Residential Dumbwaiters

Dumbwaiters are a type of elevator that is intended to transport goods instead of people. In residential settings, these devices typically support around 150 pounds. Commercial dumbwaiters able to support much more than this, with some supporting well over a thousand pounds.

Commercial dumbwaiters have been used extensively in businesses since the eighteen hundreds. During this time, they were most popular among large manufacturers who needed to be able to quickly and easily transport items from one part of the production stage to the next. Today these devices are found in all types of businesses, including restaurants, hospitals, libraries, mines, and even regular office buildings.

Commercial dumbwaiters offer several advantages over traditional dumbwaiters. They are able to not only support more weight, but the also frequently have special features that are designed to help improve the utilization of space in the dumbwaiters car. For instance many include a complete shelf system inside the car and improved call controls that can tell you exactly where the dumbwaiter is located. The call controls of a commercial dumbwaiter are also much more advanced and able to prioritize its travel, much like a regular elevator, based on the order that buttons are pushed.

The early dumbwaiters, had relied on simply a rope and some pulleys. Quickly this proved to be unreliable and so during the eighteen hundred, manufacturers began using a track system in their dumbwaiters. The track is installed the length of the track and the dumbwaiter is attached to this track. This keeps the dumbwaiter level and stable, but also helps to improve safety.

Modern dumbwaiters have built in brakes, which stop the dumbwaiter from moving in the event of a cable failure. The brakes will physically lock onto the track and hold it in place until it can be serviced. They are also designed with many sensors to detect objects that might obstruct the travel of the lift. If something is stuck in the shaft, the dumbwaiter will detect it and stop, so there is no concern about damaging the lift.

Commercial dumbwaiters are found in almost all industries. From car manufacturers to cruise lines, dumbwaiters are there improving work flow and cutting the costs of doing business. These devices can greatly improve functionality and not only do these devices cost less than regular elevators, since they are not rated to carry people, the building codes are not as strict when installing a commercial dumbwaiter.