Residential Dumbwaiters

The first dumbwaiter can be traced back many thousands of years. Since then, these devices have been used consistently to make it easier to move supplies throughout a multi-story dwelling. In many ways these devices are very similar to elevators, but unlike an elevator, a dumbwaiter is not designed to carry people. During the eighteen-hundreds and early nineteen-hundreds, almost all homes had a residential dumbwaiter. While there were some electrical or steam powered dumbwaiters in use in the later part of the eighteen-hundreds, most homes used manual dumbwaiters.

A manual dumbwaiter was the most common type of dumbwaiter to be used in homes for many years. During the medieval time, they often used horses or other live stock to power the dumbwaiter, but by the beginning of the eighteen-hundreds people generally relied on simple rope dumbwaiters. These devices made use of a pulley system to help reduce the amount of effort it took to raise or lower the lift.

The manual dumbwaiter would continue to be extremely popular during the beginning of the twentieth century, with one being found in almost every apartment building. Throughout New York and other large cities, dumbwaiters were essential to allow people transport their groceries and other goods to their apartment. They allowed for taller buildings, which was essential in places like NY where space is at a premium, without requiring the tenants to hike their groceries up ten flights of stairs.

While these early apartment dumbwaiters did greatly improve the lives of the tenants living in the buildings, they did present some difficulties. One of the most common was the theft of groceries as the dumbwaiter moved through the building. To combat this, locking doors were implemented, which locked while the dumbwaiter car was in motion.

Today, most larger apartment buildings now use elevators, so dumbwaiters are not as commonly available for tenants, but many do still use them for their maintenance services. Often a service dumbwaiter is installed for use in removing trash or moving building materials throughout the building, but these are usually only available to the apartment buildings employees.

While the popularity of apartment building dumbwaiters has decreased, they are still very popular in homes. Often, as a home is being built, the builder will install an electric dumbwaiter to help entice potential home buyers. They are also often installed into existing homes to make housework much easier. Manual dumbwaiters are still used and there are several companies that offer these types of lifts, but the electric dumbwaiter is much more popular.

There are several popular electric dumbwaiter kits that are inexpensive and relatively easy to install. The AmeriGlide Express Dumbwaiter is one such kit, which is commonly used in the home, but can also be upgraded for commercial use.

AmeriGlide is a company that produces many types of lift aids. From stair lifts to wheelchair lifts, there are many products that are available from AmeriGlide that help increase safety around the home. Most of AmeriGlide’s products are designed to be easy to install and easy to use, this is especially true of the AmeriGlide Express Dumbwaiter.

The AmeriGlide Express dumbwaiter has consistently been one of the best selling residential dumbwaiters. It is able to support a hundred pounds and can be upgraded to support two hundred. The car is twenty inches by twenty inches, but this can also be upgraded if you need a little more space or if you want to install it commercially. It can be configured to open on different sides across different floors and comes with a five year warranty.

The AmeriGlide Express also comes standard with several safety features. It is designed to detect objects that might be lodged in the track and it will stop moving if it detects something. Another important safety feature is the way the doors work. The dumbwaiter will not move unless the doors are securely shut and the exterior doors on each floor remain shut, unless the car is present. This is great for small children, because it ensures they will not be able to open the doors that access the shaft.

While the features and options that are available for the AmeriGlide Express Dumbwaiter are very impressive, it is in large part the ease of installation that has made this lift so popular. This dumbwaiter uses a cable drive system, which in most other dumbwaiters is very hard to install. Usually the cable system must be mounted to the top of the track and getting the cable drive lined up right can be very difficult, after this, it is necessary to attach it to the dumbwaiter car and wire it properly. This makes installing a regular electric dumbwaiter very complicated and out of reach of most home owners.

AmeriGlide saw where other dumbwaiter kits were lacking and designed an efficient and easy to install dumbwaiter system. The AmeriGlide Express Dumbwaiter comes in large part pre-assembled. The dumbwaiter car, cable system, and electric drive is attached to a short piece of track. This means that there is no messy wiring or alignment problems. The short piece of track containing the car and drive system is attached at the top of the dumbwaiter shaft. Then easy to install track is secured to the length of the dumbwaiter shaft and finally the individual call buttons are wired at each place the car will stop.

Since most of the dumbwaiter is fully assembled, installation time is greatly reduced. Many homeowners find that they can do the installation on their own, but even if a professional is hired, it will cost less to install than other dumbwaiters, because it will take them less time. The ease of installation and quality of the AmeriGlide Express Dumbwaiter are two factors that have helped to contribute to its popularity.

Today, residential dumbwaiters are used in almost all large buildings. Hospitals, car manufacturers, and cruise ships all make heavy use of these devices, because they cut down on operating costs. They are also incredibly popular in residential settings, with many home builders installing these lifts to help improve the attractiveness of the house to potential buyers.

They are in many ways very similar to an elevator, except they are not designed to carry people. Like an elevator, they move vertically between floors, but dumbwaiters are usually a smaller.

Several hundred years ago, most dumbwaiters used a simple rope and pulley system. The pulleys were able to effectively reduce the amount of work required to move the lift, but they tended to be unreliable and unsteady. Towards the end of the 1800’s, several changes were made that would greatly improve not only the stability, but also the ease at which these products were used.

One of the biggest innovations was the tracked dumbwaiter system. A wooden track was installed along the complete distance of the dumbwaiter track. The dumbwaiter, would then be attached directly to the track. As it moved up and down the shaft, it would be held steady and level by the track.

The other major innovation was the development of the electric dumbwaiter. These first appeared in the late 1870’s to early 1880’s. They were able to effortlessly move the dumbwaiter at the push of a button. Generally, they were controlled by a central manned station. When someone pushed a call button, the station attendant would then tell the dumbwaiter were to go, much the same way that elevator operators used to decide where to send the elevator.

Today, modern dumbwaiters use a computer controlled system to decide where to send the dumbwaiter. They also have greatly improved the track system. Short pieces of strong track can be easily installed along the length of the shaft and fit together very easily. To help make the installation even easier, the actual dumbwaiter itself and the pulley system usually comes pre-installed on a short distance of track. This piece of track is secured in place at the top of the shaft and the dumbwaiter is pretty much ready to go.

It will be necessary to run the call button wires and install the call button plates, but compared to how older electric dumbwaiters were installed, this is a breeze. Modern dumbwaiters also come with several built in safety features, which can detect objects that might be stuck in the shaft and will prevent the dumbwaiter doors from opening unless the dumbwaiter is present.

Those that use dumbwaiters are able to greatly improve the ease and speed of most household chores. They can be installed to open on multiple floors, so, for example, it is possible to have an opening in the basement, kitchen, and top floor of a home. The only requirement is a straight shaft of about two foot by two foot that runs vertically the distance of the home. They are easiest to install as the home is being built, but a retro fit dumbwaiter is also very easy. Many times a hall closet is removed to make place for the shaft, if you can not find another area that would work.

Dumbwaiters have roots that go as far back as the ancient Egyptians. Almost all European castles also made use of dumbwaiters and they were primarily used to ensure the food was delivered quickly while still hot

Most apartment buildings built in the early 1900’s also had dumbwaiters to make it easier for their tenants to transport their groceries. The dumbwaiter shaft ran from the basement to the roof and was manually operated using a pulley system. Theft was often a problem with these types of dumbwaiters though, so many buildings implemented locking doors to help combat this problem.

As their popularity in apartment buildings faded, they were still found in many larger homes and mansions. Today they are found in many commercial and residential settings. Manual dumbwaiters are still found in some homes and remain available for sale, but electric dumbwaiters are the most common type now.

While in the early 1900’s locks were used on dumbwaiters to prevent theft, they are put to different use now. To help improve safety most electric dumbwaiters will not allow the individual shaft doors to be opened unless the car is present at the floor. They work in a manner similar to conventional elevator, in that you must push a call button and wait for the dumbwaiter to reach your floor before opening the door.

Several dumbwaiter kits are available that come for the most part pre-installed. The car and drive system comes installed on a short piece of track, which can simply be secured in place at the top of the dumbwaiter shaft. This greatly reduces the time it takes to install the dumbwaiter and it also ensures that the drive system is correctly positioned above the car.

The installation process of a dumbwaiter is a fairly ambitious project to do on your own, but it can be done by a competent handyman. Most dealers can also provide professional installation. By choosing a dumbwaiter that comes with the pre-installed car system, you can reduce the installation time, which reduces the cost.

Dumbwaiters are a great way for individuals to transport goods around their home. They are found in many residential settings and help to add value and usability to your home.