Picked Otis over Schindler on a big retrofit job. Regretted it for two weeks.

Had to choose between Otis and Schindler for a 6-stop passenger elevator modernization in an office building downtown. Went with Otis because the parts availability was better in my area. But the controller wiring diagram was a mess compared to Schindler's layout. Took me an extra 8 hours just to trace out the safety chain. Has anyone else had a brand choice bite them like that on a retrofit?

3 comments

3 Comments

carter.casey29d ago

You ever pick a brand because you thought it would save you time, only to end up wasting twice that trying to figure out their own wiring? I feel your pain. I once went with a cheaper control panel for a house elevator because the lead time was shorter, and I spent three whole days scratching my head over a diagram that looked like a kid drew it with crayons. The safety chain was looped wrong, and I ended up calling the manufacturer only to find out their own tech support couldn't read the print either. By the end, I'd spent more on overtime and coffee than I saved on the panel. Did you at least get the Otis running smooth after all that tracing, or was it a constant headache?

ellis.susan29d ago

And that wiring mess probably cost you more than you saved on parts, right?

emery_black29d ago

That 220v line alone set me back like 80 bucks just in higher gauge wire and the proper breaker. I learned the hard way after trying to save 30 bucks on a used dryer, ended up frying the control board because I used the wrong adapter plug. The sticky tape they used instead of proper crimp connectors cost me a Saturday afternoon of redoing everything with heat shrink and a decent crimper. My multimeter paid for itself ten times over that day. If you don't have a solid understanding of amp loads and voltage drops, just buy the factory harness kit, it's not worth melting down your garage.