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When commercial electric power was first introduced in the 1880s, it was used primarily for lighting. Other portable appliances (such as vacuum cleaners, electric fans, smoothing irons, and curling-tong heaters) were connected to light-bulb sockets. As early as 1885 a two-pin plug and wall socket format was available on the British market.
NEMA 1-15P (two-pole, no ground) and NEMA 5-15P (two-pole with ground pin) plugs are used on common domestic electrical equipment, and NEMA 5-15R is the standard 15-ampere electric receptacle (outlet) found in the United States, and under relevant national standards, in Canada (CSA C22.2 No. 42 [1]), Mexico (NMX-J-163-ANCE) and Japan (JIS C 8303).
BS 546, Two-pole and earthing-pin plugs, socket-outlets and socket-outlet adaptors for AC (50–60 Hz) circuits up to 250 V is an older British Standard for three-pin AC power plugs and sockets. Originally published in April 1934, it was updated by a 1950 edition which is still current, [1] with eight amendments up to 1999. BS 546 is also the ...
An outlet is defined by the NEC as "a point in the wiring system at which current is taken to utilization equipment". [1] This definition includes receptacles, lighting, motors, etc. Ordinary switches control but do not consume electricity, and therefore are not defined as outlets in this sense.
When a generic power outlet was desired, the wiring could run directly into the junction box through a tube of protective loom and a ceramic bushing. Wiring devices such as light switches, receptacle outlets, and lamp sockets were either surface-mounted, suspended, or flush-mounted within walls and ceilings.
During the first 50 years of commercial use of electric power, standards developed rapidly based on growing experience. Technical, safety, and economic factors influenced the development of all wiring devices and numerous varieties were invented. After the two-prong electric plug was introduced in the 1920s, the three-pin outlet was developed.