Odd outlet in mobile home.

[Tobias Lowder]

Hello!

I came across this odd-looking electrical outlet in a couple rooms in a mobile home I inspected yesterday (located in Santa Clarita, CA)...I have no idea what it is. There is current to it; the only reason I am concerned about it is that one of them is on the wall approximately 2 feet above the bathtub, and I have no easy way that I can think of to test whether or not it is on the GFCI-protected circuit (there's a GFCI breaker in the main panel that handles other GFCI-protected outlets). There's another one on the wall near the ceiling in the master bedroom.

Any ideas what this outlet is? I researched via google, and the only thing that came close (but not matched) was an "NEMA 20 or 30 amp" outlet...but those outlets have a little cut out from one of the holes that extends toward the center...which the ones I found do not.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

- Tobias

[Jerry Peck]

It's a twist-lock receptacle, special twist-lock plugs are required for it.

Not sure why those would be inside a mobile home, unless someone put them there for window shaker a/c units and used the matching plugs so those receptacles would not be used for some other use.

[Tobias Lowder]

It's a twist-lock receptacle, special twist-lock plugs are required for it.

Not sure why those would be inside a mobile home, unless someone put them there for window shaker a/c units and used the matching plugs so those receptacles would not be used for some other use.

Interesting! Well, that certainly answers my question, thanks a bunch :)

[Jack Feldmann]

Did you check to see: 1. If it was HIOT, and 2. if it was 120 or 240?

[Robert Meier]

Hard to tell from the photo but it was probably one of the twist locks from this NEMA standards chart:

https://www.stayonline.com/reference-nema-locking.aspx

[Tobias Lowder]

Did you check to see: 1. If it was HIOT, and 2. if it was 120 or 240?

1) I'm going to assume you mean HOT (since I'm not familiar with the HIOT acronym) :) And yes, it was hot.

2) There was a small stamp around the edge that was very hard to read...looked like a volt/amp range. The last set said "250v 10a". I was ill equipped to measure the voltage myself.

[Tobias Lowder]

Hard to tell from the photo but it was probably one of the twist locks from this NEMA standards chart:

https://www.stayonline.com/reference-nema-locking.aspx

I thought so as well from my research, but I failed to find one that looks anything like the ones in question. However, the chart you referenced DOES have a number of them that look very similar. Thanks!

[Jack Feldmann]

You don't carry a voltage tester?
You could have tripped the GFCI breaker and checked the outlet to see if it went off.

[Tobias Lowder]

You don't carry a voltage tester?
You could have tripped the GFCI breaker and checked the outlet to see if it went off.

I agree, in hindsight I could have tripped it and then checked. D'oh!

No, my tester was left behind at a prior inspection and I have yet to pick up another. Probably should do that soon, heh.

[Garry Blankenship]

If you have a "wiggy", VOM or neon tester, ( any voltage tester w/ leads on it ), you can test them for voltage, ( 120, 240 or both ). In that process any GFI protection would trip. Hopefully here-in is a NEMA chart link for such outlets.

NEMA Plug and Receptacle Chart (http://www.generatorjoe.net/html/nemaplugs.html)

Your outlets look like either "L5-20R" or "L5-30R". Both are 120 volt; one 20 amp the other 30 amp. "R" = receptacle, "P" = Plug or cord cap, "L" = locking or twist lock. The only reason I can think of for them would be power for medical life support equip, ( oxygen ? ). The twist lock configuration insures that a space heater of whatever cannot be plugged into that circuit and trip it off. I installed one of these in the outlet where our TV was plugged in and kept the adapter w/ me to keep my kids from watching too much TV.

[Jerry Peck]

NEMA Plug and Receptacle Chart (http://www.generatorjoe.net/html/nemaplugs.html)

Your outlets look like either "L5-20R" or "L5-30R".

I'm thinking it looks similar to (closest to) an L5-15R, however, Tobias said that it was marked "250v 10a", which would indicate it is a 10 amp version. Possibly a no longer used configuration as it is only rated for 10 amps?

[Rollie Meyers]

It's a twist-lock receptacle, special twist-lock plugs are required for it.

Not sure why those would be inside a mobile home, unless someone put them there for window shaker a/c units and used the matching plugs so those receptacles would not be used for some other use.


It is NOT a "twist-lock" receptacle, it is a locking receptacle as it was made by Bryant & not Hubbell, Twist Lock® is a registered trademark of Hubbell Inc. . Bryant was sold to Hubbell by Westinghouse, but that is irrelevent. :D

Just had to call you on that, all in good fun.:p

Would be interesting to hear the story behind those receptacles....

[Jerry Peck]

It is NOT a "twist-lock" receptacle, it is a locking receptacle as it was made by Bryant & not Hubbell, Twist Lock® is a registered trademark of Hubbell Inc. . Bryant was sold to Hubbell by Westinghouse, but that is irrelevent. :D

Just had to call you on that, all in good fun.:p

Okay ... I deserved that as I make it a point to use "NM cable" and not "Romex® " for that very reason. When I typed twist-lock I originally typed it as Twist-Lock, then changed to not using capital letters as it was registered with the capital letters, but --- I should have said 'locking type'.

By the way, "Twist Lock®" is incorrect ... :p ... "Twist-Lock®" is correct. :)

[William Cline]

Looks like a very old style of locking plug/recepticle. 10Amp configuration a give away, also lack of lug turned either in or out. Older styles used a elongated prong that would only fit in one of the slots thereby giving a polarized type on connection. Reminds me of plugs used on "portable" coil type heaters, 220V and usually with braid covered rubber insulated cords. Very dangerous.

[Rich Goeken]

You don't carry a voltage tester?
You could have tripped the GFCI breaker and checked the outlet to see if it went off.

Jack, that type of locking outlet is normally not protected by a GFCI breaker, it usually is a dedicated circuit for some kind of heavy equipment that does not want its plug pulled out. Did you see any 220-240 VAC breakers in the service panel that were not accounted for equipment wise (Stove, AC unit, Water Heater, ???)?

I wouldn't be so cavalier in saying ".....trip the breaker..." as that is all someone will see----and short something out to see which breaker it is. Watched that happen once. Someone was replacing pan heaters in a emergency generator and decided that he didn't want to walk to the service panel to open the circuit--he would just trip the breaker. Well, that caused some kind of a feed back surge (big one), killing the building UPS----took 3 hours to get everything sorted out and back on-line. A big $$$ for him after the smoke cleared! :D

[Rich Goeken]

I installed one of these in the outlet where our TV was plugged in and kept the adapter w/ me to keep my kids from watching too much TV.

Boy are you a spoil-sport. Gives new meaning to "No TV Tonight!":D