Earth Hour

[biffvernon]

I suppose we could still use rush lights or whatever is appropriate to the age of our houses for Saturday's Earth Hour.

Anyone know when their house first got electricity? Mine was in 1953, but I met someone recently who told me he could remember when his house was grid connected in the early '60s. Was life more convivial in pre-electric days when it was better to do things collectively in the restricetd lit places, maybe even the pub, while now it is easy to go our separate ways without having to share the light?

 

[Penners]

Our current house was well wired when we bought it - I've no idea when it was first electrocuted.

Using the type and quality of cabling and fittings as a guide, our last (Oxfordshire) house had electricity installed just in time to watch the Battle of Bannockburn on TV. Many of the fittings were bakelite, and a lot of the cabling was insulated either with crumbling rubber or air.

By the way, that Google map gadget on the website is a bit flakey. It keeps hanging (for me, anyway).

 

[worms]

just in time to watch the Battle of Bannockburn on TV.

A scrappy match, but a good result! I think you can still catch it as a repeat on Dave.

 

[Moo]

My grandad (a telephone engineer and a great believer in progress) wired his house up quite early in the last century. He was very proud that his was the first in the street to abandon gaslight.

 

[Penners]

A scrappy match, but a good result!

I think it was the last time that the Scots won, wasn't it? :wink:

 

[Penners]

Our current house was well wired

Oh, come on - at least groan, somebody...!

 

[Flyfisher]

Watt for?

 

[Pford75]

Our outbuildings are wired with lead-coated cable (which we are told pre-dates the rubberised coating).

We are informed, but cannot confirm, that it was wired at the turn of the last century...and certainly before the first world war.

 

[Flyfisher]

Rubber was still used for electrical insulation, even if the exterior was lead (for mechanical protection in external applications perhaps?).

From: http://www.diydata.com/materials/electric_cable/electric_cable.php

Types of cables that may be found in older premises.

Rubber insulated, two core (multi strand) covered with an outer lead sheath. If there is any of this very old wiring still installed, it should be isolated and replaced immediately. With the age of this type of cable, it is almost guaranteed that the rubber insulation will be degraded and breaking down, any failure of the insulation can cause the outer covering to become live - an installation still using this type of wiring is unlikely to have modern trips fitted in the consumer unit or a master earth leakage trip.

 

[MdB]

Our outbuildings are wired with lead-coated cable (which we are told pre-dates the rubberised coating).

We are informed, but cannot confirm, that it was wired at the turn of the last century...and certainly before the first world war.

As per Flyfisher, I would disconnect any wiring like this straight away. I wouldn't want it anywhere.

 

[Feltwell]

Our current house was well wired

Oh, come on - at least groan, somebody...!

Watt for?

Shocking.....

Just remember, there's no place like Ohm

I tried not to write a Ω pun that is that bad, but as the Daleks put it, Resistance is useless.

I'll go away now

 

[Lime]

A lot of the early lead were paper insulated inside often with a covering of cloth.
A great many people think paper a poor insulator but in fact it is one of the best.
Nearly all the very high voltage underground grid system supplying parts of this country use paper and flowing oil as an insulator.
The thickness of the paper is less than the thickness of a school exercise book to withstand half a million volts.
To withstand the same high voltage using pvc it would have to be over half a metre thick.

 

[Penners]

I tried not to write a Ω pun that is that bad, but as the Daleks put it, Resistance is useless.

:roll: :roll: :roll:

Actually, it had never occurred to me how wrong the Daleks are (I can't believe I just wrote that!). Without resistance, we'd have no incandescent light, no electric cookers, heaters...... etc.

Ohm-y goodness....

 

[Jon Maine]

ohm-y-god, shocking amp-le groans, did I say we current-ly have our consumer unit in our cellar volt ! It is on the wall so it is not a trip hazard.

I always found that the both the black rubber cable and lead sheathed encase red and black "sweaty" rubber which was breaking down when removed. I was also impressed with the power leads which would fit into a light bulb socket to run an appliance. We removed both types of cables here and then spent ages patching in the notches in the floor joists as they are now on show.

 

[Feltwell]

Actually, it had never occurred to me how wrong the Daleks are (I can't believe I just wrote that!). Without resistance, we'd have no incandescent light, no electric cookers, heaters...... etc.

We are talking of a race here Penners that could be defeated by some stairs or a gravel driveway - not that bright I suspect. Maybe they should have stuck to "EXTERMINATE!"

Anyone remember the fantastic Alan Bleasdale drama, GBH ? In one episode a Doctor Who themed party is happening at a hotel, in one scene you see a Dalek heading off towards the bedrooms with one of Doctor Who's young assistants, the Dalek shouting "FORNICATE!"

Anyway, I'm not sure I have the "capacitance" to "generate" any more dodgy electrical puns. Back to Earth now , before I spark out.... :roll:

 

[Lime]

Half a mho.
Didn't the Daleks hover up the stairs on a band of red light in 1979?

 

[Feltwell]

Health & Safety soon stopped that. They were stumped for 20 years before the Disability Discrimination Act came along and the BBC had to put a lift in.

That's why Doctor Who was off air for so many years, obviously. :wink:

 

[Penners]

We are talking of a race here Penners that could be defeated by some stairs or a gravel driveway

Excuse me - during their sabbatical away from Earth, the Daleks developed the ability to fly.

Do try and keep up, Feltwell. :roll:

 

[Feltwell]

I still reckon that Health & Safety will be their ultimate defeat though.

Waving sink plungers around like that, it's dangerous. They could have someone's eye out you know.

 

[Jon Maine]

"We all make mistakes" said the dalek climbing off of the dustbin :lol: