Hydraulic Elevator With Oil in the Pit and Car Settling
You are the licensed elevator mechanic assigned to a two-story hydraulic passenger elevator in a 1970s church. The unit has a packed plunger cylinder, a 30-gallon oil tank, and no pit sump. During the monthly maintenance visit the building trustee tells you the car has been sinking a little and the pit has a strong oil smell. In the pit you find about 2 in. of hydraulic oil covering the floor, the jack packing is wet, and the oil level in the tank is below the minimum mark. With the car at the first floor and the doors closed, you watch the car settle about 3 in. in 10 minutes. The trustee asks you to top off the oil and come back next month because the church has a funeral Saturday. The elevator has a current certificate.
1. What immediate actions do you take, and what is the elevator's operating status?
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Remove the elevator from service. Do not top off the oil and return it to operation. A car that settles 3 in. in 10 minutes is showing more than a minor packing weep; it suggests internal bypass at the piston seal or a cylinder wall defect, and the oil in the pit is a slip, fire, and environmental hazard. Follow lockout/tagout, place the car at the lowest landing using the manufacturer's procedure, disconnect power, tag the controller and landing, and barricade the entrance. Notify the trustee in writing that the elevator is out of service and must not be used for the funeral. Record the oil level, settlement test, and photos. Do not ride the car to test it further if it is drifting.
2. How do you determine the repair scope rather than simply adding oil?
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Distinguish a packing leak from cylinder bypass or a wall breach. A wet packing can cause oil loss, but rapid settling points to oil passing the piston or through the cylinder. Follow the manufacturer's pressure-test and inspection procedure and the adopted A17.1 requirements. Do not reuse contaminated oil. If the cylinder is defective, replacement or a qualified repair is required; repacking alone will not correct internal bypass. Clean the pit and dispose of the oil under applicable environmental rules. After repair, test with rated load, verify no settlement, check the oil level, and record results before requesting return to service.
3. What documentation and notification should you complete before leaving the site?
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Give the owner a written out-of-service notice stating the findings, the reason the car cannot be used, and the repairs required. Update the maintenance record with the settlement observation, oil level, pit condition, and actions taken. Notify the IDHS State Fire Marshal Elevator and Amusement Ride Safety Section as required for the out-of-service condition and any required inspection. Do not return the elevator to service until the repair is complete, tested, and any required inspection has been accepted. Keep copies of the notice and test results in the job file.