FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions.

2. Are the cut-out dimensions on the website the interior finished drywall dimensions?
Answer: Yes!

3. Why doesn't the front wall get installed prior to installing the dumbwaiter?
Answer: For ease of installation.

4. What type of shaft way doors come standard with the dumbwaiters?
Answer: They are primed white steel doors that are intended to be painted to match customer’ décor. These single swing doors are UL listed with a 1 ½ hour fire rating (2-hour fire rating available upon request). The rough opening for the door is a ½” wider and taller than the door itself. Example: The rough opening for a 30 x 30 door would be 30.5” x 30.5”.

5. What warranty do you provide for your dumbwaiters?
Answer: Our lifts come with an industry-leading 5-year residential, 3-year commercial warranty. Warranty details are provided with your initial quote.

6. Does an installation manual come with the dumbwaiter?
Answer: Yes, a detailed installation manual is included with each system.

7.Who does the installation of the dumbwaiter?
Answer: The customer’s general contractor usually installs dumbwaiters in residential settings. Installations in some commercial areas require licensed installers. Please check with your local codes on what is required in your area. If you are not able to locate an installer, please contact us. In some areas, we have installers that have requested us to refer new customers to them.

8.What is your lead time?
Answer: Our standard systems can often ship out within 2-3 weeks. The average lead time for custom orders is typically six weeks.

9.Are the code requirements for dumbwaiters the same in all areas?
Answer: No. In most states, the residential dumbwaiters do not require the same equipment commercial dumbwaiters do. Though there are some states that require the same for both. We have a lot of experience with what is required in most areas and can help guide you throughout the process. However, code requirements not only vary from state to state but sometimes county to county. Because of this, we always recommend contacting your local codes office to confirm what is required.

10. What are the electrical requirements?
Answer: We recommend installing two duplex outlets 12” down from the ceiling at the top of the shaft way on a dedicated 20-amp circuit.

11. Is the motor and control box mounted to the top of the shaft way?
Answer: Yes, the upper frame assembly is located at the top of the shaft way that contains the motor and control box.

12. How much space is needed at the top of the shaft way for the motor assembly?
Answer: The minimum space requirement for the motor assembly starts at 11” though it increases with larger motor sizes. If you have concerns or questions about how much space will be required for the system you are interested in, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.

13. What type of controls are used to move the dumbwaiter?
Answer: Push buttons are located at each floor to call or send the dumbwaiter.

14. Do you have other styles of push buttons available?
Answer: Yes. Please contact us.

15. What type of suspension means do you use on your dumbwaiters?
Answer: We use a urethane toothed belt with stainless steel cords, we have been using these belts for over 25 years.

16. Why do you use urethane belts?
Answer: The urethane belts we use offer us many advantages over other suspension means. They do not require lubrication, thus are for the most part maintenance free. They are quiet yet strong, our large belt has a breaking strength of over 3600 lbs. Our patented drive system allows for more teeth engagement on our steel tooth pulleys. Our unique design provides more holding power as well as giving us the ability to move more weight with a smaller motor.

17.What safety equipment is available on your commercial dumbwaiter systems?
Answer: Commercial dumbwaiters come with the required data tags and no riders plates required in most areas. We also install commercial elevator grade interlocks on our UL listed fire rated doors. The system also includes the required spring engaged motor brake, as well as over-travel safeties and slack cable switches. Car door switches and emergency stop buttons are also available.

18.How much space is needed at the top of the shaft way for the motor assembly?
Answer: The minimum space requirement for the motor assembly starts at 11” though it increases with larger motor sizes. If you have concerns or questions about how much space will be required for the system you are interested in, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.

19.Do I have to order your doors?
Answer: You are not required to purchase our doors, but you will need to mount our safety switch/interlock on the door you end up choosing. This is often done when the dumbwaiter is installed in the kitchen and the owner mounts our hardware on their cabinet doors.

20. How many stories can the dumbwaiter travel?
Answer: We provide dumbwaiters with as many as seven stops.

21. Can I have multiple doors at one stop?
Answer: Yes. On our side guide systems, you can have up to 2 doors at one stop. If you need 3 doors at one stop, your system will need to be guided on only one wall. Please see our access door opening sheet for further details.

22. What’s the advantage of buying a standard dumbwaiter over a custom dumbwaiter?
Answer: The lead time is usually the biggest reason as standard dumbwaiters ship in 2-3 weeks while custom dumbwaiters ship in approximately 4 to 6 weeks.

23. What type of maintenance is involved?
Answer: All ball and roller bearings in the drive system are lubricated and sealed. The belts also do not require lubrication so for the most part the dumbwaiters are maintenance free.

24. Are the safeties that do not allow the doors to open if the lift container is not located on that floor supplied on all your dumbwaiters?
Answer: Yes, they are called door interlocks. The style we utilize is electro-mechanical door interlocks.