Home Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Can the emergency elevator phone use VOIP module?

Can the emergency elevator phone use VOIP/Internet to call out for help?

If so, can you recommend what equipment, module, service you would use?

Would you just connect it to a Ooma or magic jack, something like that or is there a better way to do it?

My building has 24/7 Internet connection so I was thinking instead paying for a phone line that is never used, maybe it could go out over the internet via VOIP.

Thanks.

If you change it you may be in violation of NFPA72 requiring 8 hours of runtime on a power failure. If cutting your bottom line is such a stress on your budget I would suggest not cutting costs when it comes to life-safety issues.

So there is no difference between this and using the cellular elevator phone communication module such as Telguard TG-1B which uses cell phone signal to call out for help.

The only difference is the Telguard has a integrated battery backup in the unit and the OOMA Telo does not.

That can be solved by adding a large enough UPS to give you the 8 hours back on both the OOMA VOIP until and the Comcast modem.

Actually in my state, I think it might be more like 12 hours. Is the 8 Hour a federal law?

You know, this elevator is also hydraulic so I think they will slowly drop to the lowest floor if power goes out right?

So bottom line as long as I have a UPS with enough hours of battery backup, there is no restriction on VOIP to contact out on the emergency phone?

Thanks.

Space lord,
Every elevator isn't the same. They don't all have the same technology. Not all hydraulic elevators are set up with an emergency lowering feature. Such a feature is installed to lower the elevator to a designated floor. And would only function if all the safety features are functioning correctly.

And just for your personal education, an elevator would run down to a floor (not drop).

I did not say run because I thought that implied it was a powered during the operation and in this situation would be a power outage.

When I say drop, perhaps that was not the current word. I mean it would drop extremely slowly and at a safe speed gentle down to the bottom floor if there was no power.

In any event, here is a follow question. Are regular off the shelf UPS provide enough power to operate these small hydraulic elevators in an emergency? I think I saw one connected but I'm not 100% sure.

Thanks.

It sounds to me as though you already have the answer for the phone, so why ask? But keep in mind, anything that happens to anyone in that elevator is your responsibility once you change it. Lawyers are relentless and will dig up every piece of paper available on the unit....they will get everything from the manufacturer first.

As far as the ups in the event of a power failure, There is more to than simply buying one and setting in the room. None of them will come with instruction that pertain to implementing the unit into the system. I suggest you contact a company that has trained, certified field technicians. Superintendents and sales people will not have the knowledge of what is needed to safely do the task to which you are inquiring.

Well said BRG.

Spacelord,
The codes that govern the elevator industry are not unlike any other. They started with, and continue to evolve with the intent to protect the safety of the individuals using them.

This is a concept that we as professionals use when qualifying our responses.

In my state, hydraulic elevators are safety tested and witnessed by a licensed inspector in accordance with the ASME code every three years. It is our practic to park the elevator at the landing closest to the machine room. With the doors open and the car position noted the power to the elevator is turned off for a period of time. This is to ensure the integrity of the system. If the car were to drift down 6", we would be required to place the elevator "OUT OF SERVICE" until a determination, conclusion, repairs and re inspection was made.

I hope this helped.

As was previously stated, some elevator phone systems flat out will not work on VOIP. I still prefer just a simple cheap analog line brought to my controller.

Battery lowering is an add on that almost any elevator contractor can set you up with. Again depending on age of equipment, there may be some small software changes needed, or some isolation relays. The company should be able to help you with the exact UPS make and model to meet your needs as well.

Are you talking about first hand experience with the lawsuits?
Are you saying they will charge you with kidnapping if the elevator gets stuck? I did not know this was an industry of lawyers for elevator problems.

Just trying to keep up with technology.

Thanks.

Just my 2 cents here;

One of my customers just went through this VOIP business. The OEM equipment had its own dialer interface module that originally was an analog old school line. One line per car. When the powers that be switched to this newer VOIP thing, all elevator phones were lost. As I understand it, the IT guy had to get different style phones, Rath I believe, in order to restore phone operation. So, it may not work in all situations.
Land lines dedicated to the elevator phone, set up to dial out to a 24hr answering service is how it's done on the west coast.
Cell phone operation is all but lost from inside the cabin itself almost always. That's ALMOST.

Hydraulic elevators by themselves do not simply drop or lower themselves to the bottom floor in the event of power failure.
There has to be an external means, i.e. ups or back up power source. It needs to be designed, read "engineered" to interface with elevator circuitry to lower a hydraulic elevator, and open its doors in a power outage condition.
VOIP has nothing to do with a lowering system, or its back up power source.

Off the shelf ups systems are just that. Fine for your home computer which draws minimal current to save your data in a power loss.
Each ups device inserted into an elevator control is like I said, engineered to do the job it's intended to to meet state mandated code requirements.

Know what your local codes are which govern what can and cannot be done to your public vertical transportation system.

As mentioned, some things seems easy enough and seem to make sense to accommodate two way communication, but if someone alters that system for whatever reason and there is harm or damage as a result...your had if it's proven you modified any system rendering it out of compliance of local codes or ordinances resulting in injury, harm or whatever.

That's what lawyers are for. And yes, some of us do speak from experience as we have sat in a courtroom answering to a jury being hammered by an attorney who has some "expert witness" (industry expert) looking to see just what mis-steps we or the company has made in order to cook us on behalf of their plaintiff.

OK, so it's more like my 50cents worth...sorry for the long read.

My bad...
I see you did distinguish between VOIP ups and the lowering system ups.