Did you contact the power company first?
Under counter outlets for island
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@Sudmaster: No worry 
Yes, always call the power company first.
Yes, always call the power company first.Absolutely ------> Not! None of their business what I do in my home.
But its technically their property (the meter and seal anyway)- hence why they can raise heck if they catch someone.
I imagine in a court of law they might have to prove that the intent was to defraud the power company, as opposed to the intent of making the electrical system safer.
Also, the last time I checked, the little wire seal on the band that holds the meter to the wall was broken. I know I didn't do that, but it seems like a very flimsy bit of bracelet charm.
Also, the last time I checked, the little wire seal on the band that holds the meter to the wall was broken. I know I didn't do that, but it seems like a very flimsy bit of bracelet charm.
Pushmatic was originally a product of Bulldog Electric, starting sometime in the 30's. Later the company was purchased by ITE Imperial, which was aacquired by Gould, and is now owned by Siemens. They were not associated with FPE in any way. I worked in a building that had these to control the lights, and some of the breakers were hard to operate.
Westinghouse/Bryant sold their distribution equipment division to Cutler-Hammer, which is now owned by Eaton Corp. They are now known as the BR model of panels and breakers. The CH is the premium Cutler-Hammer style.
My grandfather in Mississippi had a Trumbull Electric Co. circuit breaker panel in his house, which was wired in 1948. Rarely see this brand anymore. The brand became part of GE.
Some buildings have older panels that had row of fuses, with light switches next each one. They were not common in houses, but used in many large buildings such as stores and schools.
Westinghouse/Bryant sold their distribution equipment division to Cutler-Hammer, which is now owned by Eaton Corp. They are now known as the BR model of panels and breakers. The CH is the premium Cutler-Hammer style.
My grandfather in Mississippi had a Trumbull Electric Co. circuit breaker panel in his house, which was wired in 1948. Rarely see this brand anymore. The brand became part of GE.
Some buildings have older panels that had row of fuses, with light switches next each one. They were not common in houses, but used in many large buildings such as stores and schools.
The British method, as I understand it from working briefly in Ireland, is to include a fuse or breaker in every plug, as well as fuses or breakers on the circuits. It was explained to me that the reason for this is because of the way buildings are wired in the British Isles. I think it was described as more of a loop than a branch system. I've also seen this in some imported Asian items. like small fans or Xmas lights. It also seems to be done now on some larger items, like portable air conditioners and such, with built in circuit breakers and/or GFCI on plug. Considering that there are so many potentially defective panels and panel circuit breakers installed in so many homes, this is a good thing.
It still won't prevent someone from overloading a circuit with too many appliances, even if each one is fused, but it would help prevent a defective appliance from setting the home on fire.
At some point, however, you cannot make any system 100% fail safe, or fool proof. And safety features only protect against those failures they are designed to protect against. The big variable is human. Reminds me of the aphorism: nothing can be made fool proof because fools are so ingenious. There is little, for example, to prevent a homeowner from putting in a bigger circuit breaker in a panel on a circuit not designed for the higher amperage, other than perhaps different form factors for different size breakers (which I'm not sure is the practice in the industry). Such as a 20 amp breaker for a 15 amp circuit, or worse.
[this post was last edited: 11/19/2017-15:17]
It still won't prevent someone from overloading a circuit with too many appliances, even if each one is fused, but it would help prevent a defective appliance from setting the home on fire.
At some point, however, you cannot make any system 100% fail safe, or fool proof. And safety features only protect against those failures they are designed to protect against. The big variable is human. Reminds me of the aphorism: nothing can be made fool proof because fools are so ingenious. There is little, for example, to prevent a homeowner from putting in a bigger circuit breaker in a panel on a circuit not designed for the higher amperage, other than perhaps different form factors for different size breakers (which I'm not sure is the practice in the industry). Such as a 20 amp breaker for a 15 amp circuit, or worse.
[this post was last edited: 11/19/2017-15:17]
Yep, British plugs all have replaceable cartridge fuses from 3 Amps (700 Watts) to 13 Amps (3000 Watts) depending on the power of the appliance. Appliances beyond those ratings are generally hardwired or a special plug is sometimes used. British plugs are used in many countries around the world, including Ireland, Cyprus, Singapore, Hong Kong and many counties in Africa and the Middle East, but those countries generally use the branch circuit as in the US.
In the UK, the ring circuit is often used. This means the cable doesn't terminate, as it would in a branch circuit, but actually goes back to the panel, meaning both ends of the cable are connected to the breaker. This means thinner cable can be used, as the current flows both ways and the circuit breaker for general socket circuits is normally 32-Amp 230-Volt, 7400 Watts. An American branch circuit of 120-Volt 15 or 20 Amps gives 1800 or 2400 Watts. So overloading should be less likely on the British system -- unless all the load is at one extreme end of the circuit, or if there is a break at one end of the circuit, or if an unfused 2-way plug adapter is used to connect two 13-Amp appliances through a single 13-Amp socket, none of which would be detected by the circuit breaker.
Here in Spain, the German plug (no fuse) was adopted decades ago (similar to French but totally different to both the Italian and the Swiss for example) and traditional Spanish sockets (which used to have fuses) are rarely seen now. We have 16-Amp sockets, 16-Amp circuits connected to 16-Amp breakers, meaning each outlet can supply the circuit's maximum of 3680 Watts. In the UK, 16-Amp socket branch circuits are sometimes used, too. I am interested in electrical systems in the UK, USA and Spain. They all have their pros and cons regarding safety and convenience.
In the UK, the ring circuit is often used. This means the cable doesn't terminate, as it would in a branch circuit, but actually goes back to the panel, meaning both ends of the cable are connected to the breaker. This means thinner cable can be used, as the current flows both ways and the circuit breaker for general socket circuits is normally 32-Amp 230-Volt, 7400 Watts. An American branch circuit of 120-Volt 15 or 20 Amps gives 1800 or 2400 Watts. So overloading should be less likely on the British system -- unless all the load is at one extreme end of the circuit, or if there is a break at one end of the circuit, or if an unfused 2-way plug adapter is used to connect two 13-Amp appliances through a single 13-Amp socket, none of which would be detected by the circuit breaker.
Here in Spain, the German plug (no fuse) was adopted decades ago (similar to French but totally different to both the Italian and the Swiss for example) and traditional Spanish sockets (which used to have fuses) are rarely seen now. We have 16-Amp sockets, 16-Amp circuits connected to 16-Amp breakers, meaning each outlet can supply the circuit's maximum of 3680 Watts. In the UK, 16-Amp socket branch circuits are sometimes used, too. I am interested in electrical systems in the UK, USA and Spain. They all have their pros and cons regarding safety and convenience.
Interesting.
Japan has a sort of hybrid system: 110 volts like the USA, but 50 Hz like Europe. I didn't notice fused plugs in Japan when I visited in the 1990's, though. And I brought home a boom box I bought there that has a "normal" plug and runs fine on our 120 v 60 Hz standard. Most modern stuff probably will adapt to the different frequency, except of course for stuff like older US AC powered clocks that use the line frequency as a time keeper.
Ah yes, the ring circuit. I didn't quite understand it when my Irish co-worker mentioned it, but it makes more sense with your explanation. He made it sound like it was inferior to the US standard, or maybe that was just my interpretation of his somewhat apologetic attitude. Or maybe he thought the extra fuses were just a bother. I don't know. It does sound like a good idea to me for the USA as well.
I took another look at the house FPE panel today. The 20 and 15 amp fuses look like the same form factor. For some reason I thought the patio/pond area was on a 30 amp circuit, but it's really on a 20 amp breaker. It would not surprise me if the previous owner, who seemed to be a meticulous workman, put in a step larger gauge wire whenever he added a circuit. That, and the rigid conduit he ran under the house, and the stainless steel window screen he put in the patio, make me feel like when he had a choice, he took the high road. He probably learned that from his job: facilities manager for a calculator factory that used to be nearby.
Japan has a sort of hybrid system: 110 volts like the USA, but 50 Hz like Europe. I didn't notice fused plugs in Japan when I visited in the 1990's, though. And I brought home a boom box I bought there that has a "normal" plug and runs fine on our 120 v 60 Hz standard. Most modern stuff probably will adapt to the different frequency, except of course for stuff like older US AC powered clocks that use the line frequency as a time keeper.
Ah yes, the ring circuit. I didn't quite understand it when my Irish co-worker mentioned it, but it makes more sense with your explanation. He made it sound like it was inferior to the US standard, or maybe that was just my interpretation of his somewhat apologetic attitude. Or maybe he thought the extra fuses were just a bother. I don't know. It does sound like a good idea to me for the USA as well.
I took another look at the house FPE panel today. The 20 and 15 amp fuses look like the same form factor. For some reason I thought the patio/pond area was on a 30 amp circuit, but it's really on a 20 amp breaker. It would not surprise me if the previous owner, who seemed to be a meticulous workman, put in a step larger gauge wire whenever he added a circuit. That, and the rigid conduit he ran under the house, and the stainless steel window screen he put in the patio, make me feel like when he had a choice, he took the high road. He probably learned that from his job: facilities manager for a calculator factory that used to be nearby.
