Stromdieb (socket adapter)
Electricity thief was colloquially a historical context socket outlet called (Swiss designation), d. H. an adapter which - screwed into a light bulb socket - allows the insertion of one or two mains plugs and usually also allows a light bulb to be screwed in .
The purpose of the devices was to be able to provide additional plug connections to the power grid (house power ).
The name comes from the early days of electrification at the beginning of the 20th century. At that time, electricity consumption in rental apartments was sometimes not recorded using a separate electricity meter , but billed as a flat rate based on the number of lamps available; Sockets were not allowed here. With the power thief, you could then connect additional lamps or other electrical devices that were not included in the billing. But even after the introduction of electricity meters in the apartments, electricity thieves remained in use: Since in older apartment buildings the basement or attic rooms belonging to an apartment were mostly connected to the general power supply of the house and not to the electricity meter of the apartment in question, there were Usually there are no sockets, only lamps, so that the power thief could be used to be able to use devices there despite the lack of sockets. Since in this case, too, the consumption was not recorded by the tenant's electricity meter, the name Stromdieb was also suitable for this use.
This aid was widespread until around the middle of the 20th century due to the low number of sockets in an apartment at the time, but it is quite dangerous since neither the supply line nor the lamp socket is normally designed for high currents. When connecting larger consumers such. B. electric heaters or irons may overload with fire hazard. There is insufficient protection against accidental contact, because the lack of a protective collar and short insulating sections in the holes can result in contact with the live plug pins when plugging in and unplugging. In addition, there is no protective conductor . Therefore, the use of the power thief does not meet the technical standards in most countries today.
In Switzerland, socket outlets no longer comply with the technical guidelines since January 1, 1976.
Insulation displacement connectors for individual strands in motor vehicle electrics are also sometimes referred to as current thieves.
Typical power thief for E27 lamp threads
Advertisement from 1916: An electric gramophone draws power from the ceiling light.
Electricity thief in the rarer version, in which only one power plug can be connected.
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Trivia
Ephraim Kishon used the power thief in his play Pull out the plug, the water boils : In the absence of sockets in the studio, the artist places his electric samovar on stacked furniture under the lamp to make tea ; an art critic is enthusiastic about "modern sculpture".
Web links
- A power thief in the Technical Museum . Wiener Zeitung, June 6, 2010
- Screw socket with socket in the Technical Museum Vienna
- Old electrical appliances on thestorff.de
- Photo of a power thief in dangerous action. Archived from the original .
