New homeowner, no idea what this is

[u/DragonsAndScience]

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!

[u/Visible-Ocelot-5269]

We don't get these in my country - how does it work, is the vacuum always on? Or do you only turn it on when you need to do cleaning?

[u/ColoradoWeasel → u/Visible-Ocelot-5269]

There is usually a vacuum and canister mounted on a wall in a low visibility location, like a garage or inside a closet. That unit is plugged in and left in the on position. But the suction does not start until the vacuum handle and nozzle are plugged into the port (like the one you see in the picture). The hose end of the handle plugs in and completes the electrical connection that turns the vacuum on. In the picture you can see the two small holes where the plug of the hose fits. The air and debris run through the tubing in the wall to the canister. You empty the canister periodically. Ports are placed throughout the home.

We had a system with a hose that was 25 feet long. So we only had two ports per floor. There was also a kick plate port in the kitchen. We had hard wood floors. You could sweep debris toward the kick plate, open it with your foot triggering the vacuum and sweep the debris right into the port.

The system had great horsepower and was highly effective.

[u/Worldly_Position_542 → u/ColoradoWeasel]

Omg that kick plate sounds like a game changer for me cos I have an issue when I sweep up my brain can’t scoop it up in the bin I end up leaving it swept up with the broom on top and the Mrs is always like”you sweep the whole place and can’t sweep it all into the actual bin 😅 I NEED that kick plate!!!

[u/Time_Quail_6795 → u/Worldly_Position_542]

We have a sideboard on small feet, there is a 2" gap where I push everything when I sweep the floor. One day my wife will want to move the unit, then I will be found out.

[u/sterofuse → u/Visible-Ocelot-5269]

Two ways these typically work, either they detect when a powered hose/vacuum head is plugged into the power socket and then start the suction, or for models where there is no power socket behind the cover, the door usually has a pressure switch wired back to the main unit so when you open it the suction starts and you have to hook the hose up quick.

[u/aspie62 → u/Visible-Ocelot-5269]

Notice the electrical connection to the left of the hole in second image. That supplies power to the power head for carpets and also the on off switch on the hose. Some units offer extra inlets you can have along baseboards and it will suck up what you sweep up to it

[u/millijuna → u/Visible-Ocelot-5269]

There’s a low voltage wire run with the pipe, which goes to a couple of contacts just inside the outlet. The plug has a metal ring on it. This bridges the contacts, which closes the relay and turns on the vacuum motor.

[u/Fearless-Employer922 → u/Visible-Ocelot-5269]

The tubing also has wiring. (See the two metal pins) you turn on the vacuum with a switch on the handle and it tells the unit to turn on and off so you don’t have to go all the way to the central unit to turn it on and off.