Talking to a retired mechanic about governor overspeeds changed my mind on testing

Last week I was swapping parts with an old timer at the supply house who said he never runs governor tests above 110% because the risk of a cable snap isn't worth the paperwork. He told me about a job in Pittsburgh back in '89 where a test went bad and the car dropped three floors before the safeties caught. Now I'm wondering if I've been too aggressive with my test speeds over the years - how do you all balance thorough testing with keeping things safe?

3 comments

3 Comments

hart.sage5d ago

Had a buddy who did elevator work back in the 90s and he told me about a governor test where the cable snapped at 115% and the car free fell four floors before the safeties finally grabbed. He said after that he never pushed past 110% again.

josepha325d ago

That story from @hart.sage about the Pittsburgh job is exactly the kind of thing that sticks with you. It reminds me of how in a lot of areas we push limits just because we can, not because we should. I see it all the time with people driving their cars right up to the redline or maxing out their home's electrical system, and it's always about proving something instead of being smart about safety. The thing is, a test is only as good as your ability to walk away from it without a disaster. Once you hear about a cable snapping at 115%, the extra 5% just feels like gambling with someone's life. Better to know your limits and stay a few steps back than to learn them the hard way like those old timers did.

the_jennifer4d ago

Jumped right into this conversation because I relate way too much. I once pushed a test to 120% just because I wanted to see if the manual was lying about the safety margin. Spoiler alert - the manual wasn't lying and the cable made a noise that sounded like my career flashing before my eyes. Now I keep it at 105% and pretend I'm being extra cautious instead of admitting I got scared straight. Honestly, hearing stories like that Pittsburgh job makes me realize that the difference between a good test and a bad one is basically just luck sometimes. My ego used to write checks my cables couldn't cash, and I'm glad I learned that before actually hurting someone.