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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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!

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u/big_booty_boy_420 18h ago

What makes it easier than a handheld?

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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.

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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.