Elevator installers and repairers—also called elevator constructors
or elevator mechanics—assemble, install, and replace
elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters, moving walkways, and similar equipment in
new and old buildings. Once the equipment is in service, they maintain and
repair it as well. They also are responsible for modernizing older equipment.
To install, repair, and maintain modern elevators, which are almost all
electronically controlled, elevator installers and repairers must have a
thorough knowledge of electronics, electricity, and hydraulics. Many elevators
are controlled with microprocessors, which are programmed to analyze traffic
conditions in order to dispatch elevators in the most efficient manner. With
these computer controls, it is possible to get the greatest amount of service
with the least number of cars.
When installing a new elevator, installers and repairers begin by studying
blueprints to determine the equipment needed to install rails, machinery, car
enclosures, motors, pumps, cylinders, and plunger foundations. Once this has
been done, they begin equipment installation. Working on scaffolding or
platforms, installers bolt or weld steel rails to the walls of the shaft to
guide the elevator.
Elevator installers put in electrical wires and controls by running tubing,
called conduit, along a shaft’s walls from floor to floor. Once the conduit is
in place, mechanics pull plastic-covered electrical wires through it. They then
install electrical components and related devices required at each floor and at
the main control panel in the machine room.
Installers bolt or weld together the steel frame of an elevator car at the
bottom of the shaft; install the car’s platform, walls, and doors; and attach
guide shoes and rollers to minimize the lateral motion of the car as it travels
through the shaft. They also install the outer doors and door frames at the
elevator entrances on each floor.
For cabled elevators, these workers install geared or gearless machines with
a traction drive wheel that guides and moves heavy steel cables connected to the
elevator car and counterweight. (The counterweight moves in the opposite
direction from the car and balances most of the weight of the car to reduce the
weight that the elevator’s motor must lift.) Elevator installers also install
elevators in which a car sits on a hydraulic plunger that is driven by a pump.
The plunger pushes the elevator car up from underneath, similar to a lift in an
auto service station.
Installers and repairers also install escalators. They put in place the
steel framework, the electrically powered stairs, and the tracks, and install
associated motors and electrical wiring. In addition to elevators and
escalators, installers and repairers also may install devices such as
dumbwaiters and material lifts—which are similar to elevators in design—as
well as moving walkways, stair lifts, and wheelchair lifts.
The most highly skilled elevator installers and repairers, called
“adjusters,” specialize in fine-tuning all the equipment after installation.
Adjusters make sure that an elevator is working according to specifications and
is stopping correctly at each floor within a specified time. Once an elevator is
operating properly, it must be maintained and serviced regularly to keep it in
safe working condition. Elevator installers and repairers generally do
preventive maintenance—such as oiling and greasing moving parts, replacing
worn parts, testing equipment with meters and gauges, and adjusting equipment
for optimal performance. They also troubleshoot and may be called to do
emergency repairs.
A service crew usually handles major repairs—for example, replacing
cables, elevator doors, or machine bearings. This may require the use of cutting
torches or rigging equipment—tools that an elevator repairer normally would
not carry. Service crews also do major modernization and alteration work, such
as moving and replacing electrical motors, hydraulic pumps, and control panels.
Elevator installers and repairers usually specialize in installation,
maintenance, or repair work. Maintenance and repair workers generally need
greater knowledge of electricity and electronics than do installers, because a
large part of maintenance and repair work is troubleshooting. Similarly,
adjusters need a thorough knowledge of electricity, electronics, and computers
to ensure that newly installed elevators operate properly.
Most elevator installers and repairers work a 40-hour week. However,
overtime is required when essential elevator equipment must be repaired, and
some workers are on 24-hour call. Unlike most elevator installers, workers who
specialize in elevator maintenance are on their own most of the day and
typically service the same elevators periodically.
Elevator installers lift and carry heavy equipment and parts, and may work
in cramped spaces or awkward positions. Potential hazards include falls,
electrical shock, muscle strains, and other injuries related to handling heavy
equipment. Because most of their work is performed indoors in buildings under
construction or in existing buildings, elevator installers and repairers lose
less worktime due to inclement weather than do other construction trades
workers.
Elevator installers and repairers held about 21,000 jobs in 2002. Most were
employed by special trade contractors. Others were employed by field offices of
elevator manufacturers, wholesale distributors, small-elevator maintenance and
repair contractors, government agencies, or businesses that do their own
elevator maintenance and repair.
Most elevator installers and repairers apply for their jobs through a local
of the International Union of Elevator Constructors. Applicants for
apprenticeship positions must be at least 18 years old, have a high school
diploma or equivalent, and pass an aptitude test. Good physical condition and
mechanical aptitude also are important.
Elevator installers and repairers learn their trade in a program
administered by local joint educational committees representing the employers
and the union. These programs, through which the apprentice learns everything
from installation to repair, combine on-the-job training with classroom
instruction in blueprint reading, electrical and electronic theory, mathematics,
applications of physics, and safety. In nonunion shops, workers may complete
training programs sponsored by independent contractors.
Generally, apprentices must complete a 6-month probationary period. After
successful completion, they work toward becoming fully qualified within 4 years.
To be classified as a fully qualified elevator installer or repairer, union
trainees must pass a standard examination administered by the National Elevator
Industry Educational Program. Most States and cities also require elevator
installers and repairers to pass a licensing examination. Both union and
nonunion technicians may take the Certified Elevator Technician (CET) course
offered by the National Association of Elevator Contractors.
Most apprentices assist experienced elevator installers and repairers.
Beginners carry materials and tools, bolt rails to walls, and assemble elevator
cars. Eventually, apprentices learn more difficult tasks such as wiring, which
requires knowledge of local and national electrical codes.
High school courses in electricity, mathematics, and physics provide a
useful background. As elevators become increasingly sophisticated, workers may
find it necessary to acquire more advanced formal education—for example, in
postsecondary technical school or junior college—with an emphasis on
electronics. Workers with more formal education, such as an associate degree,
usually advance more quickly than do their counterparts.
Many elevator installers and repairers also receive training from their
employers or through manufacturers to become familiar with a particular
company’s equipment. Retraining is very important if a worker is to keep
abreast of technological developments in elevator repair. In fact, union
elevator installers and repairers typically receive continual training
throughout their careers, through correspondence courses, seminars, or formal
classes. Although voluntary, this training greatly improves one’s chances for
promotion.
Some installers may receive further training in specialized areas and
advance to the position of mechanic-in-charge, adjuster, supervisor, or elevator
inspector. Adjusters, for example, may be picked for their position because they
possess particular skills or are electronically inclined. Other workers may move
into management, sales, or product design jobs.
Job opportunities are expected to be limited in this small occupation. A
large proportion of elevator installer and repairer jobs are unionized and
involve a significant investment in training. As a result, workers tend to stay
in this occupation for a long time. This investment in training, as well as good
benefits and relatively high wages, results in fewer openings due to turnover,
thus reducing job opportunities. Job prospects should be best for those with
postsecondary education in electronics.
Employment of elevator installers and repairers is expected to grow
about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2012. Job
growth is related to the growth of nonresidential construction, such as
commercial office buildings and stores that have elevators and escalators. The
need to continually update and modernize old equipment, expand and access,
improve appearance, and install increasingly sophisticated equipment and
computerized controls also should add to the demand for elevator installers and
repairers.
Because it is desirable that equipment always be kept in good working
condition, economic downturns will have less of an effect on employment of
elevator installers and repairers than on other construction trades.
Median hourly earnings of elevator installers and repairers were $25.99 in
2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $20.08 and $31.72. The lowest 10
percent earned less than $14.60, and the top 10 percent earned more than $36.81.
In 2002, median hourly earnings in the miscellaneous special trade contractors
industry were $26.62. In addition to free continuing education, elevator
installers and repairers receive basic benefits enjoyed by most other workers.
Links to non-BLS Internet sites are provided for your convenience
and do not constitute an endorsement.
For further information on opportunities as an elevator installer and
repairer, contact:
International Union of Elevator Constructors, 7154 Columbia Gateway Dr.,
Columbia, MD 21046. Internet: http://www.iuec.org
For additional information about the Certified Elevator Technician (CET)
program, contact:
National Association of Elevator Contractors,1298 Wellbrook Circle,
Suite A, Conyers, GA 30012. Internet: http://www.naec.org
There are more than 500 occupations registered by the U.S. Department of
Labor's National Apprenticeship system. For more information on the Labor
Department's registered apprenticeship system and links to State apprenticeship
programs, check their Web site: http://www.doleta.gov.
Suggested citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.
Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05
Edition,
Elevator Installers and Repairers
, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/
ocos189.htm
(visited May 20, 2004).
