Does My Elevator Need an Oil Change?

Written By Sean McMannis

The story you are about to read is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent (and the guilty)… A condominium reached out to us in September. Their current service provider had removed their elevator from service because water had entered the elevator machine room. This can be very serious, as elevators contain sensitive electronics and hydraulic equipment. However, in this case, the water leak was very small and located on the other side of the machine room, far from the elevator equipment. In fact, the water did not even come into contact with the equipment. The condo quickly cleaned up the water and called their elevator service provider. Their service company arrived and promptly removed the elevator from service, putting their lock on the building mainline disconnect. The condo was provided with a proposal to replace the hydraulic fluid…for $50,000!!!

We met with the Association Manager, took a sample of the hydraulic oil and sent it to Blackstone Laboratories and guess what, NO WATER!

Here are the key takeaways from this experience:

  1. Always test the hydraulic oil before agreeing to change it. This was my advice in my previous post: www.waelevator.com/blog/hydraulic-elevator-oil-options?rq=oil. This is a $35 test that can save you $1,000s. Blackstone will send you a test kit or find an elevator company you trust. If you need help locating one, I might be able to help. 😊

  2. Understand what you’re paying for. I can’t think of any scenario where a hydraulic oil change should cost $50,000. It’s typically a day of labor plus a couple of barrels of hydraulic oil and disposal costs. Maybe disposal costs. Of course, companies are in the business to make a profit, and they probably won’t share how much. But if the proposer cannot explain the costs, you should think twice.

  3. Find a provider you can trust. This condo has been without an elevator since JANUARY. And $50K could have paid for a completely new power unit, which would be a good step forward.

Do you feel like you’re not getting the full story from your elevator company? Sean is here to help.

Sean McMannis

There is nothing that Sean enjoys more than helping a customer solve an elevator issue. Since 2008, he has witnessed a deterioration in the services provided throughout the industry. Sean prides himself on being responsive and honest. He takes the time to educate elevator owners and help them understand their options. After spending time at various elevator companies, Sean joined Washington Elevator because he believes building owners and managers crave a company focused on people, not profits.

With more than 15 years of elevator experience, Sean’s goal is to proactively address all elevator issues so that you can focus on your business.

When Sean isn’t helping customers, you can find him playing on the soccer field, cheering on the Sounders and enjoying activities with his wife and their two young kids.

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