Aug 06 2010
Uses For Dumbwaiters
Dumbwaiters could probably be considered the opposite of a trash chute – unlike trash chutes, they can move up and down freely and aim to keep the items it possesses safe from any kind of destruction. However, trash chutes and dumbwaiters have one thing in common: they both make our lives easier and more convenient. Even if it is easier to find a trash chute nowadays, dumbwaiters are still essential and often forgotten element of many older (and newer) homes.
Dumbwaiters have been around since the 1800s and were once a permanent fixture in multi-story Victorian homes. Original dumbwaiters were controlled by a rope and pulley system so that maids and servants could move food, materials, laundry (dirty and clean) and other essentials up and down from floor to floor without interrupting workflow. This system allowed work to be completed easily and efficiently. Of course, over the years dumbwaiters have shifted from being manually operated to being fully automated systems that run on technologically advanced engines and motors. These newer dumbwaiters move on a track system and can be easily placed into an existing home for a plethora of purposes.
Dumbwaiters’ purpose in present day and age is primarily based around aiding the elderly and handicapped people in our society. Much like stair lifts and other aids, dumbwaiters help the elderly to move items from floor to floor without having to carry the items themselves. Dumbwaiters can also be very useful to a live-in caretaker or nurse, allowing them to have their hands free when transporting the patient from floor to floor.
Dumbwaiters are a truly practical way to ensure that a home is easily accessible for an elderly, handicapped or otherwise immobile person. By taking the steps to add one element to a home, the value and ease of maintaining that home can go up exponentially on a regular basis.