Wiring Homes and Farms
REA crews travelled through the American countryside, bringing teams of electricians along with them. The electricians added wiring to houses and barns to utilize the newly available power provided by the line crews. A standard REA installation in a house consisted of:
- A 60 amp, 230 volt fuse panel, with:
- A 60 amp range circuit
- A 20 amp kitchen circuit
- Two or three 15 amp lighting circuits
A ceiling-mounted light fixture was installed in each room, usually controlled by a single switch mounted near a door. At most, one outlet was installed per room, since plug-connected appliances were expensive and uncommon. Wiring was performed using type NM nonmetallic sheathed cable, insulated with asbestos-reinforced rubber covered with jute and tar.
Many of these installations still exist today, though most have been augmented to support a greater number and variety of appliances.
Read more about this topic: Rural Electrification Act
Famous quotes containing the words homes and/or farms:
“Over the water come
Children from homes and children’s parks
Who speak on a finger and thumb,
And the masked, headless boy.”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)
“Lead bullets flattened by human teeth have been found on the camp site. Soldiers who had been caught stealing food from nearby farms customarily chewed on a bullet as the lash was laid on their bare backs.”
—For the State of New Jersey, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)