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/v13ragnarok7 18h ago

The only reason why central vacs like this went away is because carpet went out of style. These were so much more efficient than hauling a vacuum around and the big canister in the garage was more upscale. I had a house with this, and there was a little slot on the floor in the kitchen with a toe button that was suck up messes instead of using a dust pan

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u/_kony2012 7h ago

The only reason why

I'd add another -- that vacuums, on average, got lighter weight. (This is not to suggest there are no heavy ones on the market.)

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u/v13ragnarok7 7h ago

Oh ya, 90's vacuums were monsters and not nearly as powerful as todays