11 Types of Electrical Outlets and How to Install Them

 As simple and as overlooked as an electrical outlet is it's actually the only way we can conveniently connect to the grid and either power or charge our appliances and devices. Power outlets used to be screw-based where the bulb you had would be directly screwed into the socket.

This changed with many years of refinement and the introduction of new materials and technologies which resulted in the outlets we have today. But this also made power outlets more complicated since there are now different types used in different countries. If you plan to travel to several regions you may need to bring adapters in order to prevent issues with your devices.

Types of Electrical Outlets

source: housedigest.com

3-Prong

A 3-prong outlet is one that accommodates a plug with three prongs on it, two on the top and one on the bottom. This is what Australian power plug points look like which are similar to ones used in the UK except the placement of the prongs is not quite the same and they are not as thin. 

240V

A 240V power outlet is the standard socket you see in all homes and commercial buildings. This 10-amp outlet is made to be used with your home's appliances such as refrigerators, laundry machines, dishwashers, mixers, blenders, computers, TVs and so on. 

415V

A 415V outlet is known as a 3-phase electrical power point which helps provide 3-phase power. This type of current and outlet are used by more demanding appliances like a stove or even industrial equipment as they need more power to work with in the first place. You just can't power these devices without the use of a 3-phase outlet.

GFCI

A ground fault circuit interrupter or GFCI outlet is one that can trip the circuit when it's overloaded or shorted. This happens as quickly as 1/40 of a second and you need to reset the trip of the outlet in order to use it again. Usually, there are buttons on it, one labelled “RESET” and “TEST”.

AFCI

Arc fault circuit interrupter or AFCI outlets help prevent potential fire hazards and faults that can create heat. AFCI outlets protect from what is known as arcing which is a process where electricity is transferred or “jumps” from one loose connection to another. This can also happen between different contact points in an electrical system or the wiring of the outlet.

Tamper-Resistant

Also known as childproof outlets, these come with a physical barrier built into them that prevents foreign objects from being inserted into where the prongs go. Only the shape of the prongs is able to go past the barrier. A tamper-resistant electrical power point is also able to prevent shock hazards during an attempt to insert a foreign object into it.

Weather-Resistant

As its name suggests a weather-resistant outlet is made to survive the rigours of the elements meaning it's an outdoor unit. That's thanks to the corrosion-resistant metal parts used to make one as well as the protective cover it comes with to prevent rain, dirt, and humidity from entering.

Switched

Electrical power points for sale that have a higher rating than 10 amps come made with switches on them and thus are known as switched outlets. This lets you control the use of the outlets and prevents unnecessary use and overloading your home's electrical installation for nothing.

Rotating

A rotating outlet has multiple sockets on it and all of them can turn around 360°. This lets you use bulky adapters on it without having one in the way of the other. Just turn the socket around and you're able to use the one next to it.

USB

As new outlets are introduced different devices can be plugged into them and the perfect example of this is a USB outlet. Alongside the 3 slots for the prongs, it comes with either one or multiple USB ports including the newest standard USB-C.

Smart

The improvement of electrical power points for sale goes beyond the implementation of USB ports as today there are smart power plug points. You can control this type of outlet through a smart assistant on your phone and make any non-smart device a smart one as the outlet comes with Wi-Fi connectivity as well as USB ports and slots for a power plug.

Installing an Electrical Outlet

1. To install a power outlet you need to first turn off the power in your home. Next, either pull out the current outlet first or place the new one in the hole in the wall where the wires are sticking out. With the electrical power point in place, connect the wires of the outlet with the ones in the wall by matching their colours.

2. Brown or red wires are live wires and they connect to the live pin with the same colour on the right side. The same goes for blue or black wires which connect to the neutral pin found on the left side.  The ground pin is in the middle and connects either to a yellow or green wire.

3. With the above done, secure the wires and put back the faceplate of the outlet. Turn the power on and test the outlet and you're done.