Strange socket...

[tea-not-coffee]

This may seem like a silly question but....

In my kitchen there is an unswitched standard 3-pin plug socket mounted about 6 inches from the ceiling. It is on an otherwise bare wall that the main door opens against (when the door is open the socket is just above its uppermost edge). So, my question is does anyone have an idea what the socket could be for?

I plan to remove it as it seems to be of no use but then again.....?

tnc

 

[ninebob]

My grandparents house has exactly the same, they used to have an electric clock there many years ago. Whether this is the original or intended use, they don't know.

 

[tea-not-coffee]

That's a good one. The socket looks pretty 'original' for the house (about 25 years old) so I guess it could have been designed in with that in mind.

 

[TexMex]

In decades gone by radiant heaters at this level were quite common. Then again it could have been and Insecticutor, or extractor fan.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I plan to remove it as it seems to be of no use but then again.....?

If you've never used it then clearly it is of no use to you, so there's no reason not to remove it, apart from the usual "is it worth the bother?"

 

[ninebob]

there's also no reason to remove it, but in case it should be used in future i'd be inclined to make sure what circuit it's on. It could be on the lighting circuit and at some point had a round-pin lighting socket replaced with a standard 13a one. In that location it's unlikely to have been designed for anyting high-wattage.

 

[TexMex]

It could be usefull for plugging your mobile phone charger in, if you have any grandchildren around.

Why is it that, whatever phone you get, if you lock the keypad, they only have to touch the thing, and it gives them instructions on how to unlock it

Sorry, getting a bit off thread here.

 

[amatureleccy]

Thats why they have they are equipped with pin code locks.

Just a thought.

 

[TexMex]

Thats why they have they are equipped with pin code locks.

That seems to clinch it then. Take down that socket. No use whatsoever.

 

[securespark]

Except if you dial 112, then it will allow you to bypass the keylock.

So next time you saw your left hand off, remember you don't need to cancel the keylock to dial up the ambulance!!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It could be on the lighting circuit and at some point had a round-pin lighting socket replaced with a standard 13a one.

It could be, yes..

In that location it's unlikely to have been designed for anyting high-wattage.

Why "unlikely"? I think a wall-mounted electric heater is very likely.

 

[AdamW]

Except if you dial 112, then it will allow you to bypass the keylock.

So next time you saw your left hand off, remember you don't need to cancel the keylock to dial up the ambulance!!

Works with 999 too. But not 911, 000 or any other country's emergency numbers I could think of. I suppose they all do 112 (international number) and the other number depends on the country the phone is made for.

Problem with this is that on one or two occasions I have locked my keypad, put the phone in my pocket and later on found my keys had dialled 999 but luckily not hit send.

 

[AdamW]

It could be on the lighting circuit and at some point had a round-pin lighting socket replaced with a standard 13a one.

I think that is certainly worth checking if it appears to be a risk. Easy to check, plug a radio into it and then try pulling the lighting fuse. If the radio goes dead you know to remove it.

 

[tea-not-coffee]

Thanks for the replies.

I will check to see what circuit it is on.

Someone suggested that perhaps it could be useful as a point from which to power an alarm control box (assuming it is not on the lighting circuit). This seems like a good idea since I am planning to install one. In this case, would it be sensible to convert it into a fused spur to avoid the burglar just pulling the plug out? (admittedly, he/she would be in the house by then anyway but anything that helps...).

tnc

 

[ZenStalinist]

Works with 999 too. But not 911, 000 or any other country's emergency numbers I could think of. I suppose they all do 112 (international number) and the other number depends on the country the phone is made for.

I believe it's broadcast depending what country you're in what the emergency numbers are. You can also call emergency numbers without a SIM card, so even if you don't have a signal on the network you subscribe to, you should try dialling anyway, as you can get emergency through another network even if it's not on your SIM card. When I was in Germany 999 refused to unlock my phone, though it does unlock it here in Britain.

It could be on the lighting circuit and at some point had a round-pin lighting socket replaced with a standard 13a one

And if it is, surely you should replace it with an appropriate round pin one (2 amp for a 5 amp circuit or 5 amp for a 10 amp circuit)