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A building manager in Denver told me he prefers hydraulic elevators for low-rise jobs, but I've always been a traction guy.
He said the simpler maintenance and lower overhead costs for his five-story building made it a no-brainer. I argued that modern traction systems are more efficient and have a longer service life, even if the initial install is trickier. It got me thinking about how we all get set in our ways with the tech we know best. For those of you who work on both, which side are you on for buildings under six floors?
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sarah_patel251mo ago
Hydraulics are just cheaper to fix, period.
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val_williams1mo ago
Ugh, until a line blows and you're covered in fluid. That cheap fix gets real messy real fast.
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adamk951mo ago
Actually, that line blowing thing is pretty rare with modern closed-loop systems. The real mess usually comes from old seals or fittings failing slowly. A bigger headache with hydraulics in my experience is the oil heating up during heavy use, which can really slow things down on a busy day. That efficiency loss adds up over time compared to a traction system.
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