Outlet Symbol
Definition: The Outlet symbol (also called a receptacle or socket symbol) represents a fixed electrical socket mounted in a wall, panel, or floor box — drawn as a circle with two or three slot lines inside (or as a standardised arc-and-slot glyph in architectural wiring diagrams) — that provides a mains AC power connection point for plug-in loads, as defined in ANSI/IEEE 315 and referenced in NEC (NFPA 70) electrical plan symbols; the outlet symbol exposes a Hot terminal and a Neutral terminal in its two-pin form.
Also known as: outlet symbol, receptacle symbol, power socket symbol, wall socket symbol, mains outlet symbol, plug socket symbol, electrical receptacle symbol, power point symbol.
What the Outlet symbol means
The Outlet symbol on an electrical floor plan or wiring diagram marks the location where a fixed mains-voltage AC socket is installed, providing a convenient connection point for portable plug-in appliances and equipment. The symbol conveys both the physical location of the outlet on the building's wiring layout and the circuit it belongs to — typically indicated by a circuit number or home-run arrow leading back to the distribution board. In residential and commercial electrical drawings, outlet symbols are annotated to convey special attributes: duplex (two sockets), GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter protection), 20-ampere rated, 240 V, weatherproof, or tamper-resistant, each indicated by a letter suffix or modifier adjacent to the symbol.
Outlet symbols appear on architectural electrical plans (floor plans showing building wiring layout) rather than on electronic schematics; their purpose is to communicate installation locations to electricians and inspectors. In the two-terminal version of the symbol, the Hot terminal carries the live (line) conductor and the Neutral terminal carries the return conductor; a third terminal (earth/ground) is present in grounded outlets but may be shown as a separate ground symbol or incorporated into a three-slot glyph. The outlet symbol does not appear in electronic circuit schematics — those drawings use a power-supply connector or terminal symbol instead.
How to identify the Outlet symbol
In standard US architectural electrical plan notation (widely referenced in ANSI/IEEE 315 and NEC-based drawings), the outlet symbol is drawn as a circle with two short parallel lines (representing the live and neutral slots) extending from the circle's centre or right edge — sometimes rendered as the letter 'O' with two lines. In the drawing tool's SVG implementation, the symbol is a circle with two vertical slot-line marks inside the upper half and a curved arc at the bottom representing the ground opening of a three-prong socket. Terminal lines extend vertically: Hot from the top and Neutral from the bottom of the symbol bounding box. The symbol is recognisable by its circular outline combined with the internal slot markings — contrasting with a light-fixture symbol (circle with cross) or a switch symbol (an arc with a line).
Function in a circuit
An outlet (receptacle) provides a standardised mains-voltage AC connection point permanently wired into a building's electrical distribution system. It allows portable devices to be connected and disconnected without modifying the fixed wiring. The Hot terminal delivers the live supply voltage (120 V AC at 60 Hz in North America; 230 V AC at 50 Hz in most of the rest of the world) and the Neutral terminal provides the return path. A GFCI outlet additionally monitors the differential current between Hot and Neutral and trips within 25 ms if leakage current exceeds approximately 4–6 mA, providing shock protection in wet or outdoor locations as required by NFPA 70 (NEC) Article 210.8.
Standards: IEC vs ANSI
| IEC 60617 | IEC 60617 does not define an architectural floor-plan outlet symbol; it defines connector and socket-outlet symbols (IEC 60617-08) for electronic schematic diagrams. The socket-outlet symbol in IEC 60617-08 is a circle with a horizontal line through the diameter. IEC 60884 covers the dimensional and performance requirements for the physical plug and socket hardware. |
|---|---|
| ANSI/IEEE 315 | ANSI Y32.2-1975 (R1989) / IEEE 315-1975, section 9, defines electrical plan symbols including the outlet/receptacle symbol as a circle with two short lines. NEC (NFPA 70) and ANSI/NEMA WD 6 govern the electrical performance and grounding requirements. Common plan modifiers: 'GFI' or 'GFCI' for ground-fault protection, '20A' for 20-ampere circuits, 'WP' for weatherproof, 'TR' for tamper-resistant. |
| Key difference | IEC 60617-08 defines a connector/socket symbol for electronic schematics (a circle bisected by a horizontal line). ANSI Y32.2 and NEC electrical plan notation use a circle with two short parallel slot lines for an outlet on floor plans. The two symbol sets serve different drawing types — electronic schematics (IEC) versus architectural wiring plans (ANSI/NEC) — and should not be confused or mixed on the same drawing. |
Terminals / pins
| Pin | Name |
|---|---|
| hot | Hot |
| neutral | Neutral |
Typical values
North America: 120 V AC / 60 Hz, standard 15 A (NEMA 5-15R) or 20 A (NEMA 5-20R) receptacles. 240 V outlets: 20 A, 30 A, 50 A for appliances (dryers, ranges, EV chargers). Europe/international: 230 V AC / 50 Hz, 10 A–16 A (Schuko, Type G, Type F). GFCI trip threshold: 4–6 mA differential current, trip time ≤ 25 ms per UL 943.
Where the Outlet symbol is used
- Residential wiring plans — duplex outlet symbols on floor plans showing placement of 120 V AC wall receptacles in kitchens, bedrooms, and living areas per NEC spacing requirements
- Kitchen and bathroom circuits — GFCI outlet symbols (circle with 'GFI' annotation) within 1.8 m (6 ft) of water sources as required by NEC Article 210.8
- Outdoor and weatherproof installations — outlet symbol with 'WP' annotation for exterior-mounted, in-use-cover-protected receptacles
- Workshop and garage wiring plans — 240 V outlet symbols (NEMA 14-30 or 14-50) for EV charging stations, welders, and air compressors
- Commercial electrical plans — high-density outlet clusters on office floor plans for workstation power, showing circuit home-runs to the distribution panel
- Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) diagrams — outlet symbols used to indicate the connected load sockets on the output side of a UPS unit
- Floor box and underfloor wiring plans — circular outlet symbols placed within floor box icons for open-plan offices and conference rooms
Example
In a residential kitchen electrical plan, a duplex outlet symbol (circle with two slot lines) is placed on the counter-top wall every 1.2 m (4 ft) as required by NEC Article 210.52; GFCI outlet symbols annotated 'GFI' replace the standard symbols within 1.8 m of the sink, and a circuit home-run arrow from each cluster points back to the 20 A breaker in the panel schedule, demonstrating how the outlet symbol communicates both location and circuit assignment to the installing electrician.
Key facts
- The Outlet symbol in architectural electrical plans is drawn as a circle with two short parallel lines (slot marks) representing the live and neutral openings of the receptacle face.
- The outlet symbol has two primary terminals: Hot (live, line conductor) and Neutral (return conductor); grounded outlets have a third earth/ground terminal, shown as a U-shaped slot or a separate ground symbol.
- ANSI Y32.2 / IEEE 315 and NEC (NFPA 70) govern outlet symbols on US electrical floor plans; IEC 60617-08 defines a separate socket-outlet symbol for electronic schematics — the two symbol sets are not interchangeable.
- Common plan modifiers added to the outlet symbol: GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter), WP (weatherproof), 20A (20-ampere rated), 240V, TR (tamper-resistant), IG (isolated ground).
- NEC Article 210.8 requires GFCI protection for outlets in bathrooms, kitchens within 1.8 m of a sink, garages, outdoor areas, crawl spaces, unfinished basements, and boathouses.
- Standard North American residential outlet voltage is 120 V AC at 60 Hz; standard European/international outlet voltage is 230 V AC at 50 Hz.
- A duplex outlet (two receptacles in one yoke) is the most common residential symbol; a simplex outlet (one receptacle) or a quad outlet (four receptacles) are shown with the same base symbol plus a multiplier annotation.
Diagrams that use this symbol
- circuit diagram
- and circuit diagram
- wiring diagram
- writing diagram
- house wiring diagram
- house electrical wiring diagram
- home wiring diagram
- home electrical wiring diagram
Frequently asked questions
What does the outlet symbol look like on an electrical plan?
On an architectural electrical floor plan (ANSI/NEC convention), the outlet symbol is a circle with two short parallel lines extending from its interior, representing the slot openings of the receptacle face. The circle may have terminal lines projecting vertically — Hot at the top and Neutral at the bottom. A GFCI outlet adds the letters 'GFI' beside the circle; a weatherproof outlet adds 'WP'.
What does the outlet symbol mean in a wiring diagram?
The outlet symbol marks the installed location of a fixed mains-voltage AC socket (receptacle) to which portable plug-in loads can be connected. It shows the electrician where to install the socket box, which circuit the outlet is on (via a home-run arrow or circuit number), and whether special protection (GFCI, AFCI) or a special voltage (240 V) is required.
What is the difference between the Hot and Neutral terminals on an outlet symbol?
The Hot terminal (pin id 'hot') carries the live supply voltage — 120 V AC in North America, 230 V AC in Europe — and corresponds to the smaller slot of a NEMA 5-15R receptacle. The Neutral terminal (pin id 'neutral') is the return path connected to the neutral bar in the distribution panel and corresponds to the larger slot. The Hot conductor is typically black (North America) or brown (IEC colour code); the Neutral conductor is white (North America) or blue (IEC).
What does GFCI mean on an outlet symbol?
GFCI stands for Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter. An outlet symbol annotated 'GFI' or 'GFCI' indicates a receptacle with built-in ground-fault protection that monitors the difference in current between the Hot and Neutral conductors and trips within 25 ms if leakage exceeds approximately 4–6 mA. NEC Article 210.8 mandates GFCI protection for outlets in wet or outdoor locations including bathrooms, kitchens within 1.8 m of a sink, garages, and outdoor areas.
What standard defines the outlet symbol?
In North American electrical practice, outlet symbols on floor plans are governed by ANSI Y32.2-1975 (R1989) / IEEE 315-1975 (section 9) and by NEC (NFPA 70) drawing conventions. IEC 60617-08 defines a different socket-outlet symbol used in electronic circuit schematics. The two conventions serve different drawing types and should not be mixed.
What is the typical voltage and amperage of an outlet?
In North America, standard outlets are rated 120 V AC / 15 A (NEMA 5-15R) or 120 V AC / 20 A (NEMA 5-20R). High-power appliance outlets are 240 V / 30 A (NEMA 14-30R, used for electric dryers) or 240 V / 50 A (NEMA 14-50R, used for EV chargers and electric ranges). In Europe and most of the world, standard outlets are 230 V AC / 10–16 A.
How is a duplex outlet symbol different from a simplex outlet symbol?
A duplex outlet symbol (two receptacles on one yoke) is the same circle-with-slot-lines symbol as a simplex outlet but annotated with a '2' or drawn with two sets of slot lines inside the circle. A simplex outlet has a single set of slots. In practice, most residential outlets shown on US floor plans are duplex receptacles unless annotated otherwise; the bare circle-with-lines symbol defaults to duplex in most NEC-based drawing conventions.
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