Residential Dumbwaiters

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.