Question for the more mature among us

[magnoliafan89]

Hi guys

Found this at a house dating from the 30s. No power but just curious as to what it was used. Is that an old socket and that's on old plug top??

 

[DPG]

Is that one of the old 2 Amp plug/sockets?

 

[Dave OCD]

It looks like that, probably designed for an old table lamp with twisted pair flex.

 

[DPG]

I'd like to point out he said plug-top.

 

[Julie.]

BS372 socket and plug.

Probably 5A,
The 2A was just under 1/2" between pins
The 5A was just over 5/8" between pins
15A was around 7/8" between pins
30A was around 1 1/4" between pins

All 2 pole

And I am not mature

Still immature I am afraid.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Definitely 5A.

The plug (made by Crabtree) was a very common type. The socket (by GEC) not so often seen. It looks like it was rather haphazardly bodged into the skirting board, too near the floor and not level.

Could have been used for anything but typically table lamp / radio / vacuum cleaner. Points for heaters were often near the fireplace and more likely to be 3-pin (although not necessarily) and/or 15A.

 

[telectrix]

just separate the copper/brass bits and add to scrap cable box.

 

[old man sparky]

As others have said mainly used for table lamps ect. I have even seen convertors from the day, that enabled the lady of the house to plug an iron into a BC from the light fitting.
Here's one for the youngsters.
Ever wondered why in older properties the light fittings were never central in a room and near the windows instead ?
Well it was for modesty reasons, to prevent shadows being cast against the curtains when people were getting dressed ect.
Nowadays they dress with curtains open, and wave as you go by ?

 

[littlespark]

As others have said mainly used for table lamps ect. I have even seen convertors from the day, that enabled the lady of the house to plug an iron into a BC from the light fitting.
Here's one for the youngsters.
Ever wondered why in older properties the light fittings were never central in a room and near the windows instead ?
Well it was for modesty reasons, to prevent shadows being cast against the curtains when people were getting dressed ect.
Nowadays they dress with curtains open, and wave as you go by ?

You put light fittings in the centre of rooms?
Number of new builds ive been in where they've missed the centre by a good foot and a half.

My gran had an adaptor with 13A square pins, but 2 x 15A and 1 x 5A sockets. Somewhere theres a BC plug for pendants and a BC to 3xBC outlets.

Was 2A sockets not used for school clock power sockets? Or am i mistaken with that? (obviously not this one, being on the skirting)

 

[7029 dave]

As others have said mainly used for table lamps ect. I have even seen convertors from the day, that enabled the lady of the house to plug an iron into a BC from the light fitting.
Here's one for the youngsters.
Ever wondered why in older properties the light fittings were never central in a room and near the windows instead ?
Well it was for modesty reasons, to prevent shadows being cast against the curtains when people were getting dressed ect.
Nowadays they dress with curtains open, and wave as you go by ?

Yeah was nearly always centralizing these light positions on rewires.

 

[Strima]

ver wondered why in older properties the light fittings were never central in a room and near the windows instead ?
Well it was for modesty reasons, to prevent shadows being cast against the curtains when people were getting dressed ect.

I had an apprentice once tell me that it was because of German snipers during the war... Couldn't move for the amount of Waffen SS snipers in Hull in 1940...

It's also the reason why bedroom doors opened towards the centre of the room rather than towards the adjacent wall.

 

[SagaCU29]

As others have said mainly used for table lamps ect. I have even seen convertors from the day, that enabled the lady of the house to plug an iron into a BC from the light fitting.
Here's one for the youngsters.
Ever wondered why in older properties the light fittings were never central in a room and near the windows instead ?
Well it was for modesty reasons, to prevent shadows being cast against the curtains when people were getting dressed ect.
Nowadays they dress with curtains open, and wave as you go by ?

I was told the lights were there because dressing tables were placed in front of the windows.

 

[R-fur]

At one time there were a lot of electric clocks about. 2A and 5A sockets were often fitted in places where a clock would be used. Such as beside beds, above mantelpieces etc.

 

[telectrix]

the light fittings were placed close to the windows so that there would not be a silhouette of someone undressing with the light behind them.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Was 2A sockets not used for school clock power sockets? Or am i mistaken with that? (obviously not this one, being on the skirting)

More often, dedicated clock connectors that were very shallow to fit behind the clock. Each manufacturer had their own pattern so the plug of one brand would not fit the socket of another, but they were always supplied as a complete pair.

2A sockets, both 2- and 3-pin, were the least common of the sizes in the heyday of round-pin. 5A was the most common, 15A was necessary for heaters, wash boilers etc. But 2A did not have so much of a defined purpose, as many of its applications (radio, clock, lamp) were equally well served by the 5A. It was very compact but had little else to recommend it.