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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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4th Mar 2021, 1:33 pm | #1 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 232
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Bright red light switch.
Hi,
I recently received this bright red light switch made by WG, given to me by John (heatercathodeshort), and was wondering what it is actually used for, it is to the normal standard of light switch, but the unusual colour scheme has thrown me off, apart from aesthetics, I can't see any reason for it, a photo of the switch is attached to this post. Tom |
4th Mar 2021, 1:36 pm | #2 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Stafford, Staffs. UK.
Posts: 2,532
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Re: Bright red light switch.
It's just a decorative feature. We sold them in Woolies. ISTR yellow, red, brown and green. There were matching sockets and plugs, I still have a brown 13A plug in the garage.
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4th Mar 2021, 1:48 pm | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK.
Posts: 5,276
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Re: Bright red light switch.
Very chic 80's design accent, I think you'd call it.
Woolworths also did a range of WG/Volex violently coloured 13A plugs. My brother had a blue one for his bedroom table lamp.
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Kevin |
4th Mar 2021, 2:05 pm | #4 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 2,820
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Re: Bright red light switch.
There was a blue light switch with white rocker at my Nan’s house in one of the bedrooms, so I guess it was just decorative.
Regards Lloyd |
4th Mar 2021, 4:57 pm | #5 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 14,010
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Re: Bright red light switch.
I remember them as a 70s/80s thing; there were also violently-coloured 13A plugs and sockets available. I used a red plug on my soldering-iron so I could easily identify it to unplug.
Somewhere I've got a pale-blue "Rock" 13A plug which I think was from the early-70s. |
4th Mar 2021, 5:22 pm | #6 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK.
Posts: 5,349
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Re: Bright red light switch.
Bold colours were the thing then: an era of avocado, crimson etc. bathroom suites!
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4th Mar 2021, 5:23 pm | #7 |
Hexode
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Worthing, Sussex, UK.
Posts: 277
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Re: Bright red light switch.
My kitchen had some of those in the 80s.
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4th Mar 2021, 5:52 pm | #8 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: East Sussex, UK.
Posts: 3,327
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Re: Bright red light switch.
I use a bright red 13 amp socket in my workshop that's connected to a large Variac so it's different to the normal white sockets
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4th Mar 2021, 6:05 pm | #9 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,866
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Re: Bright red light switch.
Habitat sold them, ISTR
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4th Mar 2021, 6:39 pm | #10 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Portland, Dorset, UK.
Posts: 874
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Re: Bright red light switch.
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4th Mar 2021, 8:41 pm | #11 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Somerset, UK.
Posts: 2,130
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Re: Bright red light switch.
Red Socket outlets are often used in hospitals and in offices to denote circuits with generator or UPS backup.
Sometimes white outlets but with red switches are used for similar reasons. Red light switches MIGHT be used to indicate emergency lighting but this is not common. In MOST circumstances emergency lighting is required to be lit continually without switching. But there are exceptions, when switching is permitted. More likely though to be simply for decorative effect, or perhaps for some non standard purpose. |
4th Mar 2021, 10:24 pm | #12 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 500
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Re: Bright red light switch.
I had a WG red socket in my spares box. I fitted it in the kitchen for the freezer on a non RCD protected circuit. Of course these days non RCD protected circuits are not allowed but it was a good idea at the time.
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4th Mar 2021, 10:39 pm | #13 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,866
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Re: Bright red light switch.
Legrand also made a nice range of brightly coloured plugs (as well as black and white) which were readily available in places like B&Q in the late 1980s.
Like this one: https://www.flameport.com/electric_m...tique_plug.cs4 |
4th Mar 2021, 11:13 pm | #14 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK.
Posts: 5,349
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Re: Bright red light switch.
My aunt had a red rubber 13A plug (Duraplug?) bought from Woolworths in the 1960's. It was used on a 3kW electric fire and got so hot that the rubber became very floppy when the fire was used. Eventually it deteriorated so much that the fuse holder became visible and she had covered the hole with insulating tape. When I saw it on a visit I insisted on immedately replacing it for her. Apart from this I have only seen black and white rubber plugs.
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5th Mar 2021, 1:52 am | #15 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 729
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Re: Bright red light switch.
What did you replace it with, emeritus?
I'd have been wanting to put a nice, sturdy MK plug on a 3kW electric fire!
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Best Regards, Peter. |
5th Mar 2021, 7:44 am | #16 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK.
Posts: 5,225
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Re: Bright red light switch.
I'm pretty sure I've seen (and may have somewhere) an orange rubber plug. Possibly an old Duraplug.
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5th Mar 2021, 9:11 am | #17 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: St. Frajou, l'Isle en Dodon, Haute Garonne, France.(Previously: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK.)
Posts: 3,184
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Re: Bright red light switch.
Hi,
The coloured rubber plugs sold by Woolies were branded 'Hercules', but were made by Duraplug. My parents had a few, and they were always getting warm in use. BhS (British Home Stores) also sold coloured plugs back in the 70s. I have a red one. Note, the unusual layout. Cheers, Pete.
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"Hello?, Yes, I'm on the train, I might lose the signal soon as we're just going into a tunn..." |
5th Mar 2021, 9:25 am | #18 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: St. Frajou, l'Isle en Dodon, Haute Garonne, France.(Previously: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK.)
Posts: 3,184
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Re: Bright red light switch.
The other two pics that failed to upload first time round,
Cheers, Pete.
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"Hello?, Yes, I'm on the train, I might lose the signal soon as we're just going into a tunn..." |
5th Mar 2021, 9:41 am | #19 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 4,999
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Re: Bright red light switch.
You can still buy things like that https://socketstore.co.uk/products/s...itches/colours
It is more difficult to find matching mains plugs though. |
5th Mar 2021, 2:09 pm | #20 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK.
Posts: 5,349
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Re: Bright red light switch.
Yes, Herculese it was. I can't remember what its replacement was, but it certainly wasn't a Herculese. We had a black one on our own 3kW Belling fire.It used to get warm, but the rubber didn't deteriorate like the red one had. This was in the mid-1970's.
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