Strange single pin socket

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I've just moved into a new house and it has these in the bedrooms. Can anyone identity it?

I'm guessing it's for a light, in which case I'm wondering if it may be switched from the light switch. Obviously I don't have a suitable plug connector to test it out.

Pretty sure they'll come out once I get a professional in to modernise the installation, but in the meantime can anyone satisfy my curiosity!?
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It's an old electric clock connector. Undoing the screw in the middle allows the plug to be pulled out, and the flex to be connected to the back of it and fed through the hole - so you do in fact have a plug already :D
 
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An old verision of a MK995, Likely used for a Table lamp, possibly switched on the lighting circuit
 
Do you have any switches in the bedrooms that may control these clock connectors (in case they were intended for table lamps)?
 
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It's an old electric clock connector. Undoing the screw in the middle allows the plug to be pulled out, and the flex to be connected to the back of it and fed through the hole - so you do in fact have a plug already :D

Thanks! If it was safe for a homeowner in the 70s (?) then I'm willing to give it a try. Dumb question... Is a clock connector a connector for a clock!?
 
Do you have any switches in the bedrooms that may control these clock connectors (in case they were intended for table lamps)?

No switches. I'm going to wire a lamp in there and see if the main ight switch does anything. I suppose you would never have cause to turn off a clock
 
For convenience, and since at least one of these clock connectors is cracked, you could replace with a 5 amp socket and plug (although it appears the back boxes in the wall won't be as standard).
 
If you use a lamp you will need one with an in-line switch as it is unlikely to be controlled by your standard light switch.
It you had a clock wired in and turned your light off the clock would also go off.
 
Thanks! If it was safe for a homeowner in the 70s (?) then I'm willing to give it a try. Dumb question... Is a clock connector a connector for a clock!?

They were intended for a clock, as they are quite flush and will sit behind a mains powered wall clock, when they were used as intended at about 2 metre high.
Though there use is not limited and could have been used at low level for a Tabletop Alarm clock or for a lamp.
It may be permanently live rather than switched as Table lamps tended to have there own switch either on the lampholder or in the cable, if intended for a clock then obviously likely not switched
 
were also quite popular for ventilation fans.

in large offices it meant they could easily be individually unplugged for cleaning, repair or replacement with no need to isolate the circuit.

In the old days, some offices had multiple electric wall clocks, set to local time for London, Paris, New York, Dallas, Frankfurt etc where they might be dealing with overseas traders or correspondent companies

One place I worked in, after reassignment of offices, the clocks got relabelled by some jokers to show local time in London, Basingstoke, Reading, Thatcham, Crewe etc.
 
Standard 20 x 5 mm fuses will also fit.
My experience differs, I know they are only 1mm longer but I found the plug did not have that much space. Also 20mm fuses are a little smaller diameter and likely to be a poor fit. Using the wrong fuse is a botch.
 

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