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#116977 05/10/04 02:29 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,682
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Hello all...

Here's some pics of a fuse box I came across on a troubleshoot call on a 1920's home.. The recept hanging out of the box was causing the fuses to blow.., I caught the other one in another room.... The flex was a handymans idea to get 220V for a window a/c unit.. No ground, 14AWG wire on 20A fuses.. I disconnected it with permission from the homeowner & I'm currently working on talking him into a rewire to get rid of all the hazards & the K&T wiring... The civil defense sticker was on the outside of the panel [Linked Image]

-Randy (Lostazhell)
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

#116978 05/10/04 02:31 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,682
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[Linked Image]

#116979 05/10/04 03:20 PM
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 745
M
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Randy: Man, that's an old-timer! [Linked Image] Is this box mounted about halfway flush in the wall? The only wire I see is that piece of flex.

What's that thing in the bottom right corner of the branch side? It looks kinda like an old doorbell transformer.

Mike (mamills)

#116980 05/10/04 05:41 PM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,691
S
Member
Randy, I wanna go work for you, just so I can get my hands on some of that old stuff. Are you hiring assistants/potential apprentices? [Linked Image]

Too bad the socket got shattered. Yeah, the outlet box does seem almost flush to the wall.

[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 05-10-2004).]

#116981 05/10/04 10:12 PM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,438
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Mike,
The fuse panel can does protrude from the wall about 2-3".. The house wiring entered the fuse box from inside the wall... according to the home owner, some "unqualified person" added the flex to bring 220V to a bedroom for a window A/C unit.. No strapping on the flex, no ground wire, undersized conductors, flex connector not tightened to the fuse box [Linked Image] That is, in fact, the doorbell Xfmr in the bottom right of the fuse box, still working! Looking at the pic with the flex.. The small panel below the fuse box contained a "120V-24V 70W" xfmr for the old furnace!

Sven,
I'd think you'd come across more antiquated electrical parts on your side of the country... I came across alot of funky things I'd never seen before when I lived on Long Island. If you feel like moving to Cali, look me up! [Linked Image] I do know a few people that are hiring apprentices. Unfortunately, the company I work for only hires Journeyman, as we're pretty much on our own with what we come across & how we handle it..
If I get the rewire, there's all kinds of cool things in this house that are going into my collection that ARENT broken [Linked Image] The outlet with the face plate is the same brand as the fuse box (Diamond S) the other one is a prehistoric Leviton..

-Randy

#116982 05/11/04 10:17 AM
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 597
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Randy,

Good fortune in securing the Diamond-S service center.

Compared to the 30 Amp 120/240 Volt services I commonly see up in Minnesota, this one is a Cadillac. I've never seen the service disconnect in its own compartment under its own door.

I particularly like the fuse block that was added to the panel to provide two additional branch circuits. The top two photos show it with its two green 30 Amp TL type fuses. The fuse block was fed by double lugging off of the main terminals at the top of the factory (Diamond-S) fuse blocks with the 20 Amp fuses.


Al Hildenbrand
#116983 05/11/04 12:16 PM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 152
M
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It was so easy to wire around the meter back then, yet you seldom heard of it happening. Boy, times have changed.

#116984 05/11/04 04:39 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,294
Member
Randy,
You run across the neatest old stuff [Linked Image]

#116985 05/11/04 05:01 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,116
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On that outlet with the cover I'll bet that's a 6/32 from a device. Somebody's idea of helping by replacing a lost screw with one that fits, .... or seems to until it breaks the outlet because it's too long.

Grrrr.....
[Linked Image]


Bill
#116986 05/12/04 01:27 AM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,438
Member
ElectricAL,
I've come across the dual sections quite a few times out here, unfortunately, its usually aready rendered into a splice can with a $@#%(@ Zinsco feeding into someplace [Linked Image] The other mfr I've seen put these out is "Diamond E"? (whats stamped into the cover, usually the label's gone)
According to the label, Diamond S was in Los Angeles on 16th & Central, which would be less than 10 miles from where I came across this (Alhambra)..
My favorite part is the label asking for "criticizms or suggestions" & "if its our fault, we'll make it right"... Imagine Federal Pacific or Zinsco living up to that?? [Linked Image]
The secondary fuse blocks with the 30's actually DID have #10's on them, they ended up in the garage to a fused disconnect (with 20A fuses) & went on to some outlets..
Gene.. The poco really trusts this homeowner! They don't even come into the house anymore... Remote read meter is there!

Scott, help me rewire this house! [Linked Image] We'll split the goods! [Linked Image]

Bill, that was actually a short metal screw that wasn't even threading in holding the face plate on... No damage to the back of the recept... Not that it makes up for the ½ missing front! [Linked Image] I have a couple more of the Diamond S outlets in better shape though [Linked Image]

-Randy

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