Utilizing Dumbwaiters to Help Around the Home
Saturday, December 20, 2008 by dev
There are many people who today use a dumbwaiter in their home to make it easier to take care of housework. In a multi-story home, it can be very difficult to move items between floors. Everything from food to firewood can often need to be brought throughout the home, but carrying these things up the stairs can be difficult. For those who are mobility challenged, it might simply not be possible to move these things.
A dumbwaiter is basically a type of elevator. Unlike a regular elevator, however, these devices are not intended to be used for people though. Instead if you need to transport a person up the stairs, you would need to invest in a personal elevator. For everything else, a dumbwaiter will perform more than admirably.
Most new dumbwaiters that are installed in homes are powered by electricity. A strong electric motor is used to effortlessly lift the device and its load between floors. Today, these electric lifts are more popular, but this has not always been the case.
Manual lifts had been very popular for hundreds of years. These lifts were easy to install and could be placed almost anywhere, but they will require the owner to physically lift the load between floors. Even if the lift uses a set of pulleys to reduce the effort it takes to raise it, it can still be quite strenuous to use.
This is one of the main reasons that an electric lift is much more popular. It can support much more weight much more efficiently. They also include safety features to help ensure the device can be used safely. Sensors are built in to detect objects in the shaft that might disrupt the device. They are also designed so that the door can not be opened if the lift is not present.
Installing these lifts is usually easier if it is done as the home is being constructed. They are also often installed after a home has been built. The main concern is finding a distance between floors that can be used as the dumbwaiter shaft. The shaft needs to be completely straight and it needs to have an opening that can be accessed on each floor. If you can not find an area for the shaft, you can often use the space in a closet. The lift can also be configured so the door opens on different sides on each floor.
Once you have an area that will work as the shaft, it is a matter of installing the track, drive system, wiring, and dumbwaiter car. The reason a track is used is because it is able to keep the lift more stable and balanced.
Many lifts come in large part already assembled. This makes it a lot easier to install. Usually with these kits, the drive system and car are installed together, so they can be installed all at once. By cutting out these steps, the lifts can be put into a home much more rapidly and in a more reliable manner.
Jacob Romley is experienced with home improvement. The dumb waiter has been used in homes and buildings for many years to make moving objects easier. They also increase safety, because there is less of a chance of an accident while using the stairs. Often people who have difficulty climbing the stairs and rely on stair lifts will also use a dumbwaiter.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/utilizing-dumbwaiters-to-help-around-the-home-691619.html
