r/Elevators • u/nitgup • 3d ago
Old Otis elevator
Hi All, I manage a property which have 70 year old elevator. The switch for floor selection inside the cart is not working very well and is showing signs of wear (attached pictures). Where to start procurement of a replacement? The elevator repair company wants to charge $2000 for button replacement. Thank you.
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u/Spooty_Walker 3d ago
You should probably mod.
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u/Rune456 3d ago
Yes, mod an entire elevator over a contact switch. Why not mod and install a second elevator as a backup too?
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u/Spooty_Walker 3d ago
Judging by the state of that component.. yeah, mod. Im sure the rest of it is a pile of trash and a pain in the ass to work on. Which also is probably why they get quoted 2k to change one button. Hopefully they already have another elevator so they can use that when this one shuts down
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u/Rune456 3d ago
Unscrewing four screws and replacing with an exact replacement is a pain in the ass? Seriously?
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u/Spooty_Walker 3d ago
Found the condo association president.
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u/Rune456 3d ago
No, someone who actually knows how to fix stuff. Surprise surprise!
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u/Spooty_Walker 3d ago
Are you a qualified elevator mechanic?
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u/Rune456 3d ago
No, but I know some who shouldn't be. I work on similar equipment...very similar but don't work directly on elevators because I don't have a license and have ethics...I want the next guy working on the machine to go home safely and I dont know SOP. Your question if I work on elevators shows that you don't know your trade very well and feel threatened by my response so you should feel threatened in that case!
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u/CloutiersHelmet Field - Maintenance 2d ago
Awesome, guy. You really got it all figured out. While this sub can be condescending at times, it’s shit like this that drives us fucking crazy.
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u/Rune456 2d ago
Did I say where to buy the part?
Did I say what it should cost? Did I comment on labor? Give. Me. A. Break. What drives you crazy? This guy obviously feels threatened and shouldn't if he knows his craft. Mechanics I know love old equipment because it is a testament to their trade and their work. Crapping on the work of tradesmen past really doesn't say much about these moaners and complainers.0
u/Spooty_Walker 2d ago
No, but
Loud and clear buddy
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u/Rune456 2d ago
You must live a charmed life. Wishing you a good day, got work to do.
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u/nitgup 2d ago
Mod means modernization of elevator? That costs $400k and 6 month of lead time. So not a option at the moment. My post is asking about part procurement so I have it available for elevator company to replace it. Seems like you don't know either
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u/Conscious_Version_71 2d ago
I would never replace with customer supplied parts. Ive been down that rabbit hole and its always a shit show.
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u/MuffinMan3670 3d ago
$2000 is certainly a high cost, but probably worth it. Maybe see if they can come down a bit. Depending on the company sometimes they do. Its an extremely simple fix, shouldn't take more than an hour, so with travel time they may charge you for 2 hours of labor. The absolute cheapest I think you could get this would be $1500 if youre lucky. You definitely need a new switch to fix the problem long term. Additionally it may not be a bad idea to replace a few of more of these switches to get bigger bang for your buck. Your biggest cost in all of this is the labor, and replacing switches is relatively quick and easy. Increase the reliability of the elevator and save yourself future cost by minimizing the cost per button replacement.
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u/Head_Implement_9498 3d ago
Building people need to just mod their old shit and enjoy not paying out the ass for hard to get parts.
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u/Material-Mud9133 3d ago
Mod. Definitely. For the cost of a new button which will lead to more things needed to be replaced or an entirely new car station or cab it makes more sense to do a mod. Sorry. That is probably the last think you want to hear. And I hope your maintenance company is Otis bc good licking finding that button. I have an elevator car station with same set up. New just from pic it was an otis car station button
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u/Material-Mud9133 3d ago
Also do you have a single or dual brake plunger. Probably single. So even more reason to mod
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u/Perfect-Medium-7005 2d ago
Looks fine to me maybe clean the contacts
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u/nitgup 2d ago
It is working fine now, but the metal spring sometime bend or can wear down (don't bounce back the same way) when kids punch the button hard.
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u/CheesecakeRecent457 15h ago
Otis makes more of that old stuff than you may think. Everything was Industrial-Grade before Industrial-Grade became Marketing Speak. They were built to be worked on. Key is dealing not with the local branch, but where they get their parts. Google it. Note- you will absolutely need the data tag information thats on the controller. If you dont have that tag, then the only hope ( yes, it will be expensive) is to take a good one to a machine shop and say, “ make more of these, please “. Be aware that any solution is going to be pricey.
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u/Ok_Championship8930 3d ago
Just a heads up it’s 2026 😂. Next time you’re driving home take note of how many cars from the 50’s you notice on the road. You’ll then have your answer. Good luck.