get interesting.
What Does the Third Hole Actually Do?
That little rounded opening isn’t decorative.
It’s the equipment grounding contact.
A grounded receptacle provides a connection to the equipment grounding conductor, which is an important part of the electrical safety system.
The grounding path can help carry fault current away from exposed metal parts of equipment and back through the electrical system, helping protective devices operate when a fault occurs.
That’s why modern grounded receptacles have three openings:
- A hot slot
- A neutral slot
- A grounding opening
The hot and
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