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PLUGS INTRODUCTION

Electrical devices occasionally require plug replacement. There are two types available: male and female. The male plugs have prongs; the female plugs have slots. The male plug may have two or three prongs: two flat ones and one U-shaped grounding plug. The latter is for protection. If there is an electrical malfunction involving errant current, it will take the path of least resistance -- through the ground prong and following the wire linked to the ground, rather than through your body.

Plugs, like other .electrical items, are rated to handle the current of a particular device. This appears on the nameplate in terms of amperage, usually where the wires disappear into the housing. Always get one to match. For example, the plug on an extension cord is almost always 15 amps and of a three-wire type. Replacement plugs for major appliance cords may be 20, 30, or 50 amps. Dryer plugs are rated for 30 amps, range plugs for 50 amps. This means that these plugs are designed to handle that current, but as a practical matter, the appliances will normally draw less current than those ratings. If the current exceeds the plug amperage, a fuse will blow or a circuit breaker will trip.

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