Red wire is also commonly used as the 'switch leg' (the wire that's 'Hot' when the switch is on) For what it's worth the most common arrangement where I am is that the whole Receptacle is switched.
The description given seems a little confusing to me, (red and white wires are jumpered??) but it sounds like something may be miswired. Dave, I have never heard of a code requirement that specifies orientation of a Receptacle, Metal plate or not. Is this a local amendment? Bill Addiss At 01:40 PM 12/1/2005, Dave Osborn wrote: >Hello Robert, > >Fat fingers not withstanding, ground up is considered safer and is a code >requirement when metal faceplates are used. > >Consider what happens if the faceplate screw is loose and the metal >faceplate slides down toward the pins and the hot pins are up. > >You would much prefer the faceplate to contact the ground conductor. > >As for the red wire, it is also commonly used as the alternate hot >conductor with 3-way switches. > >Best regards, > >Dave Osborn >PM-CMS >Philips Medical Systems >PMS-158 3178 >+1 978 659 3178 >fax +1 978 685 5624 >[email protected] > > > > > > To > "Stone, Richard" > <[email protected]> > "Robert A. Macy" cc > <[email protected] [email protected] > > Subject > Re: home outlet wiring > Sent by: Classification > [email protected] > > 12/01/2005 12:51 PM > > > > > > > > >It is my understanding that the RED wire is usually >reserved for the opposite phase of 110Vac of the black >wire. For wiring 220V outlets, etc. > >I've never seen red used as a neutral except in "home" >wiring. > >To bring back to more onto safety topic: > >I've only seen 1/2 a single outlet wired to a wall switch >in residential rooms. That outlet, to differentiate it >from all the normally powered outlets, is mounted upside >down. That is, with the ground at the top. > >My comment is: >Great, makes it easy to find which outlet it is, but isn't >it dangerous since your fingers can slip down around the >plug and pick up HOT wires instead of the GROUND wire? > Yes, I know fat fingers, but still if you've done it once, >It's enough to convince you of the wisdom of having the >GROUND pin at the bottom. > > - Robert - > >On Thu, 1 Dec 2005 11:39:39 -0500 > "Stone, Richard" <[email protected]> wrote: > > hello group, > > > > Regarding typical USA outlets on the walls, I have seen > > an outlet that has: > > 1. frame ground > > 2. white wire-neutral > > 3. red wire-? > > 4. black wire-hot > > > > what is the purpose of the red wire? > > on the outlet in question, the red and white wires are > > jumpered in the back of the outlet. > > > > in the room, the wall switch turns off both top and > > bottom outlets, normally a wall switch only > > affects either the top OR bottom outlet,not both. Also > > all 4 outlets in the room are controlled by the one > > switch > > is the red wire some time of connection between outlets > > only and not fed back to the breaker box? that's my > > thought. > > any ideas on this? > > > > thanks > > Richard, > > > >- >---------------------------------------------------------------- >This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society >emc-pstc discussion list. Website: http://www.ieee-pses.org/ > >To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to [email protected] > >Instructions: http://listserv.ieee.org/request/user-guide.html > >List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html > >For help, send mail to the list administrators: > > Scott Douglas [email protected] > Mike Cantwell [email protected] > >For policy questions, send mail to: > > Jim Bacher: [email protected] > David Heald: [email protected] > >All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: > > http://www.ieeecommunities.org/emc-pstc > >- >---------------------------------------------------------------- >This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society >emc-pstc discussion list. Website: http://www.ieee-pses.org/ > >To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to [email protected] > >Instructions: http://listserv.ieee.org/request/user-guide.html > >List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html > >For help, send mail to the list administrators: > > Scott Douglas [email protected] > Mike Cantwell [email protected] > >For policy questions, send mail to: > > Jim Bacher: [email protected] > David Heald: [email protected] > >All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: > > http://www.ieeecommunities.org/emc-pstc >This E-mail scanned for viruses by RAVES(ReadyConnect.Net Anti-Virus >EMail System) Bill Addiss Electrical Safety Forum http://www.Electrical-Safety.com - This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society emc-pstc discussion list. Website: http://www.ieee-pses.org/ To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to [email protected] Instructions: http://listserv.ieee.org/request/user-guide.html List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html For help, send mail to the list administrators: Scott Douglas [email protected] Mike Cantwell [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Jim Bacher: [email protected] David Heald: [email protected] All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.ieeecommunities.org/emc-pstc
