[BC] Fused plugs - was Hot and grounded chassis

[Jeff Johnson]

I own an 1880 building and an 1890's building. One of them still has some 
of the knob and tube which I have retained. It is still legal, 
incidentally, as long as it is fused at 15A being #14GA.  Friends have a 
building with knob and tube fused on both legs. There was, seemingly, no 
differention between hot and ground. It appears that 19th century house 
wiring was considered essentially 'floating'. I've seen switches in the 
common leg. That is OK in a sense when there is no formal ground reference, 
then, however, both sides are 'hot'. The house I mentioned with fuses on 
both sides has been rewired so much through the decades that I decided not 
to remove the fuses now connecting to the common bus of the (modern) 
breaker panel, as some of the switches still are on the cold side. It is a 
four story brick Victorian and a complete rewiring would cost more in 
replastering (I mean lath and horsehair plaster) than the electrical. I've 
told my friends that socket shells can be hot, so be careful.

One Christmas party, all of the Christmas lights suddenly brightened. We 
did not know if it was the moment of Jesus' birth or ... ?? Turned out a 
fuse blew on one of the common legs putting the lights in series across 220 
with the other leg which was more heavily loaded by warmers on the buffet. 
The food was getting colder and the lights of the Saviour were flaring like 
the Star of the East and burning out. Freaked everyone, but a new fuse 
cured the problem.

Jeff.Johnson at goodnews.net,CSRE
RFPROOF.COM

>I don't know either, but the house I grew up in was built in the 30s or
>40s.  Also, the house I have now was built in the 1890's with
>electricity added later.  There is evidence of knob and tube wiring, but
>that was all removed by the time I bought the house in the 1976.
>However, all the outlets were equal sized slots until I changed them.
>
>Gordon S. Carter, CPBE, CBNT
>Chief Engineer
>WFMT and The Radio Network