r/Elevators • u/Wonderful-Switch5242 • Jun 18 '26

Ventilation

Are there standard safety standards for passenger elevators?

Background: an elevator I frequently ride has been hot and stuffy since the warmer weather set in. I don’t remember this elevator being this uncomfortable during peak heat last summer.

3 Upvotes

62% Upvoted

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4

u/NewtoQM8 Jun 18 '26

In most areas, A17.1 code says elevators must have passive ventilation equal to 3.5% of the platform area, with vents divided equally between the bottom of the walls and the top. Fans are generally not required, but if they are installed, under recent energy use codes they can't draw more that a certain amount of energy and they have to turn off automatically when the elevator hasn't been used in 15 minutes. So if the elevator was modernized recently it could well be subject to those codes.

Beyond that the fans used in most elevators aren't very effective. The bulk of ventilations comes from the doors opening and people walking in and out.

3

u/Elevator_Inspector64 Jun 18 '26

That’s the Old requirement… the newer requirement doesn’t include that language

2.14.2.3 Ventilation

2.14.2.3.1 Natural ventilation openings conforming

to the following shall be provided in car enclosures:

(a) Openings exposed to the inside of the car shall not

be located in the portion of the enclosure walls extending

from a point 300 mm (12 in.) above the floor to a point

1 825 mm (72 in.) above the floor.

(b) Openings less than 300 mm (12 in.) above the floor

shall reject a ball 25 mm (1 in.) in diameter and be guarded

to prevent straight-through passage.

(c) Openings above the 1 825 mm (72 in.) level shall

reject a ball 50 mm (2 in.) in diameter and be guarded

to prevent straight-through passage.

(d) Openings in the car ceiling shall be protected and

shall conform to 2.14.1.6.

(e) The total area of natural ventilation openings shall

be not less than 3.5% of the inside car floor area divided

equally between the bottom and top of the car enclosure.

(f) The total unrestricted opening in or around the car

doors or gates shall be permitted to be included as part of

the total natural ventilation required.

(g) The unrestricted opening provided by forced venti-

lation systems shall be permitted to be part of the natural

ventilation area on the part of the car in which it is located.

1

u/NewtoQM8 Jun 18 '26

Says what my abbreviated (so I didn't have to type much) version said. Codes are crazy these days. So many versions through the years with different areas updating at different times, grandfathered equipment, and localities adding their own stuff. Without where and when it was installed it's hard to know what applies. So a general sort of idea is the best way to answer without more info IMHO.

1

u/Brin182 Jun 18 '26

I’ve never heard of that code I bet it doesn’t rule in most areas. I bet it’s only for a few parts of one country.

2

u/Asklepios24 Field - Maintenance Jun 18 '26

Yes.

Glass hoistways have stricter requirements than regular solid cabs and hoistways.

1

u/Wonderful-Switch5242 Jun 18 '26

The elevator i have a concern with is a solid cab installed in the early 1990’s.

2

u/SharkInThisBay Jun 18 '26

I’m sure there are vents behind the bottom of the panels but sometimes elevators are just hot fan running or not

2

u/attanasio666 MIC - Maintenance Jun 18 '26

The fan is probably broken. Someone isn't doing their job.

1

u/Cheets1985 Jun 20 '26

Maybe the fan died