How it connects
Straight-blade push-in friction contact with spring contacts holding the prongs, providing electrical continuity and ground connection.
Male and female halves
Female receptacle (R) mating with male plugs (P). The T-shaped slot allows backwards compatibility with 15 A NEMA 6-15P straight-blade plugs.
Usually connects to
- NEMA 6-20P male plug
- NEMA 6-15P male plug
Common sizes
- Rated for 250 V AC, 20 A maximum current (compatible with 12 AWG or heavier circuit wiring).
Where it is used
commercial electricalresidential electricalpower toolslarge air conditionerscommercial kitchen equipmentEV chargers (Level 1/2)
Variations
- duplex receptacle
- tamper-resistant (TR)
- isolated ground (IG)
- hospital grade
- weather-resistant (WR)
How to recognise it
Face features a D-shaped/round ground hole and two blade openings: one horizontal slot and one perpendicular T-shaped slot (which accepts both vertical and horizontal blades). Marked with '6-20R' and '20A 250V'.
Often confused with
| Confused with | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| NEMA 5-20R | 5-20R has one vertical slot and one T-slot rated for 125 V; 6-20R has one horizontal slot and one T-slot rated for 250 V. |
| NEMA 6-15R | 6-15R has two horizontal parallel slots without the T-slot cutout and cannot accept 6-20P plugs. |
| NEMA L6-20R | L6-20R is a curved twist-locking connector; 6-20R has straight blade slots. |
Also called
NEMA 6-20RNEMA 6-20 receptacle20A 250V outlet6-20R socket
Good to know
Because one slot is T-shaped, NEMA 6-20R receptacles accept both 250V 20A (6-20P) plugs and 250V 15A (6-15P) plugs.
Related connections
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