It happens regularly during the Missouri summer. After a round of severe weather, a homeowner discovers that his elevator has stopped working. Even though the elevator was installed by another company, we come out for service when called. Upon examination, we find that the elevator control unit – a small, modular box that forms the “brain” of the elevator – has been fried by lightning. We then have the unpleasant task of telling the customer that this simple device, less complicated than the most basic home computer, will cost five thousand dollars to replace.
Understandably, most customers want to know why one small replacement part costs a large percentage of what they paid for the whole elevator. The answer is that it’s a single-source OEM part. You have to have it, you can only get it from the manufacturer, and the manufacturer knows it. Consequently, they can charge you whatever they like.
Fortunately, not all elevator manufacturers choose to work this way. We recommend and install Symmetry home elevators, which, in addition to numerous other advantages, use open and generally available control units like the one pictured below. Service on these units can usually be done with standard, locally available electrical parts, which means that you don’t have to pay – and then wait – for an overpriced black box from the manufacturer.
In addition to being easier to repair than other systems, Symmetry control units are also less likely to need such service. This is due to their inherent resistance to electrical surges, the result of a design developed from many years of experience.
Like Country Home Elevator, Symmetry Elevating Solutions is out for the long-term happiness of our customers – which will, in the end, spell business success for all of us.
