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A NEMA 5–15 plug and receptacle. (Different scales. Blade spacing is 0.5 inches for both.) Note that the receptacle will also accept an ungrounded plug whether polarized or unpolarized.NEMA connectors are connectors used for mains electricity (in North America and other countries) that conform to the standards set by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. Some types are found in nearly all buildings in the United States. Similar and interchangeable connectors are used in Canada and other countries using the same type of receptacle, although there are some exceptions. NEMA wiring devices are made in current ratings from 15 to 60 A, and electrical potential (voltage) ratings from 125 to 600 V. Different combinations of contact blade widths, shapes, orientation, and dimensions give non-interchangeable connectors that are unique to a particular voltage, current capacity, and grounding system. The dimensional standard for electrical connectors is ANSI/NEMA WD–6 and is available from the NEMA Web site. [1]
Contents
1 NEMA nomenclature 2 Non-locking connectors 2.1 NEMA 1 2.2 NEMA 2 2.3 NEMA 5 2.4 NEMA 6 2.5 NEMA 10 2.6 NEMA 14 2.7 NEMA TT–30 3 Twist-locking connectors 3.1 NEMA L5 3.2 NEMA L6 3.3 NEMA L7 3.4 NEMA L8 3.5 NEMA L9 3.6 NEMA L14 3.7 NEMA L15 3.8 NEMA L16 3.9 NEMA L17 3.10 NEMA L21 3.11 NEMA L22 3.12 NEMA L23 4 Ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) receptacles 5 Leak-current detection and interruption (LCDI) plugs 6 Color code 7 Break-away tabs 8 See also 9 References 10 External links
NEMA nomenclature
There are two basic classifications of NEMA device: straight-blade and locking. The straight-blade 5–15 and 5–20 are found nearly everywhere in countries using the NEMA standards, and are intended for supplying lighter-duty, general-purpose electrical devices. Twist-locking types are used for heavy industrial and commercial equipment, where increased resistance to accidental disconnection is required. Numbers prefixed by L are curved-blade, twist-locking connectors; others are straight blade and non-locking.
The numeral preceding the hyphen in NEMA nomenclature indicates the configuration, that is, the number of poles, number of wires, voltage, and whether single- or three-phase. A grounding type of device will be described as two-pole, three-wire; or four-pole, five-wire; etc. A non-grounding device will be two-pole, two wire; or three-pole, three-wire; etc.
The numeral following the hyphen is the rating of the device in amperes. The number is followed by the letter R to indicate a receptacle (female connector) or the letter P to indicate a plug (male connector).
As an example, the 5–15R is the common 125 V two-pole, three-wire receptacle. The L5–15R, while sharing the same rating, is a locking design which is not physically compatible with the straight-blade 5–15 design. The 5–30 has the same two-pole, three-wire configuration and 125 V rating, but is rated 30 A.
Although there are several non-grounding device types in the NEMA standards, only three of them are in widespread use today. These are the two-pole 1–15, still in use in millions of buildings built before the 1960s, and the three-pole 10–30 and 10–50.
The small hole near the end of the power (non-ground) blades of some NEMA plugs is used for convenience in manufacturing; if present it must be of specified diameter and position.[2]
Non-locking connectors
NEMA non-locking connectors all use blades of various flat and folded shapes (except for the round pins used on grounding connectors) and the plugs can be detached from the receptacles by pulling back on the plug body. The connector families have been designed so that grounding connectors for 120 V and 208/240 V cannot be accidentally intermated.
NEMA wall receptacles can be found installed in any orientation. Neither NEMA, U.S. National Electrical Code nor Canadian Electrical Code specify a preferred orientation, and different orientations may be found in the same building. However, the orientation with the ground pin on the bottom is the most common, which places the neutral pin on the upper left and the hot pin on the upper right. All descriptions below assume this orientation.
NEMA 1
All NEMA 1 devices are two-wire non-grounding devices rated for 125 V maximum. NEMA 1-15P plugs have two parallel flat blades, 1/4 inch wide, 0.06 inch thick, 5/8–23/32 inch long, and spaced 1/2 inch apart, and are commonly found on household lamps and consumer electronics such as clocks and radios. Standards exist for 1–15P, 1–20P and 1–30P plugs, and the 1–15R receptacle. There are no 1–20R and 1–30R receptacles; 1–20P and 1–30P mate with a corresponding NEMA 5 receptacle. Plugs and receptacles may be polarized to preserve the identity of the neutral conductor; the blade connected to neutral will be wider (5/16 inch) than the other, and polarized sockets will only accept a polarized plug in the correct orientation.
NEMA 2
All NEMA 2 devices are two-wire non-grounding devices rated for 250 V maximum. Although standards exist for 2–15, 2–20 and 2–30, this series is obsolete, and no such devices are currently manufactured. A 2–15P, if one could be found, would plug into a 6–15R or 6–20R (240 V), or a “T-slot” (120 V), with equal ease.
NEMA 5
5–20R T-slot receptacle mounted with the ground hole up. The neutral connection is the wider T-shaped slot on the lower right.All NEMA 5 devices are three-wire grounding devices rated for 125 V maximum, with the 5–15, 5–20 and 5–30 being grounded versions of the 1–15, 1–20 and 1–30, respectively. The addition is a 3/16 inch diameter round or U-shaped ground pin, 1/8 longer than the power blades and located 1/4 inch below them. (1/4 inch is edge-to-edge; 15/32 inch center-to-center.) The 20 A plug has the neutral blade rotated 90° and shifted so its inner edge is approximately 1/2 inch from the hot blade. The 5–20R receptacle may have a T-shaped neutral hole, to accept both 5–15P and 5–20P plugs. The 5–30 and 5–50 are uncommon, as twist-locking plugs are generally used for high-current applications. They are larger, with 1 inch between power pins.
The 5–15R is by far the most common electrical outlet in North America in buildings built since the mid-twentieth century. It is usually installed in a duplex configuration (which may be on a common circuit or with each receptacle on a separate circuit, sometimes switched).
The standard 5–15 (and its two prong counterpart) is sometimes called an “Edison plug” in the film and theatre industry, where it distinguishes it from more specialized theatrical connectors. This is perhaps a reference to the Consolidated Edison Company of New York, which supplies power to most New York theatres. In the photography industry, the 5-15 is known as a "Stinger."
NEMA 6
All NEMA 6 devices are three-wire grounding devices used for 208 V and 240 V circuits and rated for 250 V maximum, with the 6–15, 6–20 and 6–30 being grounded versions of the 2–15, 2–20 and 2–30, respectively. The 6-15 resembles the 5-15, but with collinear horizontal pins, spaced 23/32 inch center-to-center. The 20 A plug has the neutral blade rotated 90°, and the 6–20R receptacle may have a T-shaped neutral hole, to accept both 6–15P and 6–20P plugs. The 30 A plug and socket look similar to the 15 A one but larger. The higher-current versions are rare, with twist-locking plugs and direct wiring more common; generally 6–series non-locking plugs are used for such appliances as large room air conditioners, commercial kitchen equipment, and the occasional home arc welder.
NEMA 6 devices, while specified as 250 V, may be used |
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