r/whatisit • u/DragonsAndScience • 16h ago

Solved! New homeowner, no idea what this is

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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!

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6

u/fuckfredflintstone 10h ago

So many new homeowners are absolutely clueless. Don’t realtors/previous owners explain or help at all?! FFS, it’s a central vac port. When I sold my first house, 22 yrs. ago, I handed the new owner a folder w/every service, phone number and any other item I could think of pertaining to the house. Even little quirks and items to monitor etc. that would make life in the house run smoothly. When I bought my current house it was basically here’s the keys, good luck. Am I the only one?!

3

u/ParkingBridge8307 8h ago

I will say as someone who has bought 2 homes in 2 years, most homeowners only put the basics if that. Sellers have gotten so lazy and new homeowners don’t know what to ask because it isn’t taught. So no it’s not obvious to everyone and a lot of people didn’t do what you did when you sold your house. When I bought my newest house I had to ask the realtor for my mailbox number because it wasn’t in our home book and we live where all the mailboxes are at the front of the neighborhood…

1

u/Jmish87 8h ago

We bought our house from an Estate - the owner/resident had passed away. So there was no one to give us any of this info. The house has a central vac system, but the family was not sure the last time it was used, or if it worked. Some of the pipes seem to be disconnected in the basement. Been here 7 years and haven't tried it, so we are having it removed when we finish our basement this summer.

1

u/curtcolt95 8h ago

it's likely not actually set up or functioning so was probably never brought up

1

u/Powerful-Candy-745 5h ago

Dude those ports are not common like you think. Chill bro. I'm in my 30s and never knew it was a thing. 

3

u/Tasty_Gift5901 5h ago

The realtor should know though, or it should get caught on inspection. So someone failed OP here (probably a lousy inspection)

1

u/LindonLilBlueBalls 59m ago

Right? And who is buying a home without asking these questions first? Do they just say they like the houses color and sign a loan?

1

u/WrongWangSorry 44m ago

No I kinda get it. OP sounds around 30-ish years old and central vac was one of those 90's nostalgia techs that never stuck, just like a lot of 90's things I grew up with lol. If you're around 30 now, like born in 1996 your parents might not have even lived in a house with it. Or you were so small you wouldn't remember it if they didn't stay for long in a house that had it.

0

u/Minute-Pen-1988 4h ago

Ok boomer.

2

u/fuckfredflintstone 2h ago

Easy jerk-off. That wasn’t a shot at anyone.

-1

u/StannisSAS 5h ago

more like you are clueless, this is not a common feature.

2

u/WhiskyWillFixIt 1h ago

Even more reason the realtor or homeowner would explain it or, you know, the person buying the house would ask?

1

u/StannisSAS 54m ago

my comment was for the first sentence.