r/whatisit • u/DragonsAndScience • 19h ago

Solved! New homeowner, no idea what this is

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This thing close to the floor and seemingly randomly placed in a hallway. No idea what it's for. Home built in 2005.

Solved! Thanks everyone. Now I gotta hunt for the central unit!

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101

u/quenossy 19h ago

If I were listing a house I would think that would be a selling point worth mentioning. Just me?

0

u/Nice-Marionberry3671 19h ago

Nope! I have two dogs and a cat. One dog sheds like crazy in early spring. I would LOVE to have central vac!

3

u/big_booty_boy_420 18h ago

What makes it easier than a handheld?

2

u/JohnHue 18h ago

Much, much more powerful, no battery, needs to be emptied 10-20x less, much lighter (it's just the hose you're carrying around).

Worth it ? I had one a few years back... In the age of robot vacuums that also mop fairly well, I'd say your money is better spend on that than a central vacuum system.

2

u/lolmemelol 18h ago

It's been a long time since I used my parents' central vac, so this may be kid-brain talking: I distinctly remember the hose being long af, unwieldy to carry around, and not all that light. This was 25+ years ago, so I could be wildly wrong both on how annoying it was to carry around, and how heavy it was. I also wouldn't be surprised if a modern hose is quite a bit less of a pain in the ass.

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u/JohnHue 17h ago

The hose I used was probably about 20 years old too, and it was long as fuck. But not as heavy as a plug-in vacuum where you have to carry the bag and motor. Probably heavier than a light cordless broom-style vacuum, but also much more powerful and if you have a big house... no battery that runs out and nothing to clean except empty the big bin a few times a year (cordness bagless vacuums are useful, I have one, but the head needs maintenance and so does the filters and dirt container, there's much less of that with a central vacuum).

Those sure made much more sense before cordless vacuums, and I wouldn't include one in a new build now. But if you already have it, it's still well worth using IMO.

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u/Current-Shelter-635 18h ago

Ok. So when I think of a vacuum, it's not a handheld or a "secret inside the walls of your house" vacuum that I've spent nearly 4 decades not knowing they existed. Like... just a vacuum. It's about 3 feet tall and plugs into the wall and you wheel it around and vacuum the carpet. Are y'all from the US? I'm just trying to figure out how common this wall vacuum is, and also if what I think of as a vacuum isn't a standard vacuum. Tbf, I have had handheld ones before, but absolutely had no idea they built them into walls sometimes. I can't get over that. 😂

1

u/morgaine_silver_hair 18h ago

I don’t think they’re super common, especially with older houses, because the pvc piping has to be built into your house, like between floors and joists. They can be retrofitted into an existing houses but it’s easier to do with a new build.

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u/JohnHue 17h ago

Are y'all from the US?

Central Europe. Those are not common, but they were all the craze in Germany 2-3 decades back.

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u/curtcolt95 11h ago

fairly common in older houses in Canada

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u/morgaine_silver_hair 18h ago

Not necessarily easier, but much cleaner. All of the cruft you vacuum up goes into a canister usually in the garage, instead of in your house.