what s "copper" in my fuse box?

[nethern]

the fuse box of my 40 year old house has stove,power1,power2,light,copper,hotwater. what is that copper? it has 20a rating on it.

[Pezz]

Could be an electric boiler, typically used for cooking crabs etc.. similar to this one for sale:

Electric Copper | Antiques & Collectables | Gumtree Australia Cockburn Area - Beeliar (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/beeliar/antiques-collectables/electric-copper/1000115985)

[Belair_Boy]

what is that copper?

Before my time but I am guessing it refers to a copper washing boiler.
Commonly referred to as coppers for short, they were generally copper tubs that were heated to boil washing in.

Maybe someone who is longer in the tooth or has a interest in old washing techniques can give more detailed info.

[johnc]

I thought they were heated by wood in the main, they did get your whites whiter than any washing machine. One of my wifes grandmothers used to use one just for the sheets. You could also get an "agitator" for them which was basically a cone with holes in it and the bubbles from the boiling water would agitate the clothes in the tub. Pretty much gone by the 1950's there wouldn't have been many in use by 1960.

[goldie1]

We had a wood fired one in the 60s. The "modern" electric ones were still in common use in the early 70s

[nethern]

Ah, funny. I don't have any of that kind of appliance at home. Does it mean it is not connected to anything? Could this appliance be hidden inside a wall or under the sub-floor??

[watson]

Usually too big for that.....any old external laundry building?? Or even internal laundry.

Have a sniff around that area.

[goldie1]

Ah, funny. I don't have any of that kind of appliance at home. Does it mean it is not connected to anything? Could this appliance be hidden inside a wall or under the sub-floor??
Its probably long gone They were a free standing appliance in the laundry. About 80cm high and 60cm round. Have a look at the pic in the link in Pezz's post.

[chalkyt]

If you have a good look around you may find a J Box or conduit in the laundry (or where the laundry used to be) with nothing connected to it. Don't assume that it is not live. The wiring could be disconnected at the board or just terminated under the floor, in the wall, or somewhere else just waiting for someone to put a saw through it! :o Coppers were about the size of a modern day washing machine so that might give you a clue where to look.

Do you have fuses or circuit breakers and RCDs. If the former, might be time for an upgrade.

[TermiMonster]

We had a gas powered one in the sixties to seventies.

[Moondog55]

Might be a "Cheap" way to get a sub box put in, then the sub-box could have the RCD upgrade and run a couple of extra lines off of that.
just a thought.

We have some 4mm<2 line installed for a stereo and it looks like the music may move to the back room so we do have this spare 4mm<2 line ready to use, we may use this line in the new kitchen

[nethern]

If you have a good look around you may find a J Box or conduit in the laundry (or where the laundry used to be) with nothing connected to it. Don't assume that it is not live. The wiring could be disconnected at the board or just terminated under the floor, in the wall, or somewhere else just waiting for someone to put a saw through it! :o Coppers were about the size of a modern day washing machine so that might give you a clue where to look.

Do you have fuses or circuit breakers and RCDs. If the former, might be time for an upgrade.

Lucky, it is a breaker. How do i know it is RCD or not?

[nethern]

Its probably long gone They were a free standing appliance in the laundry. About 80cm high and 60cm round. Have a look at the pic in the link in Pezz's post.

Don't have anything like that anywhere. In laundry, i only have a water heater and washing machine that draws power. I guess it is the washing machine connect to the copper line, as the socket was used by an old dryer(thrown away) and the washing machine.

[chalkyt]

Is the water heater only for the laundry or is it the hot water for the whole house? If it is for the laundry only, there is a chance that the Copper circuit is now used for this water heater, and just needs to be re-labeled. Turn off the circuit breaker and see if the water heater still works. That will give you an idea of what controls what. You used the term "fuse box" so the assumption was that you have fuses. Re the RCD (residual current device = safety switch), you don't need them for the Stove/Copper/Water heater circuits, but it is a good idea (compulsory with new installations) to have them and circuit breakers on your power and lighting circuits. If the breaker has a built-in RCD it will be called something like RCBO (Residual Current Breaker Operator) and have a "push to test" button on it. The RCD senses any current flowing to earth, such as through you!, and disconnects the power before any damage is done. The reason they are not required on stoves, water heaters, etc is that these often have a small amount of earth leakage current through the heating elements, which would falsely trip the RCD.

[Bloss]

As others have said - a large tub, generally made of copper, but sometimes brass, on a stand and with an electric element, gas ring or a fire box to heat water. Was for clothes, but we used them to dunk poultry to aid plucking, to tie-dye sheets and clothing (it was the 60s . . . ) and often to store wood! Just another circuit really - might or might not be in use and might have a single load at one end or GPOs. Turn it off and see what doesn't work - that'll give a clue . . .

[Bedford]

You forgot to mention the "blue bags" Laundry bluing, Reckitt's blue, dolly blue, washing whitening (http://www.oldandinteresting.com/laundry-blue.aspx)

Also good for bee stings! :)

[Black Cat]

We still use an electric copper in the Hall for heating water for washing up (no hot water cylinder). They are a wonderful thing to have - very useful for boiling up water to dunk the Christmas goose in before plucking!!

[chalkyt]

My Grandma used to cook the Xmas puddings in it. On reflection I hope she cleaned it out after washing the undies. :oo:

[Johning]

Is the water heater only for the laundry or is it the hot water for the whole house? If it is for the laundry only, there is a chance that the Copper circuit is now used for this water heater, and just needs to be re-labeled. Turn off the circuit breaker and see if the water heater still works. That will give you an idea of what controls what. You used the term "fuse box" so the assumption was that you have fuses. Re the RCD (residual current device = safety switch), you don't need them for the Stove/Copper/Water heater circuits, but it is a good idea (compulsory with new installations) to have them and circuit breakers on your power and lighting circuits. If the breaker has a built-in RCD it will be called something like RCBO (Residual Current Breaker Operator) and have a "push to test" button on it. The RCD senses any current flowing to earth, such as through you!, and disconnects the power before any damage is done. The reason they are not required on stoves, water heaters, etc is that these often have a small amount of earth leakage current through the heating elements, which would falsely trip the RCD.

Sorry to be a pedant, but RCBO is the abbreviation for "Residual Current Circuit Breaker with Over current Protection".

[Moondog55]

Sorry to be a pedant, but RCBO is the abbreviation for "Residual Current Circuit Breaker with Over current Protection".



Nothing wrong with a bit of pedantry in the right company.

[Black Cat]

between consenting adults!

[Bloss]

You forgot to mention the "blue bags" Laundry bluing, Reckitt's blue, dolly blue, washing whitening (http://www.oldandinteresting.com/laundry-blue.aspx)

Also good for bee stings! :)

Yes - as a youngster I could never understand why blue water made white sheets and shirts whiter! And they did work for stings and bites. That link reminded me that my Grandma's laundry had a mangle too - a huge cast iron contraption with wooden rollers and steel gears. I had to turn the handle while Grandma fed the sheets through. OH&S was simpler in those days . . .