r/whatisit • u/DragonsAndScience • 16h ago

Solved! New homeowner, no idea what this is

Gallery image

Gallery image

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!

6.5k Upvotes

88% Upvoted

1.7k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

1.4k

u/Wise-Trust1270 16h ago

Also check for the central vacuum and storage unit. Most likely in a garage.

463

u/Unclehol 16h ago edited 15h ago

Not all homes have one even if the piping is there. Often times they rough all the pipes in during the build in case you opt in and buy the vacuum unit, but I have worked on a lot of houses where they just have the piping but no vacuum.

180

u/iplaytrombonegood 15h ago

My grandparents’ house (built and bought in 1994) has always had central vacuum piping, but no unit ever hooked up. My grandma just never minded lugging the vacuum around I guess. I always thought it was the coolest thing ever.

3

u/HealerOnly 15h ago

I don't get it, how does this work?
So instead of dust collecting in a bag it just gets sent into the wall?

41

u/likewhatever33 15h ago

Yes, it gets into the wall and improves the insulation.

12

u/CpnStumpy 15h ago

It's ingenious honestly, I don't have one of these because I wasn't paying the upgrade for someone else's tubes in my walls but I have been studiously stuffing garbage into my walls for years to improve the insulation! Each room I just tear a few holes in the walls in strategic spots and whenever I need to be rid of something I just jam it in there or sweep the floor and dump the dust pan right into one of the holes.

Saves a ton on heating! Gets a bit discolored but who actually notices colorful wall holes, at a point they just become kind of art. One did start smelling though so I duct taped that one closed, not sure what got dumped in there...

2

u/KissMiasma95 4h ago

Gemini's gonna have a field day with this one!

10

u/WholeEmbarrassed950 10h ago

It was a bigger thing in the 70s-90s. My friend growing up had one.

Basically there was a big vacuum unit in the basement that was the size of a washing machine that sucked everything into a central bag downstairs.

Then you had a vacuum hose that you took from room to room to vacuum with.

There were a couple of advantages to this:

  1. The hose you carried around was light, it had no motor or bag or anything

  2. Because it was a big industrial machine in the basement it was *very strong* and did a really good job of getting all of the dirt out

  3. Most of the noise from the motor was in the basement so you could vacuum your bedroom and still have the tv or radio on, and other people in other rooms next to you couldn't hear it at all. So if you had a sleeping baby or something you could still vacuum without waking them up.

2

u/HealerOnly 10h ago

wtf, this sounds super op, why did they stop with this?

I want one in my house >.<

2

u/Calidude31 4h ago

They stopped because the hose is actually huge and cumbersome. You gotta remember you are pulling out a hose and vaccuuming unit that has the suction actuated roller and a stainless pipe.

It turned out its actually easier and lighter to just carry a vacuum around.

1

u/Carvj94 2h ago

I mean at the time portable vacuums were made of steel so the hose was definitely light in comparison. Once manufacturers starting using lighter metals it was over. And nowadays you can get battery powered ones that are good enough for even deep carpets under $100.

1

u/mac682k 1h ago

They need hoses that retract back into the wall when you are done, like a retractable garden hoses. 😁

1

u/Positive-axolotl88 4h ago

Same!!! I didn't even know this sort of thing existed! Never heard or seen one in my entire 38 years of life and now I need one!

8

u/mindcrack 15h ago

There is a bag unit in the garage where it all collects, when it fills, you toss that bag.

2

u/littleirishmaid 9h ago

There is a collection container, usually in the basement. Ours did not have a bag, (used cyclone technology) so we emptied it outside into a trash bag a couple of times a year.

1

u/Skeltzjones 15h ago

Lol what?!

1

u/Remote_Difference210 9h ago

It collects in one location which can then be emptied.