, Inc. can evaluate your elevator system for current compliance with today's life safety essentials. Currently, code requires that any elevator with more than 25' of travel have fireman's service type operation. Retro-fitting older systems can be accomplished by utilizing an “overlay type” add-on panel with the existing control system. This can prove to be very time consuming and costly in the long run; still leaving you with an older and unreliable base system. Consideration should be given to converting the system to a newer microprocessor type control system. This can be done for a modest incremental cost increase over retro-fitting the existing. In doing so, you will maximize your investment in the equipment and see a bigger return in asset retention on your capital expenditure.
Current code became effective in Chicago on March 6, 2010, which will require on or before January 1, 2015, all elevators with Phase II Emergency In-Car Operation to comply with either;
Provided, however, that if, at the time an existing elevator was installed or altered, the Chicago Municipal Code did not require that such existing elevator be equipped with a fire alarm initiating device, nothing in this Section 18-30-320 or in Section 18-30-2610 of the Chicago Building Code adopted on January 10, 2001, as referenced in item (2) of this section, shall be construed to require the installation of a fire alarm initiating device in such existing elevator until such time that an alteration is made to such existing elevator where ASME 8.7 requires a fire alarm initiating device to be installed.
Outside the Chicago city limits, the State of Illinois is currently only requiring this change for equipment that “(1) is already undergoing a (permit-required) alteration, (2) has failed or (3) failing to replace the equipment jeopardizes the public safety and welfare as determined by the Local Administrator or the (Elevator Safety Review) Board.” While across the board enforcement has been officially delayed, there can be little doubt that it will come. While costs continue to rise, either the State or Local Authority may require that these changes be made on any given elevator at any given time in the interest of “public safety and welfare”. We recommend that owners of affected equipment make the necessary modifications as soon as they are able; while they still have control over costs, timelines and liability issues.
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