Safer To Rescue

Comparison:

Hydraulic Elevators to Machineroomless Traction Elevators (MRL)

Stalled Elevator

In an apartment, office, clinic, store or other low rise building, it may be necessary to quickly release persons from a stalled elevator.

MRL Traction Elevators

The procedures to release passengers from a stalled MRL traction elevator can be complicated, time consuming and physically demanding.
A mechanic or fireman requires considerable knowledge and practice, to perform a safe and efficient rescue operation on the many different types of MRL elevators with which he may be confronted in an emergency.
Establishing where the machine drive equipment is, may itself cause some delay. How to gain access can add to time lost and finally how to safely operate the brake release and shift the car either upwards or downwards to a secure landing position is an exercise for specialists.
In some cases, it may take hours before the qualified mechanic is even contacted and on the scene.

Hydraulic Elevators

With hydraulic elevators, a safe machine room can almost always be conveniently positioned close to the elevator shaft in the basement or first floor of the building. Opening the manual lowering knob or lever is basically the same with all types of elevator control valves and is a simple matter, even for a responsible apartment caretaker, clinic nurse or informed family member in the case of a home lift, taking perhaps one minute to cautiously lower the car to floor level.
Through the optional inclusion of a low cost hand pump, the car can also be raised to a higher floor should it be required.

Exposure to danger

During the installation and servicing of an MRL elevator, the mechanic is obliged to perform more of his work in or alongside the open shaft. This obviously entails additional risks.

Comparative operating costs

It is claimed that the traction MRL elevator is more energy efficient and therefore cheaper to operate than the hydraulic elevator. However, when servicing the MRL under less secure conditions, requiring additional safety precautions are considered and when the MRL traction elevator is already accepted as being more service intensive, the total operating costs are generally higher than those of a hydraulic elevator.
More frequent servicing journeys involve increased fuel consumtion which also effect the energy balance issue in favour of the hydraulic elevator.

Obligation to inform

The architect as well as the final owner or user of the elevator, should be correctly and thoroughly informed of the alternative rescueing systems of both the MRL traction elevator and the hydraulic elevator.