NEMA 5-15 / 5-20 (Edison) pinout
Edison (NEMA 5-15 / 5-20) Wiring
On a NEMA 5-15 Edison connector, the narrow blade is hot (brass terminal screw), the wide blade is neutral (silver screw), and the round pin is ground (green screw). The 20 A variant (5-20) turns the neutral blade sideways so 20 A equipment cannot plug into a 15 A circuit.
| Pin | Signal | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Narrow blade | Hot (line)Black | The energized conductor; lands on the brass-colored terminal. |
| Wide blade | NeutralWhite | Grounded return conductor; lands on the silver terminal. Horizontal (T-slot) on 5-20. |
| Round pin | Equipment groundGreen | Safety ground; lands on the green terminal. Longer engagement by design. |
What it’s used for
Edison is crew shorthand for the standard North American plug, and it is the last meter of nearly all show power: quad boxes, stingers, practicals, chargers, the espresso machine that trips the greenroom circuit. 5-15 covers 15 A devices; 5-20 (sideways neutral) marks 20 A cords and receptacles.
Polarity is the entire point of the asymmetric blades: equipment expects the hot on the narrow blade so switches and fuses break the energized side. A miswired Edison end works fine right up until it puts 120 V on a chassis.
Wiring & termination notes
- Brass = black = hot, silver = white = neutral, green = ground. The rhyme is the whole trade school.
- Replacement cord caps must match the cord rating; a 5-15 cap on 12 AWG SJOOW is fine, a 5-20 cap on 18 AWG zip cord is a fire with paperwork.
- Cheater adapters that lift the ground pin have no place on a show. If the receptacle is two-prong, the fix is a different circuit, not a gray adapter.
- Outdoor and wet locations want GFCI protection ahead of any Edison string, per code and per sense.
Frequently asked questions
Which blade of an Edison plug is hot?
The narrow blade. The wide blade is neutral, and the round pin is ground. On receptacles, the shorter slot is the hot side.
What is the difference between NEMA 5-15 and 5-20?
Rating and keying: 5-20 is the 20 A version with its neutral blade rotated 90 degrees. A 20 A T-slot receptacle accepts both plugs; a 15 A receptacle physically rejects 5-20 plugs.