Last updated August 19, 2008
Outlets
Outlets come in many different styles and shapes as well as colors. They are used in different areas of the home. You will find different outlets for the bathroom, for the kitchen area, outdoors and the standard wall outlet. The outlets by sinks, bathtubs or any water source must be a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet. This outlet has a test and reset button in the center. These outlets are always grounded and polarized. The GFCI outlet shuts down power if a ground fault is detected. These outlets are mandatory by the building code to be placed by hazardous areas.
The grounded outlet is the two vertical slots and a round hole, which is the grounding conductor. You would use this plug for a computer or a vacuum cleaner or anything that has higher power. The polarized outlets have two vertical slots, but one is wider than the other. The wider slot is for the neutral wire and most electrical items come with this type of plug. The two vertical slots that are the same size are a non-polarized outlet. These outlets need to be replaced if you still have some in your home. Besides being a hazard, almost no electrical items made today will fit in them.
Other outlets you might have heard about are the twist lock outlets, which have three slots in a circle, and the 20A outlets, which is a "t" shaped outlet. Then there are outlets for dryers and stoves that are 240VAC outlets. If you need your outlets rewired or repaired, it may be a wise idea to have an electrician take a look at everything and do the job quickly and up to code. If you have older and outdated outlets such as the two slot non-polarized outlets, you should have the electrician change them right away.
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