Most of us take access to electricity as a given, powering appliances to make modern lives easier and more comfortable.
We plug devices into electrical outlets and, with the flick of a switch, our wish is their command. Clothes get washed, rooms are cooled, radios blare, and food is cooked.
The power of those bountiful electric receptacles that adorn buildings, awaiting our instruction, is easy to take for granted, like how some people forget to look at the moon.
So let’s turn the spotlight onto electrical outlets and see what’s going on with these instantly recognizable but often overlooked “faces” in the wall.
How Do Electricity Outlets Work at Home?
To begin, let’s review how electricity enters a building. In the United States, homes receive an electrical current from the power grid — through underground cables or wires — to a service head. This service head usually has two 120-volt wires and a neutral wire.
The next stage is the electricity meter, which measures a homeowner’s electricity use. From here, the electricity heads to an electric service panel that contains circuit breakers. The panel is the hub from which the electricity flows to electrical outlets and light switches.
Standard home appliances draw power from one of the 120-volt wires. Larger appliances like water heaters or clothes dryers require a 240-volt circuit and use both the 120-volt wires and the neutral wire to achieve this.
The electrical circuits within a home are usually looped and daisy-chained together. In modern homes, there are two circuits — one of 15 amps for lighting and 20 amps for general-purpose electrical outlets. Older homes may have these two circuits combined.
Amps represent the current’s strength. In general, lighting needs less electrical current than appliances, hence the lower amperage circuit. You can think of amps like water coming from a hose — the lower the amps, the less water comes from a hose.
What Are the Four Main Types of Electrical Outlets?
There are more than four types of outlets — also called receptacles — in the United States. Some outlets have two slots, and many have a third U-shaped grounding hole connected to the ground wire.
These fit the plugs, also known as NEMA connectors. Type A plugs have two flat parallel prongs, while Type B plugs have three prongs — Type A’s parallel pins plus a grounding pin. Type C plugs have rounded pins and won’t fit in U.S. outlets.
Electrical outlets may look similar, but they perform different roles.
A 15-amp duplex receptacle is America’s standard electrical outlet for small devices. They look a little like faces, with slots for eyes and a grounding hole for a mouth:
- The short slot is hot, connecting directly with a wire that supplies the electric current.
- The longer slot is neutral, completing the electrical circuit and allowing the current to travel from the hot slot through the appliance and back into the circuit.
- The grounding hole delivers any excess electricity safely to the ground.
A 20-amp outlet, as mentioned previously, is for more power-hungry devices and is often found in kitchens, garages, and laundry rooms. You can recognize a 20-amp outlet because the longer neutral slot has a horizontal notch in the opening, making it look like a T.
AFCI outlets, or arc fault circuit interrupters, look the same as 15-amp electrical outlets but with added safety features. Arcing occurs when electric currents jump gaps in the circuit, often caused by damaged or deteriorated wires and cords. It can cause super hot arc flashes that can start fires. AFCI outlets detect arcing and shut off the power before damage can be caused.
Next is the ground fault circuit interrupter, or GFCI outlet. These receptacles precisely monitor electrical currents and shut down power as soon as it detects an anomaly. Electricity always travels the path of least resistance, which is why GFCI receptacles should be installed anywhere moisture and water are present. That means bathrooms, basements, kitchens, and outdoors, to name a few.
In these environments, electricity may try to “ground” by jumping from an electrical outlet through your predominantly water-based body, causing an electric shock. GFCI outlets’ precision monitoring allows them to close down the circuit before that happens.
What Are Other Types of Electrical Outlets?
Other electrical outlets include duplex outlets with space for two receptacles. Switched outlets allow the receptacle to be switched on or off at the outlet, allowing other devices to be left plugged into a wall outlet but not turned on all the time — for example, a nightlight.
Tamper-resistant receptacles prevent small objects from entering the hot and neutral slots and only open when a plug is inserted. These tamper-resistant outlets protect people, especially inquisitive children, from electric shocks.
Rotating outlets do just that — the outlet rotates so people can use more than one bulky plug, like a cell charger, at once. Weather-resistant receptacles usually protect outdoor outlets from rain, snow, and sunlight and are common around pools, patios, and decks or for plugging in lawnmowers and other garden machinery.
Technology-friendly USB outlets now feature USB ports to allow devices to charge via USB cables. Some have up to four USB charging ports. There are smart outlets, too, which pair with smartphones to enable remote control via a smart home hub and Wi-Fi. For example, Amazon has an Alexa-controlled smart plug that allows remote control of electrical outlets.
What’s the Difference Between 15-Amp and 20-Amp Outlets?
The main difference between a 15-amp and 20-amp electrical outlet is the amount of electrical current that flows to the receptacle. The 15-amp outlets power smaller electrical devices like televisions, turntables, and most hair dryers.
A 20-amp outlet is common in kitchens, garages, and laundry rooms. Typically, a washing machine, refrigerator, and dishwasher should all use 20-amp circuits. You cannot plug a device that needs a 20-amp outlet into a 15-amp receptacle.
There are 30 and 50-amp outlets, too. These are reserved for electric ovens, heavy-duty power tools, and other heavy electricity users and require a special plug and installation.
What Happens If You Put a 20-Amp Outlet on a 15-Amp Circuit?
A 20-amp device has a plug that won’t fit into a 15-amp electrical outlet. In practice, connecting a 20-amp outlet to a 15-amp circuit is impossible, assuming all plugs are correctly fitted.
Is My Outlet 110 or 120 Volts?
The most common electrical outlet in homes in America runs with 110 volts for both 15-amp and 20-amp receptacles. However, a 120-volt outlet is essentially the same as a 110-volt receptacle.
There are 220-volt appliances, and these plugs are much larger than those for 110 volts. These 220-volt plugs have horizontal slots rather than the vertical slots of 110-volt plugs and are almost impossible to confuse.
Ensuring Your Safety Around Electrical Outlets
Electricity is a wonderful yet dangerous energy source. Electric shocks and fires are two significant hazards that risk the life and limbs of yourself and your loved ones. However, most people live alongside electricity without mishaps by following necessary safety measures. Here’s how to keep safe.
What Are the Major Health Risks Posed by Electricity?
In the United States, at least 30,000 electrical shocks are suffered annually, and up to 1,000 deaths are associated with electrical injury. Around 5% of all burn injuries in the country are due to electricity. Children and adolescents account for 20% of all these figures.
Injury severity depends on how much electricity flows through a person. Very light currents cause a light tingle. As the flow increases, people suffer painful shocks and loss of muscle control. Stronger shocks cause respiratory failure and muscle contractions, meaning someone cannot let go of the shock source, and death becomes a danger. Large amounts of electricity bring nerve damage, burning, cardiac arrest, and likely death.
There are around 51,000 home electrical fires in the United States each year, the third-highest cause of house fires. These fires result in almost 500 deaths and 1,400 injuries, and property damage estimated at $1.3 billion annually.
Arcing is the leading cause. Electrical outlets are responsible for more than 5,000 electrical fires annually. That’s why it’s essential to use quality electrical materials and the services of electrical professionals in the home.
What Are the Warning Signs for Dangerous Electrical Outlets?
There are a few telltale signs that your electrical outlets are potentially dangerous. These include:
- Burn marks or a smoke smell on or near the outlet
- Sparking
- Buzzing or popping sounds
- Arcing causing smoke and melting outlets
- Water damage
- Hot to the touch
- Have two prongs (old) and not three prongs (grounded) and need replacing through old age or wear and tear
- Accessible to children and not tamper-proof
How Should I React to an Electrical Outlet Sparking?
If you see an electrical outlet with burn marks, see it melting, smell smoke, or hear popping sounds, turn off the power to that circuit immediately at the circuit breaker. Unplug any devices connected to that outlet and call a professional and certified electrician to check your circuits and wall plates.
All remedial work should comply with NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code (NEC) benchmark to ensure “safe electrical design, installation, and inspection to protect people and property from electrical hazards” across 50 states.
What Are Recessed and Floating Outlets?
Some electrical outlets sit deeper into a wall than a regular one, often flush against the wall. These outlets are great for aesthetics and positioning furniture around wall outlets and are best installed by professional electricians.
However, if this outlet is pushed too far into the wall, it becomes a recessed outlet. The wall isn’t providing support and the unit’s electrical box is moving and risks dislodging wires. These recessed outlets carry a greater fire risk.
Floating outlets aren’t flush with the wall and aren’t correctly attached to the wall. That means plugging and unplugging puts a lot of stress on the electrical outlet’s face plate, which may be the only thing keeping the outlet in place. A cracked outlet or moved wires again increase fire risks.
How Do I Know My Electrical Products Are Safe?
The first rule is to buy UL-listed devices and materials when considering home improvements. UL, or Underwriters Laboratories, is the leading testing and nationally-recognized authority in the United States.
UL-approved products have been tested to work safely. Find their mark on switches, light bulbs, electrical outlets, and more, and use their approval as a guide when you pick up any materials.
How Can I Reduce Electrical Risks at Home?
We recommend calling certified, professional electricians to inspect your home rather than self-test equipment and wiring, especially if you have no specialist knowledge. It may be that a simple loose screw has caused your issue, but only professional experience and care may reveal that information.
Some preventative steps that help reduce electrical shock and fire hazards include:
- Not doing any work yourself if you don’t have the requisite skills
- Buying UL-listed products
- Inspecting equipment’s wiring before use
- Install AFCI and GFCI outlets at home, preferably tamper-proof
- Don’t overload outlets with power strips and devices
- Minimize water and liquid spills near electrical equipment
- Upgrade from two-prong outlets to three-prong outlets with a ground wire
- Replace old and damaged electrical outlets
- Call in an electrician if you see sparking or burning from outlets
- Ask decorators to avoid painting over electrical outlets
Can an Outlet Catch Fire With Nothing Plugged In?
Yes, an electrical outlet can catch fire when nothing is plugged in, especially in older homes with aluminum rather than copper wiring. In either case, loose wires can spark an electrical fire.
Keep It Safe With Your Electrical Outlets
Electrical outlets can often be taken for granted despite their important role in delivering electricity where (and when) we want it. Yet their maintenance and good working health form a vital part of the electric delivery system.
Energy efficiency is a way to save energy and dollars: safe and professionally-installed electrical outlets are essential for keeping everyone free from harm. Those benign-looking receptacles connect us to an incredible power source. However, it’s a gateway that needs to be respected and controlled.
Brought to you by amigoenergy
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