I have an old box that includes 2 standard 2-prong outlets on the right side and a very odd 2-prong outlet on the left. The odd one has a horizontal prong slot on the bottom middle and then a diagonal prong slot on the upper right - between the top and bottom of the plug is an area that looks kind of like a triangle (not a slot just pressed into the face of the plug design).


The outlet slots are contained in a typical rounded outlet shape. I have no clue what this is. Anyone know? Thank you!!!!

 

Post a photo so we can have a better understanding.

 

Just a guess if this is a normal home, it's probably a special outlet for an old window air conditioner. Does it match any of the designs on this chart?

NEMA Plug & Receptacle Configurations Reference Chart (Straight Blade)

 

I was going to but the Insert Image icon asks for a "URL" and it's not a pic on the web.

 

I've looked at the configuration pictures here: NEMA Plug & Receptacle Configurations Reference Chart (Straight Blade) and none of them are exactly what I have. The home was built in the 1940s so it is probably an outlet for an air conditioner or something but it's useless to me. Anyone know what the voltage might be for something like that?

 

http://forum.doityourself.com/electr...your-post.html

 

sounds like 277, but why that would be in a dwelling puzzles me.

 

Possibly, but if it were a 277 volt outlet it most likely would be in the NEMA chart. It could also be a non-NEMA outlet configured to match an appliance plug of the day such as an electric iron. I'd like to see a picture of it.

 

Well if it is in a bathroom I have a guess but I thought shaver receptacles were just regular parallel blades.

 

Is this in a spot where one might put a TV (or radio)? From the description (horizontal prong at the bottom, diagonal prong at the top with a triangle/wedge in the middle), might be something like what I found in my mom's 1939 house - radio antenna jacks..

 

OK - here's the pic.....

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]N03/5406837308/''
I hope that works.

Old Outlet | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

How did you get the picture embedded in your post?? I don't see an icon for EMBEDDING, just URL.

 

You just put [¡mg][/¡mg] around the entire link to embed the pic. Clicking the button then entering the entire link in the box will do this automatically for you.




That said, that is in fact an old-tymie antenna jack just like the one I posted (but probably just a different brand). It says "AERIAL" at the bottom, and there's probably a brand name under the blob of paint at the top.. There SHOULDN'T be any power connected to it (there may even be only one wire on it), but I would definitely test it before touching it (you'd be surprised at the kooky crap people do with wiring). By today's codes, there should also be a box divider between the two devices. I doubt it was used back then, so just be careful when removing it. Best to turn off the power supplying the outlet.

 

THANK YOU!! It was hard to read the letters but I'm pretty sure you are right....