Timeline for What is this box in our basement?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
18 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 5, 2022 at 13:43 | comment | added | FreeMan | Can we get a close up of the wiring tangle and how they're connected to the device? Also, try using selfie mode to get a picture of the end of the can where the wiring is, maybe there's some labeling stamped into the metal that might give a clue. | |
| Apr 5, 2022 at 1:01 | comment | added | Ed Beal | I think we still need more photos of every angle including those wires that are twisted pair above the can, that tells me this is a 1940’s era maybe a few years before or after but the large gauge and the cloth wrap says prior to 50’s but later than mid 30’s at least on the west coast, some areas like Chicago were ahead of the curve after the big fire, colors were much later post 60’s for the most part at least on the west coast are you in an area known for lighting, that’s the only thing that really comes to mind with the better photos. | |
| Apr 5, 2022 at 0:25 | history | edited | Ecnerwal | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
Added one of the other pictures.
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| Apr 5, 2022 at 0:23 | comment | added | Ecnerwal | The other views in comment above appear to show it connected to old and at least one newer telephone wire. Do you have active landline telephone service? I edited one into the question. | |
| Apr 4, 2022 at 23:53 | comment | added | djrapp | @EdBeal fyi see additional views above | |
| Apr 4, 2022 at 23:53 | comment | added | djrapp | @Ecnerwal fyi see additional views above | |
| Apr 4, 2022 at 10:08 | comment | added | djrapp | It’s mounted at the top of a post in the basement and can’t be moved | |
| Apr 4, 2022 at 10:05 | comment | added | djrapp | The house is Victorian era—late 1800s. The wiring is from many different eras though, so hard to tell how old or recent this may be. Here are several additional views. imgur.com/a/nquEi7M | |
| Apr 3, 2022 at 21:54 | comment | added | Gil | Is it attached or can you easily move it and take more pictures? | |
| Apr 3, 2022 at 17:17 | review | Close votes | |||
| Apr 8, 2022 at 3:08 | |||||
| Apr 3, 2022 at 13:26 | comment | added | FreeMan | Is the white, wire-looking piece on the left of the can actually attached to it? If so, where does that white wire go? Are there any other wires attached to it? What's so odd about that rust? It looks perfectly normal for surface rust on an old, sheet-metal item. | |
| Apr 3, 2022 at 11:40 | comment | added | Ecnerwal | Pretty normal overall "look" for WWII and onwards military/aviation "canned" components - transformer, capacitor - possibly oil filled (a typical reason for the can.) Shape is a bit unusual, but not wildly so. Different views would demystify it quickly. | |
| Apr 3, 2022 at 9:55 | comment | added | George Anderson | It's a farval valve used to route/control blinker fluid or a flux capacitor. Sorry, couldn't resist ! Seriously though a few more pics would help us determine what it might be. I've never seen anything like that before. | |
| Apr 3, 2022 at 4:24 | comment | added | Ed Beal | It could be a lot of things but with only 1 angle it’s really hard to guess what do you consider a very old house? Some would say the 60’s is old I would not say very old until the Victorian era, what is your classification? | |
| Apr 3, 2022 at 4:01 | comment | added | CommunityBot | Please clarify your specific problem or provide additional details to highlight exactly what you need. As it's currently written, it's hard to tell exactly what you're asking. | |
| Apr 3, 2022 at 2:56 | comment | added | Ecnerwal | Is it connected to anything? Picture partly shows some wires but if in use they should not be exposed like that. Unless low voltage, but very old houses have time for folks to leave non-compliant hacks, so never assume... If electrical, there should be printing on it to provide specifications. Presumably out of sight from this angle. | |
| S Apr 3, 2022 at 2:45 | review | First questions | |||
| Apr 3, 2022 at 4:01 | |||||
| S Apr 3, 2022 at 2:45 | history | asked | djrapp | CC BY-SA 4.0 |