One of the more obscure, but interesting, changes to the 2014 NEC that Washington State has adopted and goes into effect July 1st, is the requirement for receptacles that are controlled by dimmer switches to be a special type of receptacle. These new receptacles will not allow plugging something into them that cannot or should not be.
Obviously the lamp that plugs into them will require a special plug that goes with the receptacle.
When I first heard about these, I really wanted to see what they looked like. All the bigger electrical supply houses in Seattle that I have checked, as well as the big box stores, looked at me as if I had landed from Mars or something.
Manufacturers have them up on their website and the following picture is from the Lutron site for all of you, like me, that have yet to see one on this planet.
I probably will start to see them soon, now that the 2014 NEC is going into effect.
Perhaps the electrical supply houses are about to find out what they are—and they will no longer look at me as if I am from Mars.
Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle
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2014 NEC. HA! We are along way from that one here 🙂
So if you buy a new lamp that is dimmable, you should also change your outlet?
No, these are for lamps that are dimmed by the switch—not on the light itself.
Perhaps you are from Mars?
Probably 🙂