Comments on: Question: What is this? http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/ Renovating a 1920s bungalow and a cottage in Rockford, IL Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:38:37 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: jenni http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/comment-page-1/#comment-16378 jenni Sun, 29 Jun 2008 14:15:24 +0000 http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/#comment-16378 I am late here.....but.... We had those as well as another mystery type plug in our house. Someone mentioned that old window units used them. I am late here…..but….
We had those as well as another mystery type plug in our house. Someone mentioned that old window units used them.

]]> By: Sarah http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/comment-page-1/#comment-15410 Sarah Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:34:38 +0000 http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/#comment-15410 How funny! I am living in an apartment in North Carolina that was constructed in the early 1950s (I want to say it was completed in '52), and I have something very similar to that in my hallway. There is only one in the whole apartment, in the whole house that I know of. My landlord is an 80-something year old lady, and has no idea what it could have been--just tells me that her husband was very technical. My grandfather, who is a retired AT&T worker, said that it looks like an old telephone jack. PLEASE e-mail me if you get a concrete answer, I would LOVE to know. How funny! I am living in an apartment in North Carolina that was constructed in the early 1950s (I want to say it was completed in ‘52), and I have something very similar to that in my hallway. There is only one in the whole apartment, in the whole house that I know of. My landlord is an 80-something year old lady, and has no idea what it could have been–just tells me that her husband was very technical. My grandfather, who is a retired AT&T worker, said that it looks like an old telephone jack. PLEASE e-mail me if you get a concrete answer, I would LOVE to know.

]]> By: jacob lunde http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/comment-page-1/#comment-13935 jacob lunde Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:57:49 +0000 http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/#comment-13935 I just saw 4 of those this weekend at a house I was planing on buying. 2 were in a bedroom and 2 were in the front porch. The old man lived there for 60 years (decatur il) and he was a dentist. I thought it might have been some serious plug for something for a specialty but seeing this thread makes me wonder. if these were all bedrooms with the exspetion of the front sun room/porch of this house. it makes me wonder if it was for fans, or maybe some swiched thing. odd I will have to look else where. I just saw 4 of those this weekend at a house I was planing on buying. 2 were in a bedroom and 2 were in the front porch. The old man lived there for 60 years (decatur il) and he was a dentist. I thought it might have been some serious plug for something for a specialty but seeing this thread makes me wonder. if these were all bedrooms with the exspetion of the front sun room/porch of this house. it makes me wonder if it was for fans, or maybe some swiched thing. odd I will have to look else where.

]]> By: Socketman http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/comment-page-1/#comment-13756 Socketman Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:35:50 +0000 http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/#comment-13756 The sockets you are mentioning are Combination parallel and tandem duplex outlets. They were used to connect regular NEMA plugs and also the tandem NEMA 2-15 plugs, and so the two sets of slots are both powered from the same two wires. These sockets are often marked "250V 10A" but are generally used with 120v. They were later replaced by the T-slot outlets which combine the two plug types in a different manner. For more information check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unusual_and_obsolete_plugs_and_sockets The sockets you are mentioning are Combination parallel and tandem duplex outlets. They were used to connect regular NEMA plugs and also the tandem NEMA 2-15 plugs, and so the two sets of slots are both powered from the same two wires. These sockets are often marked “250V 10A” but are generally used with 120v. They were later replaced by the T-slot outlets which combine the two plug types in a different manner. For more information check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unusual_and_obsolete_plugs_and_sockets

]]> By: Mark http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/comment-page-1/#comment-13282 Mark Sun, 16 Dec 2007 17:53:13 +0000 http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/#comment-13282 Odd, we also have one of these in our Circa 1915 home (tube & cylinder wiring), just the one, also in the master bedroom. Sorry, but I too have not been able to come up with an explanation for it, although the alternate form plug theory seems reasonable, still odd that mine too is in just the one, and same, room of the house (will keep at it and let you know if I get a solid answer. My favorite part of the old house is that most of the older outlets are the "twist and lock" type, actually pretty handy for vacuum cleaner use, and a solid gaurantee no loose plugs will be hanging halfway out of the outlet (safety +), it's a wonder why they no longer make them! Odd, we also have one of these in our Circa 1915 home (tube & cylinder wiring), just the one, also in the master bedroom. Sorry, but I too have not been able to come up with an explanation for it, although the alternate form plug theory seems reasonable, still odd that mine too is in just the one, and same, room of the house (will keep at it and let you know if I get a solid answer. My favorite part of the old house is that most of the older outlets are the “twist and lock” type, actually pretty handy for vacuum cleaner use, and a solid gaurantee no loose plugs will be hanging halfway out of the outlet (safety +), it’s a wonder why they no longer make them!

]]> By: poc http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/comment-page-1/#comment-13242 poc Mon, 10 Dec 2007 02:33:23 +0000 http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/#comment-13242 we have a working outlet just like that in our house (1920s). It still works like a regular plug, but we have yet to figure out the other two openings. we discovered that the man who built our house was an electrician by trade. so perhaps it is some sort of inside joke that only electicians know.... we have a working outlet just like that in our house (1920s). It still works like a regular plug, but we have yet to figure out the other two openings. we discovered that the man who built our house was an electrician by trade. so perhaps it is some sort of inside joke that only electicians know….

]]> By: Craig http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/comment-page-1/#comment-13204 Craig Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:29:21 +0000 http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/#comment-13204 Hello, I saw one of these at my friend's house (probably also 1920s) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It said "250V 10A". I never found out what it was either, but I did find this: http://www.jkem.com/pictures/NEMA%20Non-Locking%20Plugs.gif The outlet looks like a combo of 1-15R and 2-15R, so maybe it's for an old oven or dryer with 120V controls and a 250V heating element? If just the two parallel blades (1-15R) were connected then it was probably just being used as a regular ungrounded receptacle. Hello,
I saw one of these at my friend’s house (probably also 1920s) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It said “250V 10A”. I never found out what it was either, but I did find this: http://www.jkem.com/pictures/NEMA%20Non-Locking%20Plugs.gif

The outlet looks like a combo of 1-15R and 2-15R, so maybe it’s for an old oven or dryer with 120V controls and a 250V heating element? If just the two parallel blades (1-15R) were connected then it was probably just being used as a regular ungrounded receptacle.

]]> By: (Uncle) Jay Carson http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/comment-page-1/#comment-11575 (Uncle) Jay Carson Sun, 26 Aug 2007 19:09:37 +0000 http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/#comment-11575 I sent this page-link to our (City of Richmond) Electrical Dep't...our oldest Sparky has just retired, and he loved historical reno's...involved in some Heritage Home-type restoration, around B.C. so i sent this to him as well - hope you get a response...hey, Shawn - in all your spare time, you wanna come be part of OUR little home reno? floor tiles;ceiling tiles; laminated flooring;and that's just the inside...guess what I did for holidays this summer...while Dawn & Sheri were on their "girls-road-trip-to-Illinois" I love this site, Shawn...you guys are amazing - Keep On, Keepin' On - Uncle Jay I sent this page-link to our (City of Richmond) Electrical Dep’t…our oldest Sparky has just retired, and he loved historical reno’s…involved in some Heritage Home-type restoration, around B.C. so i sent this to him as well – hope you get a response…hey, Shawn – in all your spare time, you wanna come be part of OUR little home reno? floor tiles;ceiling tiles; laminated flooring;and that’s just the inside…guess what I did for holidays this summer…while Dawn & Sheri were on their “girls-road-trip-to-Illinois”
I love this site, Shawn…you guys are amazing – Keep On, Keepin’ On – Uncle Jay

]]> By: shawn http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/comment-page-1/#comment-11554 shawn Sat, 25 Aug 2007 06:12:45 +0000 http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/#comment-11554 Interesting...hopefully someone will come across this who can shed some light on the mystery. Interesting…hopefully someone will come across this who can shed some light on the mystery.

]]> By: Nate http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/comment-page-1/#comment-11553 Nate Sat, 25 Aug 2007 05:53:10 +0000 http://www.ourhomerenovation.com/posts/question-what-is-this/#comment-11553 It's so weird that you just posted that picture! Today I was sifting through some architectural salvage (a favorite pastime) and I ran across a pair of wall sconces. They were pretty average, but on the bottom of one was an outlet just like that with the four crazy holes in it! I wonder if it was some kind of alternate plug from the earlier days of electricity that just never cought on. It’s so weird that you just posted that picture! Today I was sifting through some architectural salvage (a favorite pastime) and I ran across a pair of wall sconces. They were pretty average, but on the bottom of one was an outlet just like that with the four crazy holes in it! I wonder if it was some kind of alternate plug from the earlier days of electricity that just never cought on.

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