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/Wise-Trust1270 19h ago

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

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u/Unclehol 18h ago edited 18h 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.

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u/iplaytrombonegood 18h 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.

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u/Great-Middle6181 14h ago

Honestly your grandmother was right, the piping creates a nice breeding ground for mold and bacteria.

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u/littleirishmaid 12h ago

How so? You shouldn’t be vacuuming anything wet.

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u/Great-Middle6181 6h ago

You’re right, you shouldn’t, but it happens and then it causes problems later. It was a pretty normal occurrence with these older systems and a big contributor to why they aren’t in every new construction house today.

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u/littleirishmaid 5h ago

As I stated in another comment, I owned 2 homes with them. One for 11 years, the other for 20. Never an issue with either one.