PSA: Did you know hydraulic elevators can lose up to 2% efficiency per year from fluid leaks?

I was reading through some old trade manuals last week and stumbled on a stat that really caught me off guard. Apparently hydraulic elevator systems can lose 1.5 to 2% efficiency every single year just from microscopic fluid bypassing the piston seals. The article from a 2019 Elevator World issue said after 20 years that adds up to nearly a 40% drop in performance. But here's the debate side - some old timers swear the slower operation is actually safer because it gives the leveling sensors more time to align. Do you think it's worth tearing down the jack to replace seals every 5 years, or do you let it ride and just deal with the creep? I talked to a mechanic in Cleveland last week who said he never touches seals unless the car starts drifting, but that seems like a bandaid to me. What's your take?

2 comments

2 Comments

victorb7423d ago

Drove a freight elevator once that leaked so bad you could hear it hissing.

william_jackson6523d ago

25 years in the trades and I've never heard of a freight elevator that leaked at all. That's insane. What kind of fluid was it, hydraulic oil? I bet that pit was a nightmare to walk near. I'd be scared the whole thing would just drop one day.