Re: Why Three Rails?

Refrigerators. (Crosley)

Jim Stewart
"Daniel A. Mitchell" <danmitch@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:V09Ge.622$Ut5.80@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> harrym wrote:
>> The only electricity in our neighborhood during WWII was 32 volts
>> supplied by a windcharger, with large storage batteries. But I don't
>> remember any electric appliances being used -- just house lighting. Did
>> they make 32 volt appliances?
>>
>> Daniel A. Mitchell wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> There were lots of low voltage systems around in rural areas. Many were
>>> only 12 or so volts. 32 Volts was also in use.
>
> Wow, this post got dredged up from a while back.
>
> Keep in mind that there were very few appliances of any type back then. I
> don't know what may have been commercially available. I suspect there was
> some low voltage apparatus available, as there still are.
>
> Think mostly lighting, perhaps a washing machine, and maybe an electric
> fan. That was about it.
>
> Purely resistance units like lights, toasters, heaters, etc. would need no
> modification, other than getting an appropriate resistance match for the
> input voltage. This was do-able by either changing heating elements, or
> varying the series/parallel arrangement of existing elements.
>
> Motorized apparatus of the period was normally driven by a belt. Thus,
> modifying such a device would only mean substituting a different motor.
>
> Radios and such of the period normally operated from batteries anyway.
> Normally, such an apparatus used several voltages, and needed several
> batteries to provide this needed electricity. If any of these were
> similar in voltage to the farm's 'mains' battery, then that portion could
> be connected to the available supply. Such connection was likely more
> bother than it was worth, however.


.

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