Andrew Gabriel wrote:

In article ,
"R W" writes:

What's the story behind the switch from 15A to 13A sockets? Surely 15A
would be more useful....?


The design aim was for 3kW, which is where the 13A comes from.
I guess there probably weren't any portable appliances over 3kW
in use. Kettles of that era tended to be lower power than today's
ones. I have come across a 3kW portable convector heater which
could date back to that era, which is rather ironic as you'd be
hard pressed to find one over 2kW nowadays.



3kw convector were common in the 60's as were 3kw electric fires.

My ma's house was originally wired with 15A stuff (1953), then it was
changed to 13A stuff - still on spurs - fairly quickly, and a few bodged
extra sockets added. A seperate fuse box for the electric cooker was
added when the gas one was binned.

The main wiring is still rubber coated plated copper stranded in steel
conduit, and it has never shorted, or blown a fuse or anything.

The addons were done in the 60's using solid core stuff. Some by me.

None of it meets modern regulatons, but it all still works, and the
earths are good. No doubt when teh house is eventually sold in teh next
ten years estimnated, it will get a total reinsulate, rewire, new
bathrooms, extension etc etc. But it still soliders on in remarkably
good structural condition.