Elevator Mechanic Practice Exam

To determine how much the ropes should be shortened, we need to consider the relationship between the current runby and the required runby. The runby for a 1:1 arrangement hitting the counterweight (CWT) buffer 4 inches below the top landing indicates that the current setting is not allowing for the full extension that the system requires.

Given that the runby should be set at 18 inches, but it is currently at a 4 inch depth below the landing, the effective runby that needs to be compensated comes from taking into account the required 18 inches minus the 4 inches that it currently is positioned below the landing, which results in a need to adjust the ropes accordingly.

Thus, the calculation would follow:

Required runby (18 inches) - Current position (4 inches below the landing) = 18 inches + 4 inches = 22 inches.

However, this includes the downward adjustment to get the ropes back to the correct horizontal runby level. As a result, the adjustment that needs to be made in shortening the ropes is directly reflected by the needed clearance and position adjustments, yielding the final rope shortening requirement of 14 inches.

This solution effectively provides a straightforward resolution to the situation without cumbersome iterations,