NEMA 2-20 — 250 V, 20 A Plug & Receptacle
NEMA 2-20 is a straight-blade configuration per NEMA WD-6: 250 V, 20 A, 2-pole 2-wire non-grounding. Obsolete non-grounding 250 V. The receptacle is 2-20R, the matching plug 2-20P.
Face diagrams by Comrade Mmirg via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 / CC0, unmodified.
Specifications
- Configuration
- 2-20
- Series
- Straight blade
- Voltage rating
- 250 V
- Amp rating
- 20 A
- Poles / wires
- 2P–2W
- Neutral
- No
- Equipment ground
- No
- Max load (at rating)
- 250 V × 20 A = 5,000 VA
- Continuous (80%)
- 4,000 VA
Load figures are the arithmetic of the device rating at unity power factor. Continuous loads (3 hours or more) are limited to 80% of the circuit rating per NEC 210.19/210.20 — and the branch circuit behind the receptacle comes from the load calculation and conductor sizing, not from the plug face.
Where you meet it
Obsolete non-grounding 250 V. As a non-grounding configuration it survives only for replacements on existing circuits — new work uses the grounding successor family.
RELATED CONFIGURATIONS
See every configuration on the full NEMA plug & receptacle chart →
Common questions
What is the difference between 2-20R and 2-20P?
The letter is the device: 2-20R is the receptacle (outlet), 2-20P is the plug on the cord. Both share the same configuration — 250 V, 20 A, 2-pole 2-wire non-grounding.
Does NEMA 2-20 have a neutral and a ground?
No neutral — the 250 V rating means the circuit runs line-to-line with no neutral. It is a non-grounding configuration: no equipment ground, which is why new installations use its grounding successor.
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