Dumbwaiters Explained

By: Robert Thomson


Dumbwaiters are small box like elevators that travel vertically from one floor to another. They provide an excellent way to move materials up and down. They are mostly used in homes, medical facilities, schools, and banks.

Historically, they were only used in the rich European and American homes. It is said that wealthy people were served silently without subjecting their food to be seen by all the staff. That is why the name ‘dumb’.

In residences, they are extremely helpful for disabled or even bed ridden people. Food can be taken from the kitchen to the bedroom of the disabled person. It makes life much easier on the caretaker and provides the disabled person some dignity too. They save a trip down the stairs.

They can practically haul anything from books, heavy loads of laundry from the utility room to the first floor bedroom, firewood from basement to the living room, bags of groceries from garage to kitchen, and other similar hard to carry items from floor to floor.

In commercial buildings, dumbwaiters are used to transport files, medical equipment, and drugs to save effort and time.

A typical residential dumbwaiter can carry loads of about 500 to 100 pounds. Commercial units have greater capacity.

They are usually installed somewhere between the garage level and kitchen. They cost half as much as a regular residential elevator. An enclosed shaft of only about 2 feet square is installed along with the lifting motor device, and rails to let the dumbwaiter ride up and down the walls. It is easy to install them during the construction of the house, but can also be installed in existing homes.

Some dumbwaiters have the capacity to travel up to 28 feet at a speed of 20 feet/minute. They also allow two or three stops along the way, if using them for multiple floors. They operate with the help of control switches, just like elevators.

A dumbwaiter can be part of a closet in a bedroom or can be in the corner of a hallway upstairs. In the garage, you can leave it unfinished (to reduce the cost), while upstairs, it can be painted and paneled to make it look good and part of the home decor.

A dumbwaiter has the option of opening on two opposite sides. This allows you to load stuff on one side and empty it from the other side of the shaft once it reaches upstairs.

They are subject to annual inspection to make sure the safety standards are maintained and the dumbwaiter is in good condition. They usually come with a five-year warranty.

A dumbwaiter provides great comfort, that once you get used to this wonderful invention, you will wonder how you ever lived without it, especially if you have disabled people at home.


To find out more about dumbwaiters and how they can add value to your home, visit www.usmedicalsupplies.com.