More old mains sockets removed

1935 - wow.

I have never seen one of those either. The logo has "MK" in it, so it is probably well over-engineered. I've read the patent description and I think I can see how it is supposed to work but I'd like to get hands-on before I could be sure. I'm guessing something involving knife switches for the L's and N's, with the three horizontal plates acting as a junction-box for the three earths; two to the sockets and one from the incoming cable. The two mounting holes through the plastic look as if they are lined with brass rivets, both look too close to the six-sided blue lump for my liking so I think that originally the conduit box and the white front panel were both probably brown Bakelite. The white front panel could have been Bakelite too with a thin steel or brass plate covering the front to make it look nicer. Which could be why the holes in the white front panel as shown, don't match the shape of the blue lump. We had light switches where the front panel was decorative and with a single hole to clamp the works to it using a threaded thin round 'nut' around the house when I was a kid, along with a selection of 15 amp, 5 amp, and 2 amp sockets. It's a wonder we weren't electrified!

The basic design of the back boxes hasn't changed for years and are sunk into the brickwork. Just the screws are now metric rather than BA thread. So I had to use the old screws.

So it can't be any older than 1935. We believe the house was built between 1950 and 1960 so likely an original.

When I moved into my house about 38 years ago, the first thing I did was upgrade the house for 200 amp service.

I often wish I had done the same. 400A is really minimal these days.

 Workshopshed only thing I can say is thank god I dont live in the UK! 220 mains~ that will kill you if you get wrapped up in it. I have been bitten by US mains (120) and Im still here!! When I lived in Asbury Park I lived in a Victorian, and did rehab on it. First problem was Knob and Tubing, then no safety ground, ouch. This pic from my house in Farmers Branch, North Dallas. The SOB used a doubled up single box and had the wires bare going from one box to another.  Plus the ground wire, bare-bright copper ground never went to the send box. I don't think the switches had grounds. But the use of the two boxes instead of double gang and the stunt with the wires where VERBOTEN!.  

 anniel747  Do you mean just split or two separate meters? which means two bills. 

Been shocked a couple of times with 240v whilst working on a prototype light dimmer. Luckily the RCD triggered and although very shaken I wasn't dead. My testing approach has changed significantly since then.

However, having seen US electrics, I would suggest you stick with 110v.

We do have special "site" transformers which bring the voltage down to 110v or as I recently discovered it's actually plus/minus 50v.

Although I believe the US system is actually a centre tap off 240v to give you the 110v.

Our main breaker here is just 100A which is pretty standard here.

 phoenixcomm Don't forget the shared neutral that was commonplace up to about 2011.  You can still get bit by the grounded circuit conductor - even if the breaker is open - on a shared neutral system.