Does the color Red signify anything special in a 20 amp 120 V duplex outlet. Our local Habitat for Humanity Store has a lot of them for sale at a very good price. Could one use them for replacement outlets if needed or would that violate some wiring color code?
Red indicates that the outlet is connected to an emergency generator in the event of a power outage. You usually see them a lot in hospitals. Electrically they are the same as regular outlets. I'm not sure about code issues using them as regular outlets.
"Old_Boat" wrote on 26 Feb 2008 in group alt.home.repair:
At the company I used to work for, they indicated an isolated-ground circuit.
Those are orange.
s
I think they usually signify a circuit on a backup generator.
When I worked at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, I learned in commercial settings these are solely used to indicate emergency electrical power (usually a generator) in the event of a power outage. Ours at JHSPH were not only 110-15, but many higher voltage and amperage configurations, for the deep freezers in which decades' worth of study samples were kept. Imagine if BGE had one of its frequent power glitches and your freezer with blood samples and the like from the earliest days of studying AIDS suddenly couldn't maintain -135 degrees C!
In a residential setting I don't think it would matter if you used these outlets. The only issue I would see is someone coming in later - say if you sold the house - and getting confused.
And on a personal note, from the spouse of a Habitat Development Director, thanks for supporting a ReStore!
I don't think it's code, certainly not for residential purposes, possibly sector-specific like health care. For home use, I think color is personal choice. Certainly a lot of folks will assume you've got that circuit on backup power, but we know what happens when people assume,
BUT if they're 20A t-slots, code DOES restrict where you can use them. Certainly they should not be used on a 15A/14-ga circuit. I used to think code restricted them to *single-outlet* dedicated 20A/12-ga circuits, but have been told recently they're ok on multi-outlet 20A/
12-ga circuits. But for general purpose around-the-house replacements, be careful.(And I'd consult with the other residents. If some of the outlets around my house showed up bright red, I think I'd get complaints.)
Chip C Toronto
No problem, it is my favorite store!. On another note, the State Fire Marshal inspector was in my shop today doing his inspection, so I asked him about the red outlets. He did say that they are usually for emergency power, but there is no problem using them for regular outlets in a home. So in that case, guess I will have a Scarlet and gray OSU motif in my workshop! Red Outlets with Gray covers!
OSU would require a black and orange motif in my neck of the woods!
I have one outlet that is half red and half green. It's just used for holiday lights.
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