Who Does the Service

• Elevator maintenance is not a do-it-yourself service; maintenance of an elevator must be performed by a licensed elevator repair technician, or by a person authorized by the property owner. If you are a resident of a building where the owner is allowing maintenance personnel with no experience work on the elevators, report this to your local housing authority. Cutting corners with elevator maintenance is dangerous, and violations can be prosecuted. Elevators should have a regular repair schedule, maintained by a person with technical and practical knowledge of how a lift works. This can be determined by the owner of the building, or through a certification process. It is recommended, and law in some areas, that the person that does the regular repair maintenance not be the same person who does regular safety checks of the lift, as their opinion is not impartial, and they are assessing their own work.
  
  

Examination

• Elevator examinations should be performed every six months if it is used to carry people or animals, and every 12 months if it carries nothing but loads, such as industrial materials or other inanimate objects. If there have been any significant changes in the structure or use of the elevator, it should be inspected by a professional. Other circumstances require an inspections, such as a after major repair, cosmetics do not count, or if there has been damage to, or failure of the lift in any way. There has to be an examination if a lift has just been installed in a building or industrial area, or if a pre-existing lift has been replaced with a new one. All of these examinations and repairs must be documented, with the serial numbers of the parts noted, the date when the maintenance was undertaken, the reason behind the examination or maintenance, and detail all actions performed. These records should be retained for record-keeping purposes.
  
  

What to maintain

• Elevators are complex machines, so there are several parts that need to be regularly maintained to keep it up to code. All the gearing should be checked for wear and tear, as well as all the doors. The main drive system should have its components checked for wear and lubrication, and the safety gear should also be checked. It is incredibly important to check the ropes that suspend the elevator for wear, or signs of breaking, as well as the backup safety ropes and the emergency braking system. The hydraulics should also be checked and oiled regularly so that the elevator runs smoothly. A comprehensive list of all the items that need to be maintained in your elevator will be included with the owner's manual, and can be checked against local regulations.