C-H,
Re the 400V range elements, it just goes to show how accepted practice differs from one country to another. What about some of the ancillary apparatus found in a modern range? Do your appliances use 400V timers, clocks, lights, fan motors, and so on? Or is a 400V-230V transformer fitted inside for these?
David,
I've seen both BS1363 (fused 13A) and the old BS546 15A plug/socket combination used as an immersion disconnect in properties wired in the 1950s/1960s as well. (I once had someone who was convinced he could buy the "special 15A fuses" for 13A plugs for just this use!) Unfortunately, I see a lot of DIY immersion wiring where somebody has run 2.5 T&E straight into the heater instead of going to heat-resistant flex for the final loop.
Thinking about the location of the switch for the water heater, there doesn't seem to be much consensus in England on where it's placed. Some houses have it in the kitchen, but the hallway is another favorite. Inside the airing cupboard itself is also very common, usually then using a combined switch/flex outlet.
It would be interesting to find out just how long some of the 120/240V DC services survived. I'd always thought that this utilization voltage was very much confined to the very early days of home electricity in Britain and that they were soon converted to 240/480V. It sounds as though some lower voltage systems survived for much longer.
[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 11-04-2002).]
