PLUG &

OUTLETS
AR. GENESIS MORALES
6 KINDS of ELECTRICAL
OUTLETS you can install
in your home
TWO-PRONG OUTLET
The two-prong outlet is one in which each socket only has two
openings (prongs). This model has been outdated for some
time, and for good reason.
Two prongs only have two wires: neutral and hot, meaning no
ground wire. Without a ground wire, there is no protection from
short circuits and high voltage. A ground wire allows high
current to return safely to the ground and avoid serious damage
and injury. Although modern homes have adapted to the new
outlet standard, many older homes still have the antiquated
(and hazardous) two prong designs. Two prong outlets become
increasingly dangerous as we venture further into the electronic
age.
Why You Should Replace Your 2-Prong
Outlets.
If they have holes for only two
prongs, they’re ungrounded.
Ungrounded outlets don’t have the
necessary ground wire to protect
you from possible surges of
electricity. The ground wire helps
prevent electrical shock, electrical
fires and damage to electronics.
GROUND FAULT CIRCUIT
INTERRUPTER
A ground fault circuit interrupter, or GFCI for short, is meant to quickly shut off
an outlet’s power when it detects a short circuit or ground fault. Normal
electrical flow happens when the current comes through the hot wire and
returns back through the neutral wire, but if electricity flows beyond that, the
GFCI outlet will trip.
Basically, if you’re using a fault hair dryer, for example, and your feet are wet,
a short circuit from the hair dryer can cause the current to pass through you,
to your wet feet, and into the ground, electrocuting you. A GFCI outlet kills
power before the current can remotely escape the hair dryer. Understandably,
these outlets are pretty much guaranteed to be found in houses nearby water
sources.
GFCI outlets are typically more expensive than regular outlets, but are
required to be installed in locations such as kitchens and bathrooms.
What does ground fault circuit
interrupters do?
The GFCI is designed to protect
people from severe or fatal
electric shocks but because a
GFCI detects ground faults, it can
also prevent some electrical fires
and reduce the severity of other
fires by interrupting the flow of
electric current.
ARC FAULT CIRCUIT
INTERRUPTER
Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) are special
types of electrical receptacles or outlets and circuit
breakers designed to detect and respond to
potentially dangerous electrical arcs in home
branch wiring.

Though it’s not as well-known as a GFCI outlet,

an AFCI outlet looks very similar. Short for “arc
fault circuit interrupter,” it protects from arcs,
which happen when electricity jumps from one
wire to another, which can result in a fire.
GFCIs prevent shocks, and AFCIs
prevent fires. Both should be installed
by a qualified electrician to make your
home safer.
In essence, the detection is accomplished by the use of
advanced electronic technology to monitor the circuit for
the presence of “normal” and “dangerous” arcing
conditions. Some equipment in the home, such as a
motor driven vacuum cleaner or furnace motor, naturally
create arcs. This is considered to be a normal arcing
condition. Another normal arcing condition that can
sometimes be seen is when a light switch is turned off
and the opening of the contacts creates an arc.
20A outlets
With 20A circuits and 20A outlets, you can use more
power-hungry devices without the breaker tripping,
because they can support 25% more load compared
to most other outlets. You’ll typically find 20A circuits
and breakers in kitchens, laundry rooms, and
garages, since most power-hogging appliances are
located in those areas.
But how can you tell if an outlet or circuit is rated at
20A? You can figure this out by looking to see if the
outlet has a small notch added into the left-side prong
opening. This means it’s a 20A outlet and the circuit
it’s on is rated at 20A.
SWITCHED OUTLETS
If you’re looking to control the power of an outlet by
turning it on and off whenever you want, go for a
switched outlet. It’s a receptacle that includes one
outlet, and a switch that turns it on and off. This is
suitable if you have something plugged into an
outlet, but you don’t want it on the entire time.
You can also use this outlet to create your own
switched extension cord, where the cord itself will
always have power, but you’re adding on a second
outlet that’s controlled with the switch.
USB outlets
By now, most of us wish outlets with integrated USB ports would
come standard in all houses. How convenient would that be?
However, they’re difficult to find and are rarely installed by default
in modern homes. Fortunately, you can easily install them.
There are a variety of USB-equipped outlets available. A popular
go-to option are the ones that still come with two regular outlet
receptacles, but squeeze in two USB ports for charging your
mobile devices. You can also find one that replaces both
receptacles with four USB ports. Both outlets can charge your
devices up to 4 amps, so your mobile devices can charge at full
speed.
Another option is to purchase a USB wall charger, so you don’t
have to do any electrical work.
Smart outlets
If you want to take things to a completely new level, grab
yourself some smart outlets. They’re like regular outlets, but
can be controlled from your smartphone. This means they can
be turned on and off from just about anywhere.

Smart outlet options include the Belkin WeMo Switch and the
Connect Sense, but these are basically adapters you plug into
a regular outlet. Instead, you can get smart-enabled
receptacles that can replace any traditional outlet. Of course,
this requires a smart home hub, but if you’re considering this
option, it’s likely you already have one.
 PLUG TYPES
You want to buy a lamp or an electrical device, but do not know if the plug and your sockets are
compatible? And if you, if necessary, should order an adapter? Then this is the place for you. On this
page, learn all the plug types of the lamps and electrical appliances offered in the shop.
And here's how: Please clarify what type of plug the article of your choice has. You can look it up on
the product’s page under “Properties”. You’ll find all information on this plug type respective plug
category in the following: a picture, a description, and the country in which the type of plug is
common.
Plug Type A
The plug type A (or NEMA-1) has two flat live
contact pins, which are arranged in parallel at a
distance of 12.7 mm. The contacts are between
15,875 18,256 mm long, 6.35 mm wide and 1,524
mm thick. The plug-type A is especially used for
smaller devices. Due to its design, the plug is not
protected against polarity reversal.
Find out in which countries this type of plug is
common, what alternatives there are and with how
many volts it is operated in the following country
list (in alphabetical order):
plug type B
The plug type B (or NEMA 5-15, 3 pin) has two flat
live contact pins, which are arranged in parallel. The
size and the distance are identical to plug-type A. An
additional offset arranged, circular contact serves as a
protective conductor. This design makes the plug
protected against polarity reversal. The protective
conductor contact is longer than the two other pins
and therefore joins the socket before them.
Find out in which countries this type of plug is
common, what alternatives there are and with how
many volts it is operated in the following country list
(in alphabetical order):
Plug Type C: contour plug
The contour plug (or plug CEE 7/17) has two contacts with a
length of 19 mm and a diameter of 4.8 mm, which have a
distance of 19 mm. The plug has about 10 mm above as well as
at the same distance below the axle a cut-out. One has a shaft
with round tip directed to the plug’s center, which allows the
French earth pin to be taken in. And these two cut-outs both are
rectangular towards the plug’s edge to allow the German earth
clips to connect.

The maximum power for devices of this type is about 3500W.

The contour plug may be loaded with a maximum of 250V. The
cut-outs cause that the plug is not protected against polarity
reversal, since they provide only space for the French ground
pins, but it isn’t properly connected.

The contour plug fits in German, French and Danish sockets, in

comparison with the Europlug it is incompatible with Swiss
sockets.
Plug Type C: europlug
The europlug (or plug type CEE 7/16) can be
used in most parts of Europe with the exception of
the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta. It
has no protective conductor, which is why it is not
protected against polarity reversal. Its contacts
have a diameter of 4 mm and are placed at a
distance of 19 mm.
Plug type D
Plug type D (or type (5A) / (BS 546) was formerly
widely used in the United Kingdom and finds use
today especially in India and South Africa. In
Libya, it is even the only type of plug, but in most
other countries it was replaced by plug type G.
The earthing contact is slightly longer (20.6 mm)
and thicker (7,06 mm), as the two current-carrying
contacts (length, 14.8 mm / diameter 5.08 mm),
which is why it enters the power supply first. The
plug’s construction inevitably protects it against
polarity reversal, but due to the consistently
conductive contacts it is not safe to touch.
plug type E
The French plug type E or type CEE 7/5 has two
round, live pins. These are usually thicker than the
contact pins of the europlug, but you can also come
across variants with thin pins (4 mm). Slightly moved
upwards but in the middle the two pins is an aperture
that takes in the contact pin of the French socket’s
protective conductor. When plugging a device into the
socket, it first connects with the protective conductor
and only afterwards with the two live pins, and the
other way around when removing the plug. Because
of its design, the system does not allow polarity
reversal, for there is only one way to connect the plug
with the socket.
Plug Type F: Schuko plug
The Schuko plug or CEE7/4-plughas two round pins with a
diameter of 4.8 mm and 19 mm length. Schuko is an
abbreviation for the German word Schutzkontakt, which
means "Protective contact" - in this case "protective" refers
to the earth. Both contact pins are 19 mm apart. A third pole,
the protective contact, is supposed to conduct fault currents,
which can occur, for example, in the event of a short circuit
as soon as the two other poles close the electric circuit.
Therefore, the connection to the earthing contact must take
place first. For the Schuko plug, this is guaranteed through
contact surfaces on the plug’s side and the socket’s
corresponding contact springs. The covering’s basic level is
surrounded by an approximately 19 mm high collar for the
protection against accidental contact. Thus the contact pins
can only be touched as long as they are outside the socket.
Plug type G
Plug type G or even BS 1363, Commonwealth
plugalways has three pins and is equipped always
with a fuse. The two contacts measure 4 x 6 x 18
mm, of which 9 mm are insulated and are 22 mm
apart from each other. The earthing pin is located
centrally over the two other contacts, also with a
distance of 22 mm. It has the size 4 x 8 x 23 mm.
The protective contact has no additional insulation
- but the two live contacts do. The plug’s housing
is wide to impede an easy touching of the contact
pins.
Plug type G
Plug type G or even BS 1363, Commonwealth
plugalways has three pins and is equipped always
with a fuse. The two contacts measure 4 x 6 x 18
mm, of which 9 mm are insulated and are 22 mm
apart from each other. The earthing pin is located
centrally over the two other contacts, also with a
distance of 22 mm. It has the size 4 x 8 x 23 mm.
The protective contact has no additional insulation
- but the two live contacts do. The plug’s housing
is wide to impede an easy touching of the contact
pins.
Plug type H
The plug type H (or: SI-32) can be found only in
Israel and the Palestinian territories and fits into no
other plug system. It has three flat or round pins in
Y-shape. The third pin is also an earthening pin.
Most outlets, which occur in these regions are by
now adapted to also take in the europlug of type
C. Since the redesign in 1989 plug H’s pins are no
longer flat but round. Each contact pin has a
diameter of 4 mm. The modern sockets in Israel
and the region also allow the Schuko plug (type
F), but please not that the protective contact is not
guaranteed!
Plug type I
Plug type I or AS 3112consists of a total of three
contact pins - one protective contact pin and two
live pins. The earth contact is a vertical flat pin, the
other two pins are positioned in the form of an
inverted V above. They are each rotated by 30°
against the protective contact and are 13.7 mm
apart. Since 2005, the two live contacts need to be
insulated and therefore safe to touch.
Plug type J
Plug type J or SEV 1011 has three pins. The
medium-sized, slightly offset one, is the protective
contact. Although all pins have the same length,
the protective contact is leading ahead, as both
holes for the live contacts are much deeper into
the socket. The offset arrangement guarantees the
plug to be protected against polarity reversal.
Plug type K
Plug type K or DS 60884-2-D1 consists of two
live pins and one protective contact pin. Through
the protective contact, the design is asymmetrical,
making the plug protected against polarity
reversal. Although the protective contact’s pin is
shorter, it is still leading, because it is the first to
reach the socket. The plug type C
(Europlug) and type F (Schuko plug)fit
mechanically into the socket of the type K , but in
this case the protective contact is not connected.
Plug type L
There are two versions of the plug type L (or CEI
23-16-VII). Both versions have two round pins
whose shafts are insulated. In the middle is a
further, equally long, but non-insulated pin for the
protective conductor. A protective collar around the
outlet is not provided.
Plug type M
The plug type M or 15-A version of the type D
or also BS 546 consists of three pins: two live and
one protective contact pin. The contacts’
arrangement protects the plug against polarity
reversal.

The contact pins for the two electrical contacts are

25.4 mm apart, have a diameter of 7.06 mm and a
length of 18,94 mm. The pin for the protective
earth conductor has an 8.71 mm diameter and a
length of 28,89 mm.