Do you own or manage an apartment complex, an office building, or another property that has an elevator? If so, you probably already know the importance of securing an elevator company. When you have people relying on an elevator to get where they need to go, it is important that you ensure the elevator works properly, is safe, and reliable for those inside the building. You may have never thought about it much before, but an elevator company is actually a very important business, especially in cities with high rise buildings.
Interested in learning more about the elevator business and how much we rely on elevators to get where we need to go? Keep reading for more information about why it’s crucial to have the best elevator company operating on and maintaining your elevators.
4 Interesting Facts About the Importance of Elevators in the United States
1. Number of elevators in use
As of the latest numbers, there are around 900,000 elevators in operation in the United States. In a year, each of these elevators will help around 20,000 people get to a different floor in a building. That means if you take even one of these elevators out of operation, 20,000 people will be affected.
This is one reason why an elevator company is of the utmost importance to building owners and managers. When there is need for elevator repair, an elevator company can provide elevators maintenance to get them back up and operating so as to not inconvenience people.
2. Frequency of elevator use
In the United States alone, elevators are used quite frequently throughout any given year. For instance, all-in-all elevators make 18 billion passenger trips each and every year. Some frequently use elevators in their office building, in buildings where they may have errands, or even at some gym locations. For others, though, they may opt to install residential lifts. In fact, each year there are around 10,000 residential elevators installed. This is opening the market to a new group of people, making each elevator safety company even more in demand.
Data from United Technologies shows that over a period of nine days, elevators throughout the world will carry the entirety of the world’s population.
3. Types of elevators
As previously mentioned, there are a variety of elevators, each carrying different weights and of different sizes. The types of elevators currently in operation are passenger, freight, LULA, home, and personnel. Depending on what the need is for the elevator, a different type of elevator may be installed. For example, a home elevator may be smaller in size and not require as much weight to be held. A freight elevator, on the other hand, may be larger and able to carry more weight.
Passenger elevators typically travel 50 feet unless they are in use in high-rise buildings, in which case they can travel more than 50 feet.
In addition to the types of elevators in use, there are a few types of locations where elevators are typically installed. The majority of elevators are either in a commercial, retail, or residential space. On average, just like with passenger elevators, most other elevators only travel around 40 feet which is the equivalent of 4-5 floors.
4. Elevator safety
One reason more and more elevators are installed and used each year is due to their safety. When compared to escalators, they are generally twenty times safer. An escalator is more likely to result in an accident. In fact, elevators have one-third as many accidents as escalators even though there are more in operation.
With elevators being used so frequently in the United States in a variety of circumstances and building types, it is clear why maintenance and safety is so important for elevators. Not only will many people be inconvenienced if an elevator breaks down, but also the safety of people riding these elevators matters. Relying on the best elevator company to ensure that elevators in a building are running properly should always be a top priority.