Close door buttons on elevators

[Rocket]

If the close door button is designed to do nothing, then the Otis elevator company can say that "the close door buttons always work like a charm", without stretching the truth.

[Ponder Stibbons]

Rocket ... pssst: Do "close door" buttons on elevators ever actually work? (http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_406.html)

For years, I was convinced no one ever wired up the "Close Door" button until I started my current job. Not only do the buttons work in this building, but the automatic close delay is something like 30 seconds, meaning everyone automatically hits the "Close Door" button immediately after hitting their floor number.

[Can Handle the Truth]

FWIW, the "close door" button has always worked for me in many different elevators.

[Cunctator]

The close door buttons all work perfectly well in the lifts in this building.

[Raguleader]

Now for a more important question... do the crosswalk buttons at intersections do anything, or are they there just to make pedestrians feel like anyone cares about them? :D

[Chronos]

Crosswalk buttons are also sometimes purely decorative, like the majority of elevator close door buttons, but most of the crosswalk buttons (in my experience) do have an effect. At many intersections (including all so equipped intersections in Bozeman, so far as I can tell), one will never get a walk signal without pushing the button. On some intersections, however, the button will only hasten the signal, which still comes eventually. I suspect that when the button at such an intersection breaks down, it's just a very low priority to fix it. In fact, there's one such button on the Villanova university campus which went from working to not working in the time while I was there (and yes, I did time it).

For that matter, the close door button also works in my 9-story apartment building. Like Ponder, I now hit it automatically, but before the floor, rather than after. That way, I can hit the floor button while the doors are closing, since the elevator isn't going anywhere until they close, anyway.

[spacepope]

I have never come across a close button that doesn't work. My addition to this though (and actually the reason this thread caught my eye, and inspired me to register) is the idea that some elevators can be put into "express mode" by holding the close button and the floor at the same time. When i heard this it was purely about Otis elevators (all we seem to have around here) and every time i've tried it it seems to work.
Hardly a scientific test mind you, for all i know there was simply no-one on the floors between me and my destination. When i have some free time i'll test this out in one of the larger buildings at uni with some friends waiting on different floors. A quick search just then came up with a lot of discussions about this with no clear winner either way. So I'll ask here: Has anyone come across this before? Any success? Complete failure?

[ouryL]

A few years ago, after they replaced the elevator, we noticed it now took three times as long for the door to close. We were told this was in keeping ADA guidlines. If we were to press the close button, the doors would close after a few seconds wait. In addition, there was an electric eye within the doors, so that you don't have to touch the doors to open them and that the elevator now automatically returns to the bottom if no button is pressed.

[whistlepig]

I have never come across a close button that doesn't work. My addition to this though (and actually the reason this thread caught my eye, and inspired me to register) is the idea that some elevators can be put into "express mode" by holding the close button and the floor at the same time. When i heard this it was purely about Otis elevators (all we seem to have around here) and every time i've tried it it seems to work.
Hardly a scientific test mind you, for all i know there was simply no-one on the floors between me and my destination. When i have some free time i'll test this out in one of the larger buildings at uni with some friends waiting on different floors. A quick search just then came up with a lot of discussions about this with no clear winner either way. So I'll ask here: Has anyone come across this before? Any success? Complete failure?

I read that recently as a hack on Boing Boing. Haven't had a chance to try it, but only because I live in a town where the elevators only go two floors. Well there's this one hotel, but I haven't been by there to try it yet.

Of course, I grew up in a town where the only elevators were full of grain. :p

Glad to hear it might work.

whistlepig

[Eric Tyson]

I agree with the majority that the close door buttons in the US do not work, at least in Austin, Texas. But when I came to Malaysia, a nice surprise is that the C.D. button works and give immediate results on all the elevators that I've come across. In fact, on a visit back to US, I actually felt a bit let down when using the elevators, having got used to way of things in Malaysia. I think it's representative of the inborn impatiance Malalysians seem to have when it comes to such things like waiting, standing in line, right-of-way, driving in general, etc. A friend of mine coined it the "Me First!!!" attitude.

[TomValois]

In some localities, I believe the function/malfunction of "Close Door" buttons in elevators is the result of competing laws. Many local disability laws (for example, in D.C.) require that doors not be allowed to close too soon in case a disabled person is attempting to enter the elevator. This means that elevator maintenance personnel must delay or disable the close door button when the elevator is in normal operation. However, in many localities (such as also in D.C.), the fire code requires the "Close Door" button to function in a precisely proscribed manner when the elevator is in fireman's recall mode (a special mode that the elevator is in when fire departments activate it).

It is a bureaucratic catch-22, with one inspector telling the elevator guy that his close door button must be delayed or disabled, while another inspector is telling him that the button must work correctly.

It is much like a story I once heard (that I do not know whether is true or not) that on the same day the Department of Transportaion passed a regulation that all heavy equipment vehicles must have aubible beepers when they back up (presumably to protect construction workers who might be run over), the EPA issued a rule that all construction workers working near heavy equipment must be afforded earplugs (presumably to protect their hearing).

[C K Dexter Haven]

Tom, welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, glad to have you with us.

I assume that you meant your post to be part of this thread, so I've merged it in, rather than keeping it as a separate thread. Easy mistake to make, no prob, and, as I say, welcome!

[Rocket]

Thanks Ponder, I knew I was forgetting something.

From Eric Tyson's post;

I actually felt a bit let down when using the elevators

Pun intended or unintended, this one made my day!

Thanks Eric

[Chronos]

I actually felt a bit let down when using the elevatorsHave you considered the merits of up? Up is quite nice today. Are you sure? You wouldn't want to hurt my feelings, would you?

[BobLibDem]

I often feel up and down when using elevators. Would it be a hijack to inquire what are the fireman controls for? They always say don't use the elevators in case of fire, what do the firemen use them for?

[John W. Kennedy]

I often feel up and down when using elevators. Would it be a hijack to inquire what are the fireman controls for? They always say don't use the elevators in case of fire, what do the firemen use them for?Civilians aren't supposed to use elevators in a fire because
there won't be enough elevators to handle a panicked crowd, and
civilians generally don't actually know whether the elevator will take them someplace safe or not.
Firemen make their own decisions.

[ltlon]

I am not an expert on elevators, but I thought I would give my experience connected to this topic. When a fire alarm panel is activated, the elevators in the building all immediately return to the lobby and open their doors. They then sit there unable to be used until an elevator key is retrieved and puts them into firefighter mode. In firefighter mode, they are able to move to all floors. The fire fighter inserts the key into the switch that you see in the elevator and turns the control to "fire". He then has to use the close door button to close the door completely. After the door is closed, he can then push the desired button for whichever floor to go to and the car will move to that floor. He then must push the open door button until the door is completely open and remove the key. The car will then remain on that floor until the key is reinserted and the reverse process is completed. The reasoning behind this is to keep the fire fighter from opening a door into a room full of flames and having the doors open completely and have to wait for the automatic close interval to be reached before the door closes. They also remain where they are when the key is removed so that the fire fighter will have a place to retreat to should he need an escape. This is how elevators are set up to work in our city and that is how they must work according to our local code. Sorry for such a long post on my first time in the forums. :smack:

[BobLibDem]

Great response, Itlon. Exactly the info I was seeking and wondered about. Thank you for posting.

[rowrrbazzle]

Raguleade, here's Cecil's column on crosswalk buttons: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_153.html

[Foaming Cleanser]

Where does a firefighter get the elevator keys? Does one key fit all worldwide, whether the elevator is made by Otis or Acme, and must there be a key in every firefighter's back pocket? Or are elevator keys always in the same general location inside a building? Under welcome mats, perhaps? If so, what if that part of the building is a mass of flames?

[picunurse]

I am not an expert on elevators, but I thought I would give my experience connected to this topic. When a fire alarm panel is activated, the elevators in the building all immediately return to the lobby and open their doors. They then sit there unable to be used until an elevator key is retrieved and puts them into firefighter mode. In firefighter mode, they are able to move to all floors. The fire fighter inserts the key into the switch that you see in the elevator and turns the control to "fire". He then has to use the close door button to close the door completely. After the door is closed, he can then push the desired button for whichever floor to go to and the car will move to that floor. He then must push the open door button until the door is completely open and remove the key. The car will then remain on that floor until the key is reinserted and the reverse process is completed. The reasoning behind this is to keep the fire fighter from opening a door into a room full of flames and having the doors open completely and have to wait for the automatic close interval to be reached before the door closes. They also remain where they are when the key is removed so that the fire fighter will have a place to retreat to should he need an escape. This is how elevators are set up to work in our city and that is how they must work according to our local code. Sorry for such a long post on my first time in the forums. :smack:
Welcome! Your post was in no way too long. Good information is always welcome.
My fire fighter husband agrees with your post 100%.
Stay around, we can alwys use good help.
:D

[LSLGuy]

Another common feature of firefighter mode is to disable the "electric eye" that will keep the doors open if somebody is in the doorway. The doors respond only to the open & close buttons.

Why? Because otherwise the smoke from the fire would cause the elevator to believe someone/something was in the doorway and the doors could never be closed.

That is part of why they advise ordinary building occupants to never use the elevators in a fire. If the elevator goes to a smoky floor and the doors open, it (and you) are trapped there. That's probably not good for your health.

In this sense, the modern elevators with "electric eye" door obstruction sensors are less safe than the old pre-1980s kind with the mechanical bumpers.

[Raguleader]

Where does a firefighter get the elevator keys? Does one key fit all worldwide, whether the elevator is made by Otis or Acme, and must there be a key in every firefighter's back pocket? Or are elevator keys always in the same general location inside a building? Under welcome mats, perhaps? If so, what if that part of the building is a mass of flames?

When I worked in an office building (actually, a lab building, but it had offices) not too long ago, each floor had a designated person responsible for checking to see that all the rooms were emptied of people (each room came with a little red doorknob sign that the last person to leave would hang on the door to make checking faster). Once you had checked your floor, you'd tell whoever was responsible for the upkeep of the building (I want to say the Facilities Manager in our case) and they'd tell the firefighters. Presumably, this person grabs the key(s) to the elevators on her way out of the office when the alarm goes off and gives it to the firefighters when they show up.

[DSYoungEsq]

Crosswalk buttons are also sometimes purely decorative, like the majority of elevator close door buttons, but most of the crosswalk buttons (in my experience) do have an effect. At many intersections (including all so equipped intersections in Bozeman, so far as I can tell), one will never get a walk signal without pushing the button. On some intersections, however, the button will only hasten the signal, which still comes eventually. I suspect that when the button at such an intersection breaks down, it's just a very low priority to fix it. In fact, there's one such button on the Villanova university campus which went from working to not working in the time while I was there (and yes, I did time it).

For that matter, the close door button also works in my 9-story apartment building. Like Ponder, I now hit it automatically, but before the floor, rather than after. That way, I can hit the floor button while the doors are closing, since the elevator isn't going anywhere until they close, anyway.
Not that this is precisely on topic, but pushing the button to cross a street often means that the signal's usual timing will be delayed in the direction that the person is crossing. That is, a longer green period will be allowed so that the pedestrian can cross comfortably.

And the Close Door button gives the elevator's owner an option. The elevator can leave its door open longer at a floor when called by default; should someone get on and be in a hurry, they can hit the Close Door button and shorten the wait. I've been in numerous hotels where this is how the system works. As a young'un, I used to play with such things until I knew what was going on. :D

[Ikarus]

I have heard an alternate theory about the mysterious 'close door' button.

The basic premise is that keeping the button pressed will prevent the lift (elevator) from stopping at any other floor until it reaches your destination. The system was apparently installed to allow cleaning staff etc. to have easy access to all the floors without having to be bothered by other people hailing the lift during its journey.

This has always worked when I've tried it - but, of course, I have no way of knowing if this was just coincidence!

[Asimovian]

I have heard an alternate theory about the mysterious 'close door' button.

The basic premise is that keeping the button pressed will prevent the lift (elevator) from stopping at any other floor until it reaches your destination. The system was apparently installed to allow cleaning staff etc. to have easy access to all the floors without having to be bothered by other people hailing the lift during its journey.

This has always worked when I've tried it - but, of course, I have no way of knowing if this was just coincidence!This idea fascinates me. I can't wait to try it. I work in a small office building, but I commute by train, and it's a real pain when I am leaving at a rush hour time (say, right at 5pm) because I get stopped on three or four different floors.

[JohnBckWLD]

Now for a more important question... do the crosswalk buttons at intersections do anythingTremorviolet (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5004148&postcount=17) had some interesting info on the placebo effect of the crosswalk button in this old thread (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=263332) about hurrying up and waitng.

[bonzer]

I have heard an alternate theory about the mysterious 'close door' button.

The basic premise is that keeping the button pressed will prevent the lift (elevator) from stopping at any other floor until it reaches your destination. The system was apparently installed to allow cleaning staff etc. to have easy access to all the floors without having to be bothered by other people hailing the lift during its journey.

This has always worked when I've tried it - but, of course, I have no way of knowing if this was just coincidence!

A very recent article (http://www.newyorker.com/talk/content/articles/051017ta_talk_paumgarten) from the New Yorker on pretty much exactly this theory. It's a Talk of rhe Town piece, so I'd take the intention to be amusing rather than strictly accurate.

[easy e]

I have never come across a close button that doesn't work. My addition to this though (and actually the reason this thread caught my eye, and inspired me to register) is the idea that some elevators can be put into "express mode" by holding the close button and the floor at the same time. When i heard this it was purely about Otis elevators (all we seem to have around here) and every time i've tried it it seems to work.
Hardly a scientific test mind you, for all i know there was simply no-one on the floors between me and my destination. When i have some free time i'll test this out in one of the larger buildings at uni with some friends waiting on different floors. A quick search just then came up with a lot of discussions about this with no clear winner either way. So I'll ask here: Has anyone come across this before? Any success? Complete failure?

I know it definitely works, at least, on older elevators. I lived in an 11 story dorm that was alleged to have the oldest and fastest elevators on campus. It was indeed possible to skip floors--a lot of times students on the upper floors would skip all the other floors during if they were running late to class. I would be very frustrated when I was skipped, as I lived on the 9th floor! They also used the skip floor button during move in/out.

[ltlon]

We get the keys from the fire comtrol room. We can open this door with a key from the "Knox Box". On our units in Austin, we can request a radio signal that allows us to retrieve a key from our knox box controller. This key allows us to open a safe with keys that control access to the building. We are currently upgrading this to allow us to access this key with a "PIN" as our radio signals are hit and miss. If this portion of the building were on fire .... we would extinguish it and go from there.

Where does a firefighter get the elevator keys? Does one key fit all worldwide, whether the elevator is made by Otis or Acme, and must there be a key in every firefighter's back pocket? Or are elevator keys always in the same general location inside a building? Under welcome mats, perhaps? If so, what if that part of the building is a mass of flames?