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Old 25th Jul 2011, 1:06 pm   #39
multivalve
Retired Dormant Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Holmfirth
Posts: 7
Default Re: Another unusual plug and some other questions

Our old village house was wired with 2-pin sockets. It was advertised in 1938 as being 'fitted with electric light'. Eventually my parents were advised to convert to 3-pin (still 5 amp) as it would be safer. We did so. On looking later I discovered the separate new earth wire from the sockets ran to somewhere just under the floor- where it ended! Incidentally to this story, the mains supply was DC from the local mill which was powered by turbines. Generated at 270 volts in order to charge a room full of lead acid batteries to 250 volts, it gave varying voltage to the village according to the time of day-or night- and how far you lived from the mill. The local shop would always ask where you lived when you bought a light bulb, and it was advisable not to use it in the early hours when the batteries were charging and the voltage drop in the overhead wires was low! (One useful aspect of DC was the ability to charge the radio 2v accumulator by running the house supply through it, with dire warning to parents not to use more than a 100w anywhere in the house. That worked until the meter reader found out, and as he also ran the radio battery charging station he wasn't at all happy).
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