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Other Vintage Household Electrical or Electromechanical Items For discussions about other vintage (over 25 years old) electrical and electromechanical household items. See the sticky thread for details. |
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10th Oct 2010, 8:11 pm | #1 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: 1966-1976 Coverack in Cornwall and Helston Cornwall. 1976-present Bristol/Bath area.
Posts: 2,965
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Belling 601 Portable Fire
Colourstar's thread on the Belling 264 inspired me to dig out my old Belling 601 which has been in the family since new. I remember this fire from when I was a boy being pushed into service in our Cornish cottage during really cold winters. I think it was old then, back in the 1960's, and remember well that it used to work well and some members of the family were a little wary of using it. It did break down once when the element wire blew dramaticly throwing sparks half way across the room. The element was repaired by a local electrical shop in Helston back in the late 1960's or early 1970's.
Some years later when I was living in my small flat I rescued this from my parents new house as it was about to be thrown out and I used it frequently during the winters of the 1980's and 1990's. I noticed that it was taking longer to warm up accompanied by a strong smell of burning rubber. A new mains cable was fitted and it continued in mainline service for many years. I have dug it out today gave it a good dust out switched on and it worked first time after being laid up for years. Its still very effective and chucks out a very impressive 1Kw, it was only running for about 30 mins this afternoon and everyone in the house started to complain about the heat. I don't know how old this fire is and nobody in my familly can quite remember when it was bought, I would guess 1950's but it may be earliar it does not look like there was much health and safety considerations when this was made but according to the stamped label on the back it conforms to both BS1670 and BS1945.
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Simon BVWS member |
11th Oct 2010, 10:33 pm | #2 |
Retired Dormant Member
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Location: London
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
Looks like it was made in an electric chair factory.
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11th Oct 2010, 11:45 pm | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 3,310
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
Hi Simon
My (late)Auntie had one of those,(complete with "old lady" joint in the mains cable!! She did some sort of course in the WAF during the war and the whole house was like it.) and she used to say the projections on the back were to allow the fire to be laid on it's back and used as a stove. (Knowing her it probably was-and run from a light socket!) Try it, the front grill will be level.............. Safe or what! The only references I can find to BS1945 I can find is with regard to guarding, dated 1971. I'm sure the fire is older than that though, so I expect the BS has been revised.
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"Nothing is as dangerous as being too modern;one is apt to grow old fashioned quite suddenly." Last edited by Tim; 12th Oct 2010 at 12:00 am. |
12th Oct 2010, 8:29 am | #4 |
Octode
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Wimborne, Dorset, UK.
Posts: 1,407
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
Hello Simon,
Is it the camera or are there several hotspots on the element? Cheers
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Lee |
12th Oct 2010, 7:28 pm | #5 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: 1966-1976 Coverack in Cornwall and Helston Cornwall. 1976-present Bristol/Bath area.
Posts: 2,965
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
There are indeed some hotspots but when you leave it run everything seems even out. I think it does not help that it has not been switched on for many years. The amazing thing about this fire is that as well as radiant heat from the elements there is also heat wafting through the vents on top of the case making it a small convector heater as well.
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Simon BVWS member |
12th Oct 2010, 9:10 pm | #6 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Warnham, West Sussex. 10 miles south of DORKING.
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
Lovely! Just how I remember them. These were horrendous 'Trouser Burners' but men were real men then, simply dousing the flames and getting on with the job. Nice one! J.
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13th Oct 2010, 8:46 am | #7 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Somerset, UK.
Posts: 2,356
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
Yes untill people started wearing crimpolene
I have one of those .Im sure as stared the BS no must have had an earlier life than 1971 .I have a fire of my Grandmothers that must at the latest be 1940s and has that number |
13th Oct 2010, 12:53 pm | #8 |
Hexode
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 282
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
Lovely fire! I have a 2KW version here in the same design and finish, which I use in my garage's back storeroom section. Like you say, these things certainly belt out the heat. I definitely wouldn't use it as a stove, but I have used it as a superbly effective toaster before now!
Neil |
13th Oct 2010, 4:30 pm | #9 | |
Retired Dormant Member
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Location: Shropshire, UK.
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
Quote:
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13th Oct 2010, 9:57 pm | #10 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: 1966-1976 Coverack in Cornwall and Helston Cornwall. 1976-present Bristol/Bath area.
Posts: 2,965
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
Interesting so possibly dates back to the 1940's. No Tim I have never used this as a toaster but can see that it would be an effective one and I am also happy to say that I have not tried to run it from a lighting socket
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Simon BVWS member |
13th Oct 2010, 10:21 pm | #11 | |
Octode
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Willand, Devon, UK.
Posts: 1,023
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
Quote:
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13th Oct 2010, 11:53 pm | #12 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 16,535
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
I reckon it would be pretty much self cleaning just don't run it from a RCD protected supply when boiling things over
Give it a quick vacuum when it's cooled down....
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14th Oct 2010, 8:50 am | #13 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Somerset, UK.
Posts: 2,356
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
A Mad friend of mine when he first lived away from home back in the 7os used to cook sausages on the electric fire !
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14th Oct 2010, 9:28 am | #14 |
Octode
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Saltburn-East, Cleveland, UK.
Posts: 1,786
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
Hi,
Wasn't there a wall mounted version of this type of electric fire, which seemed to be used extensively in some local authority housing in the 1950/60s? Andrew |
14th Oct 2010, 12:11 pm | #15 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Western Lake District, Cumbria (CA20) - UK
Posts: 2,136
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
There was a wall mounted version.
I've always been under the impression that the protrusions on the back are to space it away from a wall in the upright position. The back plate of these has a tendency to become very hot so it could have scorced the wall paper at the very least.
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Brian |
14th Oct 2010, 12:36 pm | #16 |
Nonode
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: South Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 2,573
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
My parents house had a wall mounted fire of this type in my bedroom when we moved there in 1967, the house being all electric. I can't remember using it much and eventually it was removed and disposed of when they had gas put it.
Keith |
1st Dec 2010, 9:01 pm | #17 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 88
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
i have fond memories of the wall mounted version of this fire in our council house in the earliy 60s i also remember getting two belts one off the fire when as a 9 year old i stuck one of my mums knitting needles in it causing the huge 30amp cartridge fuse to blow and the other off my dad when he came in from work
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1st Dec 2010, 10:01 pm | #18 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK.
Posts: 5,271
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Re: Belling 601 Portable Fire
Got some more more basic fires here from a 1937 wholesalers catalogue, a couple of them are mentioned as suitable for cooking on!
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...belling1-1.jpg http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...e/belling2.jpg
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Kevin |