ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Electrical Nostalgia An Old Plug Strip

I may have said this before, but my understanding is that the edison plug was standard to the 1920s, then Christmas Lighting Outfit manufacturers invented the paralell blade plug to make it easier to piggyback or daisychain, without having to include a "complicated" edison socket on each set.

If that is true, I have no idea how it evolved to the standard for all cord connected appliances.

Anyone know if devices are made to "defuse" the noodle? friend's place has an OLD fusebox...

I'm not about to advise that!

If the place is old enough to have fuses on both wires, it's old enough that there was no standard as to where the neutral went. You're likely to have hot cases and switched neutrals all over the place.

Time for a complete evaluation, and probable rewire.

It's also more than likely that nothing in that place is grounded either.

Closest thing I can think of is using 30 amp fuses on the neutral. However, there is a risk that one or more of those 30 amp fuses might get removed by mistake, and get placed in a hot feed.