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Warning: I had a governor rope snap on me in a 12 story building yesterday
It was a routine check on a 1980s Otis traction unit in a downtown office block. I was up in the machine room, just about to test the overspeed, when I heard this loud crack like a gunshot. The governor rope, which looked fine on my last visual six months ago, just gave way at the sheave. The whole safety circuit tripped, and the car stopped between floors. Took me and my partner three hours to get everything reset and a new rope run, mostly because we had to manually crank the car to the nearest landing. It was a real wake-up call on how fast a simple part can fail even when it seems okay. Anyone have a solid rule for how often you're actually replacing those ropes, beyond just the book time?
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oliviat171mo ago
Ever try explaining that sound to the people stuck in the elevator? Also, @riverreed, five years is a great plan until the rope decides it's retiring early.
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kai_butler831mo ago
Five years is a good guide, but I've seen ropes go bad in three in a salty coastal building. I've also seen some look brand new after eight in a climate-controlled bank. The book time is just a start. You gotta check for real wear, like broken wires or rust in the core. A simple rope gauge and a close look at the sheave groove tells you more than a calendar.
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