PSA: That old trick for a sticky door operator actually worked on a 90s Otis unit

I always thought the 'clean the guide rails with a scotch brite pad' fix was just a shop myth for finicky doors. Had a call yesterday for a unit in the old First National building downtown, doors dragging and chattering on close. The usual lube and adjust did nothing. Out of ideas, I tried the pad trick on the top and side guides. Took about 15 minutes per door. The chatter stopped completely and the close is smooth now. Has anyone else found a specific 'old timer' trick that actually solved a modern headache?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_max3d agoMost Upvoted

Remember hearing about using a pencil eraser on sticky relay contacts. Sounded like total nonsense to me until a stubborn safety circuit kept dropping out. Rubbed the contacts with a fresh eraser for a minute, blew out the dust, and the thing held solid. Felt like an idiot for it working.

cameronmurray11d ago

Scotch brite on a 90s Otis actually worked?

bens8111d ago

Yeah the scotch brite thing can work on those old Otis panels. I had a 92 model with the finish all hazy and stained. Took a green pad to it dry, just light pressure and circles, and it cleaned up way better than I expected. Didn't get it perfect like new, but it took off the top layer of grime and evened out the color a lot. Just go slow so you don't dig in and leave marks.