Tamper Resitant Outlets
There are many types of specialty electrical outlets, but tamper resistant receptacles are becoming more and more popular. Now you’ve all seen these things before:
It’s a little piece of plastic that goes into a receptacle so children cannot put anything in there. We are all very familiar with these things. They are so effective at making sure nobody can put anything in there that we’ve all broken fingers trying to remove these things.
So, yes, they work but they’re so effective they are a real pain to use. So there is another receptacle which is made by Leviton, the difference is that this is a tamper resistant receptacle. The difference is, it says TR on the front. And what that means, is that you can’t jam any unauthorized stuff in there. I do not recommend trying this, but for instance, let's say I have a screwdriver. On a typical outlet you can put the screwdriver right in the outlet. However on the tamper resistant outlet, the screwdriver does not actually fit. The way it works is, there is a piece of plastic that prevents anything foreign from fitting in the outlet. And that piece of plastic moves automatically if you have equal pressure on both sides. For instance, with a regular cord, it goes in there, no problem.
Currently, Connecticut uses the 2005 version of the National Electric Code book, which does not require the use of tamper resistant outlets. However, as soon as the state adopts a newer code book, these tamper resistant outlets will be required in new construction homes and in renovations. As a electrician, I frequently install these type of outlets in homes with children or pets. For more information, please talk to a licensed electrician in your area about installing these outlets around your home.
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