Why can we still purchase non code complyinjg electrical equipment?

One of my students found this in a well known hardware store near the red rocks!

[This message has been edited by Joe Tedesco (edited 08-01-2002).]

Joe,

What is non-compliant about that twist-lock plug?

I'm guessing here that it's not a deadfront type as that looks like a removeable front covering the terminals. Or am I way off base?

pauluk:

Yes, you are correct, its not "(dead-front construction.)"

See 406.6(A)

Paul:
Looks like there is no ground.
Brass/brass are "hots"
Silver is "neutral"
Where's the ground???
It's usually longer too, first make/last break.

Joe: Did you find this recently??
HotLine1
John

one really needs consider such equipment bearing a UL label, yet being 'uncompliant'.

case in point, what is this gem listed for?

Sparky:
Let's see, 120 volt (H-N-G)
240 volt (H-H-G)
277 VOLT (H-H-G)
480 VOLT (H-H-H)
480 VOLT SINGLE PHASE (H-H-G)
120/240 (H-H-N)
120/208 (H-H-N)
208 3 PHASE (H-H-H)
or any other combo an enterprising person may get from 3 prongs
Ground?? who needs it!
How many times have we heard this.

HotLine1
John

You are allowed to replace "old" with "same." That's why you can still find these things.
We haven't had NEMA standards for plug patterns for all that long, and the code doesn't require the use of NEMA patterns. Besides these older styles, there are a number of proprietary styles out there. Many of these styles carry multiple listings for different "flavors" of electricity.

Aside from the fishpaper ‘dead front,' I believe that is/was termed a NEMA 15-ampere 125/250-volt “3-pole, 3-wire” non-grounding device. [Ref: old Hubbell catalog. Hub listed them as “replacement only.”]

At the risk of criticism here, they used to be cheap and plentiful as surplus leftovers, such that they made great, ‘noninterchangeable’ semi-industrial speaker connectors {along with fished 12/3G romex} in buildings where no other locking wiring devices existed.

Note that in some areas, the 20-amp version was used on construction sites for 120 AND/OR 240V power tools. Yup, you had to pay close attention to with cord you plugged your trusty Y-adapter into.





[This message has been edited by Bjarney (edited 08-28-2002).]