Unusual Sockets found on rewire

[philturner]

Hi, i have been doing a bungalow rewire with a colleague, and came across these installed in lounge and bedrooms.
has anyone seen these MEM sockets before ? approx age ?

 

[davesparks]

Umm, 15A is very standard if you are in a theatre ...

Yes it is still the standard for dimmer outlets in theatres etc but there is a gradual change to 16A outlets happening for new installations.

 

[ipf]

Umm, 15A is very standard if you are in a theatre ...

Aye, and all wired in vir, just like the domestic stuff in question, I suppose.

 

[philturner]

The sockets were in the bedrooms as well as the lounge, all wired in pvc with stranded conductors (even the earth were three strands).

@Lucien Nunes , if you pm me your address i have found a couple more, and i will send them to you.

 

[PEG]

Like this lot go to Theatres.........

Hey,we might be lying in the gutter...but at least we are looking at the st....
Ah...no we aint...

 

[Lucien Nunes]

all wired in pvc with stranded conductors (even the earth were three strands).

When those were put in, the regs (e.g. 14th ed. of 1966) specified a CPC one size down from the L & N for many sizes of T+E. Therefore. 7/.029, the standard cable for rings before 2.5mm², had a 3/.036 CPC, equating to 3.0mm² with a 2.0mm² CPC. The three smallest cables, 1/.044, 3/.029 and 3/.036 all normally had a 1/.044 CPC however.

PM sent to Phil... at least with these 2G ones I don't have to ask whether the back boxes can be salvaged.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Follow-up: Big thumbs-up to Phil, who sent over two of these in undamaged condition ideal for display, and one of the 4-gang 2A sockets (unfused, for a 5A circuit) with the same footprint as the original Fireside socket. One of them has the original blue 3A MEM-branded fuse in, too. I'll see if I can fish out the original New Era version and take some pics of them together.

Once again, many thanks Phil!

 

[Toneyz]

Where is this museum?

 

[Boing89]

Some people still use the round pin style sockets to switch lamps on in a room from the main lighting with as you walk in to a room.

Hotels is where I’ve seen that on a number of occasions recently. I assume it’s to stop guests unplugging the lamps and plugging 3kW heaters that they’ve brought with them in to the lighting circuit (you know there’s someone out there that will do it).

 

[Pete999]

Where is this museum?

Lucien's House

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Ha ha, would have to widen the doors a bit to get some of the exhibits in.
The museum is not open yet. While we are working to form the trust to operate it, the stuff is in storage. I have been looking at some possible permanent sites but there is a lot to do to organise that. We narrowly missed one earlier in the year, someone else made a better offer. It's quite a challenge, finding a location large enough, accessible for visitors, preferably not too far from our existing storage (there's about 20 artic lorry loads to move) and ideally capable of future expansion. And affordable out of my pocket money!

 

[freddo]

Looking through some old work photos and found this:

And also in the same house, this:

No idea what half of the symbols were supposed to represent.
All wired in rubber cables fed from a mix of MEM Kantark and Bill Insulok fuseboxes.

 

[Toneyz]

We used to have Nettle switches and sockets in our house re 1972/3 what happened to them? looks like they did some interesting combinations.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Two unusual items there. The Nettle cooker control I've seen, although I'd love to find an example. I can't recall how many sets of input terminals it has, e.g. whether the socket outlets are independent. I think the BS specifies a single socket only when fed from the cooker circuit, so I suspect they are.

The multiway / grid switch I think is imported. The switch modules look Italian, possibly Bticino. I wonder whether this was in a house owned by an 'enthusiast' who specified unusual fittings? Again, the sort of thing I'm always on the lookout for.

Nettle - Started in the 20s as Victor Iddon, taken over by Aerialite, Nettle brand launched in 1950s, taken over by Delta, merged with MEM and the brand discontinued, although technically now part of Eaton.

 

[freddo]

IIRC the nettle switch had 3 separate supplies, I couldn't resist taking a look, as the house was unoccupied. The switch was Italian but I don't remember the manufacturer. It was the only one of that type that I could see. The sideways switches were horrible to operate. It was a while back, photo says 2012.

 

[Silly Sausage]

The museum is not open yet.

Hell's bells Lucien, I was asking you about this about five years ago!
Can't be easy I guess, especially in London. Don't forget, let us all know when we'll be invited down for the opening day