NEMA Connector - Color Code

Color Code

The color of a device neither identifies its voltage class nor power system. Because the colors are not regulated by national standards, the purpose of color-coding a receptacle is set by the building owner. In this case, building owners may select brown, ivory, white, almond, grey, and black receptacles in the 5–15 configuration to blend with the decor of a room.

However, while colors are not regulated by NEMA, some industries utilize colors for certain applications:

• Blue receptacles may indicate built-in surge suppressors.
• A red receptacle may indicate a special-service outlet such as one connected to an emergency standby power source.
• At least one manufacturer makes a yellow receptacle, which identifies it as corrosion-resistant.
• An orange receptacle in telecommunication or data center usage may indicate the receptacle or plate pair is on a dedicated circuit, and not shared with other receptacles. This information, along with receptacle type (often 5-20R, L5-20R or L5-30R in North America) may be used to determine how much equipment may safely be installed.
• A receptacle with a green dot is a so-called "hospital grade" device; such devices are tested to survive harder use than wiring devices intended for residential or commercial purposes.
• A receptacle with an orange triangle is an isolated ground device, where the grounding pin of the receptacle is connected to ground independently of the frame of the receptacle and wiring outlet box. The receptacle itself may be any color, though older common convention in the United States specified an orange receptacle rather than an orange triangle on the receptacle.