Why Do Outlets Have Different Types of Holes?

Did you mention that 20 amp and 15 amp receptacles can be used on 20 amp circuits? Thought that's what this video was going to be about.

A 125/250v receptacle has two hots and a neutral, so it can supply both voltages. Like an oven that has a digital clock, the neutral is needed for the 120v it needs to run. You didn’t say it correctly in the video.

Give me 20A power tools already!

@ElectricianU you ever look at the way they do electricity in England? I think its great an we here in the US should start adopting tons of what they do there.

I have never worked as an electrician per se, but I have a bit of experience dealing with electricity / electronics (often with much higher voltages than found in houses). I've worked on the wiring in houses that I've lived in over the years and have encountered many instances where the wiring is not what we would consider safe these days, especially in older houses which might have been originally built before the area even HAD electrical service. They often had the NEMA 1-15 outlets, so it was entirely possible to plug a lamp into an outlet and have a charge on the outer area of the bulb socket even with the switch turned off on the lamp. Even when the outlets had been replaced, it was not uncommon for either the ground wire to not be connected or IF connected, not be connected to a grounding rod at the meter... I even encountered 120V on ground once because a hot wire was touching the ground wire in one of the outlet boxes, but the building ground was not connected to a physical ground. That took a lot of unplugging of devices and disassembly of outlets to find that problem... And then there are the overhead lights where the switch was mistakenly wired on the neutral side instead of the hot side. Over the years, I basically determined if there is ANY way for something to wired incorrectly so that it will shock you, then SOMEONE will probably have done it and to assume everything you deal with to be hot.

Dustin I love that information!

Ones 15 amp. Ones 20 amp

Oh fat is neutral?

The think is I though just because an outlet can output 20 amps it doesnt mean the. Device will use it.

Hey Dustin! Would you consider doing a video on shore power for RVs?

For me, who doesn't understand electricity, but this is a good work

Would have liked to see a 20 amp plug being you talked about the 20 amp receptacle.

Is it possible to have a video of how and why these receptacles have these certain layouts? Like why a plug has a wink or squinted eyes ?

Is so somebody comes that has power that they don't have to change! They only have to 240v to 120v, the switch that's on every power supply!

If you try to jam it in and it does not fit, you are not doing it right and you may damage the equipment.
-- That's what she said!

why do electricians install the 5-15R "upside-down" with the ground on the bottom?

same reason women do.
Variety!

Dustin, just a big thank you for all your videos. You've been a big help to me and I appreciate you brother.

Bonus: the fatter prong helps keep the cord from being removed without a real tug.

It wasn't all that long ago that we had 2 types of plugs for electric stoves and electric dryers. In the old days they had 3 prong plugs. They had a bonding strap in the appliance that bridged the neutral and ground together between the screw terminals. Now they have plugs with 4 prongs on them so now these appliances can separate the neutral and ground in them. In a lot of the older homes they still have the 3 prong plugs and a lot of these older homes only had 3 wires for these appliances. They don't have the ground wire to the plug. This is why when you buy new appliances like electric stoves and dryers, you need to know which type your old dryer or stove have. If you do upgrade to the 4 prong plug, that is why you need to remove the bonding strap between the neutral and ground lugs. This separates the neutral and ground so the 4 prong plug works properly.

For the life of me, I've never seen an appliance or anything have the 20 amp blade pattern, even in industrial areas. I wonder if it's just too uncommon to find a 20 amp outlet so manufacturers tend not to use them- maybe they either de-rate the appliance to fit the 15 amp or upsize it to a 30 amp industrial outlet?

Trades people know this but there are multiple small pocket reference guides on the market which include NEMA configuration charts in them so you can choose the right receptacle for the application. My favorite is the UGLY book which contains code references and basic how to's as well, for home owners and craftsmen alike! There are tons of free reference materials on the old interweb as well. I work primarily overseas and world wide there are an insane amount different devices and equipment. I have given these guides to some Russian counterparts for reference if they find themselves dealing with American standards and devices like at US Embassies.

Thanks much for the info.

I used to be an electrician

ITS SQUINTING CAUSE YOUR LOOKS!!HA HA HA!!

One notable receptacle is the TT-30. This is a 120 volt receptacle! Looks like all the 250 volt ones. There have been many a RV with blown up electrical system because of people not paying close attention and ASSUMING it is a 250v receptacle.

Having polarized receptacles is important. Some vintage electrical equipment has the neutral attached to the chassis. Get it backwars the chassis will be hot with line voltage

the layout on the 30A receptacles is what the layout in New Zealand is. here the voltage is about 240V in general

😃🙏

hello Dustin,
it is so good to know but there is so many

It's amazing how many Home Depot employees tell people a 15 Amp will work fine on a 20 Amp circuit.

220.. 221... whatever it takes

I like this guy. He speaks in very easy to understand language.

Question can a run my computer to 220v outlet?

Here's a history note. There's also the obscure NEMA 10-20R, classified as 20A 125/250V nongrounding, that resembles a NEMA 10-50R for ranges with the 3 wire cord, only smaller. Some window air conditioners from the circa 1950- mid 1970s had 120 and 240 volt components and used this plug.

except a 15 amp duplex IS rated to handle 20 amps.

20A outlets can handle more heat than a 15A one.
I would use 20A on everything.
Save the 15A outlets for a dedicated line like for a refrigerator or clock.

All good outlets have three useable holes.

Show me how to properly wire a 15amp duplex plug in, powered by a photocell. So I can plug in a lamp or radio .

One of the stupidest quirks of the NEC is to allow a NEMA 5-15R receptacle on a 120 VAC, 20 A circuit. Please, install only 6-20R receptacles, and don't look back.

On another subject, it's unfortunate that you can't look at a NEMA 2, 6, 10, or 14 receptacle and know whether it's 208 VAC or 240 VAC.

Thank you!
When is is appropriate to use 20 amp receptacles and 12/3 wire
VS
14/3 and 15 amp receptacles
Also
Are commercial quality receptacles worth the extra money? I always use them

Thank you!
When is is appropriate to use 20 amp receptacles and 12/3 wire
VS
14/3 and 15 amp receptacles
Also
Are commercial quality receptacles worth the extra money? I always use them

T SLOT UNGROUNDED OUTLETS??? Go back to 1940 S the era of cloth wiring inside the walls of a home back in the day.
Electrical wiring used to have cloth covering the wires
Grease was coated over the fabric to hold it in place
IT was messy to work with .
WHO HAS PLUGS TODAY WITH THE BLADES GOING HORIZONTAL TO NEED A UNGROUNDED T SLOT OUTLET TODAY.

Polarity is kinda irrelevant in AC. Current flows back and forth between neutral and hot, they are both 'hot'.

Those 120/240 receptacles can really confuse people. Since the 30 amp carries L1 L2 and neutral, no ground. So you can derive either 2 120 volt feeds or a 240 volt feed. That 50 amp is the newer standard carrying L1, L2, Neutral and Ground and can supply 120 or 240. And all kinds of variants like in the diagram in between.
That TT-30 and 5-30 though, people really need to be careful with. It looks like a 240 volt outlet but is really a 30 amp 120 volt outlet, and I have found more then a few wired incorrectly for 240.

I remember like 10 years ago. You could plug in a cord upside down or right side up. There wasnt a right way. Recently ive noticed all plugs now have a big prong. Wasnt like that before. Worked fine before. Why the hell did it change? And when? Because if it worked before, seems no reason to change it!

Commercial grade15 amp rated recptical outlet (spec) internally and plastic thermo rating should be the same as 20 amp receptacle at least they used to be

Great explanations, it helps the less informed!