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Watch out for how you handle counterweights in old buildings
I was servicing a 1960s Otis in a building near downtown Chicago last month, and a building super told me they'd been adding random cast iron weights from a scrap yard. He said, 'they work fine, what's the problem?' That's a huge safety issue for anyone working on the rails later.
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tarab5424d agoTop Commenter
@oliviadixon I read online that even a few pounds off can warp old rails over time, scary stuff.
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oliviadixon24d ago
Oh man, I used to think that way too. I figured weight is weight, it'll balance out fine. But then I actually saw the aftermath of someone doing that at an old hospital in Cleveland, and it really opened my eyes. The problem isn't just about the counterweight itself, it's about how it changes the tension on the rails and the ropes over time. A scrap yard weight might be close, but it's never exact and it can cause weird stresses that you just can't predict, especially in an older system. Trust me, your mileage may vary, but I'd rather be safe than sorry with something that heavy suspended above the car.
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