Do antique appliances/electronics work nowadays?
I was just wondering because I have a lot of old lamps/radios/etc. from long ago, and was wondering if I can just plug in an old electric device from the earlier half of the 20th century in without it exploding or electrocuting me... Like say for example I have a lamp from like the 30's(?), was the voltage in American homes always the same? or will it be overloaded? I ask because one time I was cleaning an old crystal lamp thing, and when I tried to test it out sparks flew out of the switch on the cord x_x;;;
But I'm not sure if it was incompatible with the new millennium, there was something wrong with the switch itself, or the bulb was an incorrect wattage, this thing has been in my family for generations, and has no real markings for me to know (and I'm NO electrician!)
Any help would be appreciated, thanks!
Comments
I would take it to an antique store to find out. I use lots of old lamps, and they seem to work fine. You can also update the hardware to bring it up to code.