Always thought hydraulic elevators were bulletproof until last Tuesday

I used to swear by hydraulic systems for low rises (you know, 2-3 stops). Figured they were simple and tough compared to traction. But then I read a report from the Elevator World safety database showing hydraulic failures account for nearly 60% of all entrapment calls over 4 stories. Even simple stuff like a pinhole leak in the jack can drop a car 6 inches without warning. That stat really got me rethinking my whole approach to maintenance on these older setups. Anyone else seen a jack failure that came out of nowhere?

2 comments

2 Comments

betty_ward18d ago

Have you noticed how we assume the simple stuff is the safest? Like my buddy swears by his old truck because it's "basic" no computers. Then his brake line rusts through on a hill and he's suddenly a believer in modern safety checks. Same with these hydraulic elevators. We get comfortable thinking less moving parts equals less problems, but that's just not how things wear down over time. A cable snap is dramatic and scary, but a slow leak can catch you off guard because nothing seems wrong until the car drops.

faith_smith18d ago

Gotta disagree respectfully. The data on hydraulic failures can be misleading since most low rises don't get the same care as tall buildings. A pinhole leak is bad but a total traction cable snap or controller meltdown is way more dangerous in my experience.