120V 2 wire service

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nizak

Senior Member
Got a call today from a homeowner (94 yrs old) wanting to know if she could have a receptacle installed for a window shaker. I get there and find the house has a 2 wire service with the utility meter on the kitchen wall and a fused knife switch next to it with 1 circuit running the entire home. The single circuit was #14 wire and fused at 30A.Everything was exposed and easily within touching distance. It was like stepping back in time, she said she had always remembered it being there from at least the early 20's. I did a load check and found 18A, that did not take into account the microwave, furnace, or wash machine that were currently not being used. I told her that the only thing I could do that would ensure safety would be to upgrade the service and rewire the house to minimum code.She replied I lived through 90+ years of heat a couple more won't matter. The kicker to the whole conversation was she could not remember ever changing a fuse since her father passed away in 1959.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
We still have a few of them around here. My brothers house had a 30 amp service when he bought it with 4 plug fused circuits. House was built in 1945. Original owners, never put a dime into the place.
 

Strife

Senior Member
That's because she probably never demanded much. Which can't be said of the younger generations.
You can always write jobs like these to charity. I do.

Got a call today from a homeowner (94 yrs old) wanting to know if she could have a receptacle installed for a window shaker. I get there and find the house has a 2 wire service with the utility meter on the kitchen wall and a fused knife switch next to it with 1 circuit running the entire home. The single circuit was #14 wire and fused at 30A.Everything was exposed and easily within touching distance. It was like stepping back in time, she said she had always remembered it being there from at least the early 20's. I did a load check and found 18A, that did not take into account the microwave, furnace, or wash machine that were currently not being used. I told her that the only thing I could do that would ensure safety would be to upgrade the service and rewire the house to minimum code.She replied I lived through 90+ years of heat a couple more won't matter. The kicker to the whole conversation was she could not remember ever changing a fuse since her father passed away in 1959.
 

Electric-Light

Senior Member
Got a call today from a homeowner (94 yrs old) wanting to know if she could have a receptacle installed for a window shaker. I get there and find the house has a 2 wire service with the utility meter on the kitchen wall
How would the utility read the meter? Make an appointment every month or does the customer report it and work on an honor system?

I'd love to see a picture of this setup.

I'm assuming the hot water, oven and cook tops are all gas?
 
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John120/240

Senior Member
Location
Olathe, Kansas
Never seen an electric meter indoors. How ever my grandparents had both gas

& water meter in the basement. Utility would send you a postcard with a

diagram of the meter dials. Just pencil in the approximate location of the

arrows.
 

sii

Senior Member
Location
Nebraska
That's because she probably never demanded much. Which can't be said of the younger generations.
You can always write jobs like these to charity. I do.

Yeah.....until she turns that A/C on and her next utility bill is triple the last. I doubt she'd understand why. I like the idea of doing this one for charity but I bet it wouldn't be that simple.
 

dhalleron

Senior Member
Location
Louisville, KY
I've seen plenty of electric meters in the house in the past. I remember mom having a meter reading schedule on our fridge when I was a kid in the early 70's. I can't remember where the electric meter was but I know the gas meter was in our basement. Instead of knocking on the door a man would yell "gas man!" and mom would let him in to go to the basement.

Was there a penny under the fuse that the old woman's father put there before he died? Maybe that's why it never blew.
 

mivey

Senior Member
Yeah.....until she turns that A/C on and her next utility bill is triple the last. I doubt she'd understand why.
That would be a problem. Life can be cruel.

I would probably upgrade it for free as well if she was a nice person.
 

Chamuit

Grumpy Old Man
Location
Texas
Occupation
Electrician
How about a Channel 9 on your side. TV station might pick up the bill and you'd get free advertising.
 

renosteinke

Senior Member
Location
NE Arkansas
It's nice to feel all warm and fuzzy .... but ...

I'd back of on assuming the lady is living in poverty. I've personally known one such person who was quite wealthy; there was quite a bit of wrangling over the estate!

It would be a great opportunity, though. I'm currently doing a similar project with a 1957 house. Still, I'm not quite sure it's even possible to bring her house 'up to code.'

It's the snowball effect of various code changes. Most obvious is our (new in 1996) requirement for a laundry circuit. That means you need a place for the laundry - even in 1957 tract homes did not have provisions for laundry. Washers need 2" sewer lines, and the house you describe might have 1" (unless you can tie into the toilet).

In a similar manner, there may not be enough kitchen for you to put in the required two circuits. My last kitchen - built in 1940 - required but ONE receptacle, even under today's rules. (Let's see you 'code minimum' that one!)

If you can, do the job. Take lots of pics. It's fun to play architect.
 
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