Most elevators work just like a pulley. A very strong metal rope is joined to the top of the elevator car and goes up through a “sheave” in the engine room above the elevator. The sheave is like a pulley wheel with grooves in it to hold the rope tightly.

Elevator installers often work in cramped quarters inside crawl spaces and machine rooms, and may be exposed to heights in elevator shafts. Installer may be required to work overtime when essential equipment needs repair and are sometimes on call 24 hours a day.

Elevator installers and repairers, also called elevator constructors or elevator mechanics, assemble, install, maintain, and replace elevators, escalators, chairlifts, moving walkways, and similar equipment in buildings for better performance.