Homes… Your Thoughts… Old or New?

[ultrarunner]

30 amp 120 volt main was the standard here up to about the 1940’s

Then came the pull out cartridge main with 6 Edison branch circuits panels until the mid 1950’s circuit breakers.

With over 50 varieties of circuit breaker panels listed as problematic at the CPSC maybe the much touted breakers were oversold?

 

[WinterDeere]

30 amp 120 volt main was the standard here up to about the 1940’s

Then came the pull out cartridge main with 6 Edison branch circuits panels until the mid 1950’s circuit breakers.

Interesting. The houses in my parents' neighborhood were all built 1950 - 1955, and all had 200A 240V mains thru cartridge fuses, to Edison fuse panels. We had two original Edison panels from the early 1950's, and I believe each held 24 of those ubiquitous lightbulb-base fuses. These houses were larger and more expensive than average for "in town" housing, but not exactly mansions, either.

 

[Oaktree]

The houses in my parents' neighborhood were all built 1950 - 1955, and all had 200A 240V mains thru cartridge fuses, to Edison fuse panels.

A bit surprised to see 200A service in houses of that vintage. I didn't think 200A service became common until the 80s.

 

[ultrarunner]

Interesting. The houses in my parents' neighborhood were all built 1950 - 1955, and all had 200A 240V mains thru cartridge fuses, to Edison fuse panels. We had two original Edison panels from the early 1950's, and I believe each held 24 of those ubiquitous lightbulb-base fuses. These houses were larger and more expensive than average for "in town" housing, but not exactly mansions, either.

Maybe all electric without natural gas for cooking, heat, hot water and dryer?

 

[kenmbz]

My first house, the back porch lights were wired zip cord through a wall and plugged into an outlet.
First thing I fixed when I moved in.

 

[WinterDeere]

Maybe all electric without natural gas for cooking, heat, hot water and dryer?

Nope, I doubt any were even thinking of heat pumps in the early 1950’s. All heated by oil, with hot water off the oil fired boiler, and none had air conditioning, until added later in 1980’s or 1990’s. We had gas in the neighborhood, so some used gas for cooking, but we had an electric range and dryer.

We actually had regular + off-peak meters, so dual 200A mains in that house. But I suspect the second 200A meter was actually downstream of the primary, so not 400A combined service.

 

[grsthegreat]

Ac units started to be added to homes in the 1960’s. I know, cause my dad had a house built in calif in 1960’s with ac. House had 100 amp panel with Sylvania breakers as i recall

 

[WinterDeere]

Remembering back now, I was just a kid when my parents bought that place, my father and grandfather were all sorts of enamored and excited when touring the place. My grandfather owned a plumbing and heating business, and my father owned an engineering business, so they were totally geeking out on the converted GE oil-fired boiler, half-dozen huge circulator pumps feeding all individual zones, all 2" threaded pipe for each zone, etc.

Mom hated the place, she wanted to live in a newer home on a cul de sac, but dad wouldn't have any of that cheap vynil construction ca.1980 suburbia crap.

 

[BnRidge]

About 20yrs ago I was in the house attic, grabbed ahold of one of these wires to remove them and was shocked to find out it was still live. After finding the unmarked breaker downstairs I also realized that it fed power to all of the barns and outbuildings. Maybe the whitewash acted as an insulator. The last any of it had been used was in the 70s.

 

[masseyrider]

A bit surprised to see 200A service in houses of that vintage. I didn't think 200A service became common until the 80s.

Until it was updated mid 70s my parents house had 60A service.
You didn't cook, use the hot water, and do laundry at the same time.