The feasibility of developing a “central garbage” feature in a home...

Thread Starter

Jennifer Solomon

Joined Mar 20, 2017
112
We have central air right now...

But imagine every room (for new construction, obviously) that has a standard vac chute (like a bank drive-thru) that goes to a central repository of garbage. No more collecting trash in every room.

Doable/cost effective from a hardware design/apparatus perspective?

(this question has zero philosophical basis, per my other threads, if anyone is wondering :--)
 

AlbertHall

Joined Jun 4, 2014
12,344
Do you not need several such chutes for each room to separate trash for recycling?
Here we have three separate bins - paper/card, glass/plastic, and the rest.
 

Alec_t

Joined Sep 17, 2013
14,280
How will you clean/disinfect the chutes when, inevitably, someone puts something yucky down them or insects/rodents decide to take up residence in them?
A chute big enough to take typical household garbage is also a potential hazard to pets and small children. Little Jimmy may think it's fun to give his dog a helter-skelter ride.
 

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
Chute cleaning, flies, spills are only a few disadvantages. Why would any family want to prepare food in every room? I do have centralized pluming for used food.

BTW, central cloths chutes to a laundry in the basement have been around for many years.
 

Deleted member 115935

Joined Dec 31, 1969
0
My kids have a centralised system anyway, its called their bed room floor / especially under bed... :->
 

Thread Starter

Jennifer Solomon

Joined Mar 20, 2017
112
Yes, essentially... since the garbage in every room other than kitchen is pretty paper-oriented, the issue the other poster mentioned about putting something yucky down there is mitigated outside kitchen area. Same precautions you take with a wall vacuum system, I suppose, with the same potential issues, but those work quite well... this would be a much stronger pressurized system for a more instant suctioning vs. constant vacuuming effect.

You have the same issues with a child putting stuff in the microwave, washing machine, even the wall vac, etc.

It just seems with the tech available, garbage dealings in a house is “old tech,” especially in a very large house with many rooms.
 
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Thread Starter

Jennifer Solomon

Joined Mar 20, 2017
112
Chute cleaning, flies, spills are only a few disadvantages. Why would any family want to prepare food in every room? I do have centralized pluming for used food.

BTW, central cloths chutes to a laundry in the basement have been around for many years.
Lost you at “Prepare food in every room?” Do you not have garbages in bedrooms, living/family rooms and offices in the house?
 

Thread Starter

Jennifer Solomon

Joined Mar 20, 2017
112
If you (rarely) need to throw away something perishable in another room, perhaps small bags are available to place it in the bag before throwing it in the chute, which is a good habit anyway...
 

soyez

Joined Aug 17, 2020
51
We have central air right now...

But imagine every room (for new construction, obviously) that has a standard vac chute (like a bank drive-thru) that goes to a central repository of garbage. No more collecting trash in every room.

Doable/cost effective from a hardware design/apparatus perspective?

(this question has zero philosophical basis, per my other threads, if anyone is wondering :--)
it seems to be effective and of course a nice idea
 

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
Lost you at “Prepare food in every room?” Do you not have garbages in bedrooms, living/family rooms and offices in the house?
To me, there is a distinction between garbage and trash.; although, that distinction is not rigidly followed. Large apartment houses will often have "trash" chutes on every floor -- at least old ones did. There was usually a sign not to use for garbage. I was a youth, we burned our trash, but put garbage out weekly in a covered can. Then garbage disposers became the norm and incinerators were outlawed because of pollution.

In modern commercial buildings, such chutes may not be allowed by fire code as they provide a path for the spread of fire between floors. If allowed, they may require special construction because of that risk.
 

Thread Starter

Jennifer Solomon

Joined Mar 20, 2017
112
To me, there is a distinction between garbage and trash.; although, that distinction is not rigidly followed. Large apartment houses will often have "trash" chutes on every floor -- at least old ones did. There was usually a sign not to use for garbage. I was a youth, we burned our trash, but put garbage out weekly in a covered can. Then garbage disposers became the norm and incinerators were outlawed because of pollution.

In modern commercial buildings, such chutes may not be allowed by fire code as they provide a path for the spread of fire between floors. If allowed, they may require special construction because of that risk.
I suppose the chutes themselves would need to be fireproof.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
Ducts or chutes like that are a poor safety choice because they would bring smoke and fire into every room if there was ever a fire in the trash bin, such as from a discarded cigarette but that was not out.
I do recall reading about something like that in the book "1984", except they called them memory chutes. Central vacuum systems are bad enough, a central garbage duct system would be similar to a central sewer system, except for the fire hazard part.
It could be done but it would never be cost effective.
 

Thread Starter

Jennifer Solomon

Joined Mar 20, 2017
112
Think about it.

I am out of this, another of your pointless threads.
Take your Bittercil this morning? Considering I've only started a few threads on here, one of which had 17,000 views, well beyond average, and was actively participated in by many, including mods, your ad hominem attack is completely baseless.

Secondly, if it wasn't an idea worth considering, no one would have replied to begin with, including you.

Thirdly, a central vacuum system has similar potential for fires, if you suck up a smoldering cigarette or other incendiary element. It hasn't stopped anyone from installing them. The design would simply have to consider the possibility and engineer around it. It is not insurmountable.
 
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MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
Central vacuum systems do have some built-in safeguards, at least some of them do. And most of them that I have seen had been abandoned in place for various reasons.
Pneumatic transport systems for bulk materials in manufacturing plants seem to be similar to what you describe, and they are never simple, although the concept is simple. The physical ducting is not cheap nor is it really simple, and certainly it is not compact. All of the bends must have a constant diameter and a fairly large radius, fir starters. And every pit of the system needs to be totally smooth inside to prevent snagging material and developing blockages. And none of the movement depends on gravity, it all runs on air power.
So certainly it could be done but it is not likely that it would be cost effective for most folks. Knowing the cost of industrial systems it is not likely to be included in many homes. For the cost of a single line system I could buy another house bigger than my present one. And it would take up a fair amount of space, and need afair amount of power for the air movement system.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
Take your Bittercil this morning? Considering I've only started a few threads on here, one of which had 17,000 views, well beyond average, and was actively participated in by many, including mods, your ad hominem attack is completely baseless.

Secondly, if it wasn't an idea worth considering, no one would have replied to begin with, including you.

Thirdly, a central vacuum system has similar potential for fires, if you suck up a smoldering cigarette or other incendiary element. It hasn't stopped anyone from installing them. The design would simply have to consider the possibility and engineer around it. It is not insurmountable.
The thread had quite a few views, but not 17,000:
This site keeps records and has them actually accessible. I am very impressed.
 
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