Unpopular opinion: not every elevator needs a full MRL modernization

I keep hearing guys at the supply house say you should always swap to a machine-room-less setup on any mid-rise retrofit. But I just finished a job on a 12-stop 1970s Otis in St. Louis where we kept the geared traction machine and just upgraded the controller and door operator. Cost the building owner about 18 grand less than a full MRL would have, and the ride quality is actually smoother since we didn't have to reframe the pit or overhead. I mean, sure, MRLs save space, but if you have a solid existing machine room, why throw away something that's still got another 20 years of life? Has anyone else gotten pushback from customers or code inspectors for not going the full modern route?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia_rivera881mo ago

@thea857 nailed it with that Elevator World article. I did the same thing on a 30 year old Schindler in Detroit last spring, kept the geared machine and swapped the controller and doors. Owner was happy as hell to save that 18k and the ride is butter smooth.

thea8571mo ago

Saw a writeup in Elevator World last month where a guy in Chicago kept an old Westinghouse geared machine for a 1975 office building, same thing you did, just a new controller and door operator, and they saved nearly 20k vs a full MRL swap. The article said the ride quality was actually better because the geared machine dampens some of the jerkiness you get with newer gearless setups in lighter cars. Seems like a lot of the push for MRLs is just marketing hype from the big manufacturers.