Mystery plug in our house — What country is this from?
August 5, 2023 10:24 AM Subscribe
Our built-in microwave broke and was not repairable. It was in there when we bought the house and no idea where it was purchased. This is what it was plugged into. It does not look like any international plug I could find on the internet. What its it?
At work and can't link, but if you google Leviton 5651, is that what you have?
posted by Night_owl at 10:45 AM on August 5, 2023
posted by Night_owl at 10:45 AM on August 5, 2023
If this us the US, it's probably a NEMA 6-15 plug, which is as mentioned above - 15A / 240V. So it's from the US, just one of the lesser used plugs. From the text, "6-15 standard 15A 240 volt household outlet, found in homes and motels for running in-wall Air Conditioners." You can probably get an appliance cord for nearly any 240V microwave, but I'd want to test the plug first with a multimeter to make sure it's actually 240 and not some mis-wired 120V.
posted by true at 10:47 AM on August 5, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by true at 10:47 AM on August 5, 2023 [8 favorites]
It's not necessarily international. I'm pretty sure from the photo it's just a less-used NEMA plug, 6-15R or 6-30R (6-xx is the configuration, R for receptacle). In theory that's for 250v, so it's possible your microwave took higher-voltage power. The microwave might have an information placard on the back (I'd look for a number of volts, like 110/120V or 220V, etc).
This is getting into Call An Electrician territory for me.
On preview: Exactly what True said. If you feel comfortable testing with a meter, you could do that, but I feel like if you're asking this question you may not be? There's no shame either way, though I'd err on the side of caution since mains voltages are involved.
posted by Alterscape at 10:49 AM on August 5, 2023 [2 favorites]
This is getting into Call An Electrician territory for me.
On preview: Exactly what True said. If you feel comfortable testing with a meter, you could do that, but I feel like if you're asking this question you may not be? There's no shame either way, though I'd err on the side of caution since mains voltages are involved.
posted by Alterscape at 10:49 AM on August 5, 2023 [2 favorites]
Your profile indicates Toronto residency, I live in the States, ymmv.
Before playing money to an electrician, the approach I would take is to call our local, family owned appliance store (not a Big Box shop) and say:
"Hey, my built in microwave died, but I just found out that the outlet its plugged into is what my internet friend called a 'flat or 90 degree plug'. Do you know what I'm talking about, are those common? Do you stock anything that might work, without an adapter?"
posted by enfa at 11:46 AM on August 5, 2023 [1 favorite]
Before playing money to an electrician, the approach I would take is to call our local, family owned appliance store (not a Big Box shop) and say:
"Hey, my built in microwave died, but I just found out that the outlet its plugged into is what my internet friend called a 'flat or 90 degree plug'. Do you know what I'm talking about, are those common? Do you stock anything that might work, without an adapter?"
posted by enfa at 11:46 AM on August 5, 2023 [1 favorite]
Just to note it might well be cheaper (but more of a pain in the ass) to have someone rewire the plug to a standard 15A/120v receptacle and buy a regular ol' microwave that fits in the oven hole than to buy another 240v microwave.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 1:15 PM on August 5, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 1:15 PM on August 5, 2023 [5 favorites]
As noted above, that is a NEMA 6-15 outlet for 240 appliances. First, that means your device was 240 and therefore much more powerful and expensive than I regular one. It was possibly a multi role convection oven, which are often 240. A fancy microwave only from GE that’s 240v is like 4 grand so if it’s not a multi role unit I would strongly encourage you to consider a repair, although it would cost more than a Walmart cheapo.
Second, even if the device is a lost cause I would still keep the outlet 240 and replace the unit with a multi role 240v machine. As I upgrade (replace my gas range) I am going with appliances that are 240. If necessary I would add a 120 line, but I would absolutely keep an 240 line to the kitchen. You can verify that it is 240 by looking at your breaker box - a 240 line in a domestic unit will be a ‘bonded pair’ so it will take up 2 slots. And labeled as such, but that printing is small.
Third, it is common in Canada for folks from abroad to strongly resent the under powered 120 appliances and just bring their gear over and plug it into a 240 outlet. I’ve seen both a fancy English tea kettle and just a totally regular UK toaster just plugged into a 240 receptacles. I’ll note that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. But it’s hard to argue with how fast these can boil water or make rice. So it the brand looks unfamiliar I would check what the other large appliances are running on. That’s a separate issue.
posted by zenon at 2:24 PM on August 5, 2023
Second, even if the device is a lost cause I would still keep the outlet 240 and replace the unit with a multi role 240v machine. As I upgrade (replace my gas range) I am going with appliances that are 240. If necessary I would add a 120 line, but I would absolutely keep an 240 line to the kitchen. You can verify that it is 240 by looking at your breaker box - a 240 line in a domestic unit will be a ‘bonded pair’ so it will take up 2 slots. And labeled as such, but that printing is small.
Third, it is common in Canada for folks from abroad to strongly resent the under powered 120 appliances and just bring their gear over and plug it into a 240 outlet. I’ve seen both a fancy English tea kettle and just a totally regular UK toaster just plugged into a 240 receptacles. I’ll note that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. But it’s hard to argue with how fast these can boil water or make rice. So it the brand looks unfamiliar I would check what the other large appliances are running on. That’s a separate issue.
posted by zenon at 2:24 PM on August 5, 2023
One note on possibly rewiring it - NEMA 6-15 is Hot/Hot/Ground. Many 240V outlets don't have a neutral since the two hot legs are on opposite phases, so unless there's a neutral in the box you can't replace it with a regular 120V outlet without changing the wiring back to the panel.
For detail - In order of expense for an electrician for switching it to 120, depending on what they find you'd have: (1) There's a neutral wire in the box (trivial), (2) it's a dedicated circuit that only feeds this outlet (will require a bit of rewiring in the main panel), (3) it's a shared circuit (you'd need to pull a new wire to the outlet).
posted by true at 2:38 PM on August 5, 2023
For detail - In order of expense for an electrician for switching it to 120, depending on what they find you'd have: (1) There's a neutral wire in the box (trivial), (2) it's a dedicated circuit that only feeds this outlet (will require a bit of rewiring in the main panel), (3) it's a shared circuit (you'd need to pull a new wire to the outlet).
posted by true at 2:38 PM on August 5, 2023
Barring some handyman special 99% this is a dedicated circuit. If you don't want to get a replacement 240 microwave changing the receptacle and switching the voltage feed in your panel will probably be 20 minutes work for an electrician.
The other 1% is someone reconfigured a multi wire branch circuit (ie two hots and a neutral in the box) to a 240v receptacle. If so good news, that will only take ten minutes to replace the receptacle.
In theory that's for 250v, so it's possible your microwave took higher-voltage power.
It's rated at 250v (all 240v devices are to allow for slight overvoltages) but there isn't any 250v nominal power in Canada.
posted by Mitheral at 5:44 PM on August 5, 2023
The other 1% is someone reconfigured a multi wire branch circuit (ie two hots and a neutral in the box) to a 240v receptacle. If so good news, that will only take ten minutes to replace the receptacle.
In theory that's for 250v, so it's possible your microwave took higher-voltage power.
It's rated at 250v (all 240v devices are to allow for slight overvoltages) but there isn't any 250v nominal power in Canada.
posted by Mitheral at 5:44 PM on August 5, 2023
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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Japanese_air_conditioner_electrical_outlet_200v.jpg#/media/File:Japanese_air_conditioner_electrical_outlet_200v.jpg
15A/200-250v is what it appears to be:
https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/Japanese_3hd.html
posted by iamabot at 10:36 AM on August 5, 2023 [1 favorite]