Residential Dumbwaiters

There are many different industries that have consistently used dumbwaiters to improve the ability of their employees to work. Hotels, office buildings, automobile manufacturers, and hospitals are among the many industries that implement dumbwaiters in their businesses.

Over the years, the popularity of dumbwaiters decreased slightly and during the nineteen-forties until the late eighties, they were typically only found in larger homes. Then during the nineties, several advances were made in the design of these devices, which allowed them to be quickly and easily installed. Today, dumbwaiters are making an impressive comeback and are an incredibly popular addition to a home. In addition to advances in the actual construction and technology of these devices, dumbwaiters have also become much more affordable in the last ten years.

Most people opt to go with an electric dumbwaiter, but manual dumbwaiters are still found. When going with a manual dumbwaiter, it is possible to construct one on your own using a series of pulleys and some rope, but generally it is better to go with a manual dumbwaiter kit. This will typically come with a track that increase the stability of the dumbwaiter and many also are designed so that you can let go of the rope, without the dumbwaiter falling.

Generally though, despite some people opting for a manual dumbwaiter, an electric dumbwaiter is usually used. A series of call buttons is installed on each floor where the dumbwaiter will stop. When you want to call or send the dumbwaiter, it is only necessary to push a button and the dumbwaiter will begin to move.

To improve safety, the doors of an electric dumbwaiter will usually only open if the car is present at the floor. This is similar to how a passenger elevator functions and prevents objects from being dropped down the shaft or accidental falls.

Usually it should not be possible for anything to become lodged in the track, but since accidents can happen a series of sensors are generally installed on the dumbwaiter car. These sensors detect an object in the path of the dumbwaiter that could prevent it from moving. If it detect something the dumbwaiter will stop moving. It will be necessary to clear the obstruction, before the dumbwaiter can continue, but this can help to prevent expensive repairs.

The weight that a dumbwaiter supports generally varies by model, but support as much as a hundred pounds and some commercial dumbwaiters can support over a thousand pounds. Even if the car is capable of supporting your body weight, it is important to never transport a human in the dumbwaiter. Not only is this against safety regulations, it could also be potentially dangerous. Small children should not be allowed to play with or use the dumbwaiter without direct adult supervision, so if you have small children it may be a good idea to invest in locks for the dumbwaiter. These are usually available for most dumbwaiters as an extra feature.

Dumbwaiters are designed to make work around the home or around the business to be easily and much more efficient. They are not only make it easier to do your work, but they also increase home value and can become a selling point, especially in subdivisions with many similar homes.