Elevator Installers and Repairers: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more

Elevator installers and repairers install, fix, and maintain elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and other lifts.

What do Elevator Installers and Repairers do?

Elevator installers and repairers typically do the following:

• Read and interpret blueprints to determine the layout of system components and to select the equipment needed for installation or repair
• Assemble elevator cars, installing each cars platform, walls, and doors
• Connect electrical wiring to control panels and electric motors
• Test newly installed equipment to ensure that it meets specifications
• Troubleshoot malfunctions in brakes, motors, switches, and control systems
• Dismantle elevator or escalator units in order to gain access to remove and replace defective parts, using hoists, ladders, and hand/power tools
• Repair and/or replace faulty components in order to return elevator to fully operational status
• Conduct preventive maintenance and inspections of elevators and escalators on a scheduled basis to ensure compliance with safety regulations and building codes
• Keep service records of all maintenance and repair tasks

Elevator installers and repairers, also called elevator constructors or elevator mechanics, assemble, install, maintain, and replace elevators, escalators, chairlifts, moving walkways, and similar equipment in buildings.

Elevator installers and repairers usually specialize in installation, maintenance, or repair work. Maintenance and repair workers generally require greater knowledge of electronics, hydraulics, and electricity than do installers because a large part of maintenance and repair work is troubleshooting. Most elevators have computerized control systems, resulting in more complex systems and troubleshooting than in the past.

After an elevator is installed, workers must regularly maintain and service it to keep the elevator working properly. They generally perform preventive maintenance, such as oiling and greasing moving parts, replacing worn parts, and adjusting equipment for optimal performance. They also troubleshoot and may be called to perform emergency repairs. Workers who specialize in elevator maintenance typically service many of the same elevators on multiple occasions over time.

A service crew usually handles major repairsfor example, replacing cables, elevator doors, or machine bearings. These tasks may require the use of cutting torches or rigging equipmenttools that an elevator repairer would not normally carry. Service crews also perform major modernization and alteration work, such as replacing electric motors, hydraulic pumps, and control panels.