Discuss why in old houses did they..... in the UK Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

Im a bit late on this one and probably already suggested but here's a few reasons and myths;

Myth- They were wired close the windows due to war era and the thought that enemies may shoot at shadows cast

Truth- In the days of lead wiring etc the cost of fabric was high thus ppl couldn't afford heavy thick curtains and the consequence was they were similar to the net curtains we have no for fancy, but this revealed all if you passed between the light and the window so positioning close to window solved this.

Another thing was that fitting were used as plug sockets as well and in some rooms were offset to allow for irons etc to be run off the lampholder adaptor (pre 17th ;) ) where having them central normally would mean ironing in the center of the room but more beneficial if you ironed near the window with natural light.... although this wasn't the original reason it kept the trend going for many decades after.

Believe it or not ive been to a house of a very old lady still plugging an old iron to the cotton wrap drop but it was 10yrs ago and believe shes now passed away.
 
And another one, radiators were always put under windows to mask the draught from single glazing and unsealed casements,

I almost always fitted them under the window - regardless if the property had double glazing or not.

My thinking being that you can't shove a wardrobe in front of a window (well .. you can, but ..) so put the radiator there & leave a wall clear for wardrobes etc.
 
Another thing was that fitting were used as plug sockets as well and in some rooms were offset to allow for irons etc to be run off the lampholder adaptor (pre 17th ;) ) where having them central normally would mean ironing in the center of the room but more beneficial if you ironed near the window with natural light.... although this wasn't the original reason it kept the trend going for many decades after.

I remember the "Y" adapters, some with switches so you could plug iron etc. in and use bulb as well. You had to use the light fittings as the first house we had in the 60's only had 2 15A sockets, one upstairs and one down!. When I rewired it, I found a mix of lead sheathed & VIR cables.
 
I had a Town gas powered fridge when I was a kid not seen one for while except in camper vans I believe you can still get tumble dryers on gas tho.
J

Yes, I've just bought another one. I've had three of them over the past 35 years & they're brilliant.

They're made by Croslee / White Knight & are identical to the electric version except they have a gas burner instead of an electric element to heat the air.

They cost a bit more to buy than the electric one, but the running costs are lower - and they dry your clothes faster too.

I can highly recommend them. Here's a link for anyone interested: White Knight Eco Gas Tumble Dryers
 
Last edited by a moderator:
was it like ours?

220px-Mangle.jpg
i keep telling her to grease the gears.

A good friend of mine lost the end of his finger using one of these. He went on to become a drummer. :drool5:
 

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