{"schemaVersion":1,"slug":"iec-socket-outlet-with-protective-contact","name":"Socket outlet with protective earth contact","kind":"symbol","abbreviation":"SO","aliases":["earthed socket outlet plan mark","socket outlet with earthing contact","GPO with earth"],"category":"installation-communications","drawingTypes":["GA"],"referenceFamilies":["IEC"],"summary":"Installation plan mark for a socket outlet that includes a protective earth contact for Class I appliances.","description":["On an installation plan this mark places a socket outlet whose contact set includes a protective earth pin or earthing clip. The basic half-circle outlet form is completed by a straight bar across the top of the curve, which tells the reader that the outlet connects the protective conductor of the final circuit to the plug.","Most general-purpose outlets in Australian, British and European buildings are earthed, so many project legends use this form as the default outlet. Where a legend shows both earthed and unearthed outlets, the bar is the only visual difference and should be checked carefully at shaver points, double-insulated equipment locations and extra-low-voltage outlets.","The mark does not state the plug pattern, current rating, mounting height or circuit number. Those come from the legend, outlet schedule and circuit labels written beside the symbol."],"readingNotes":["Look for the bar above the half circle; without it the outlet may be unearthed or simply drawn in a simplified style.","Read the circuit tag next to the symbol to find which final subcircuit and protective device feeds it."],"drawingChecklist":["Confirm the plug standard and current rating in the outlet schedule.","Tag each outlet with its distribution board and circuit number.","State mounting height or reference a typical mounting detail."],"distinction":"A plain socket-outlet mark shows an outlet position only; the earth bar adds the protective contact. The protective earth terminal symbol itself is a schematic conductor mark, not an outlet.","facts":[{"label":"Drawing role","value":"Outlet position on a floor plan"},{"label":"Added information","value":"Protective earth contact present"},{"label":"Exact standard graphic","value":"Not reproduced here; confirm the form against IEC 60617 and the project legend"}],"references":[{"sourceId":"iec-diagrams","relevance":"IEC committee context for graphical symbols used in diagrams and installation documents; not a source of reproduced artwork."},{"sourceId":"iec-public-receptacles","relevance":"Public receptacle family in an IEC-oriented CAD library, useful for comparing schematic receptacle forms with plan marks."},{"sourceId":"pub-object-engineering-design","relevance":"Installation design methodology context: circuits, outlets and final distribution are planned before symbols are placed."}],"related":["iec-single-power-receptacle","protective-earth","iec-switched-socket-outlet"],"artwork":"s28-iec-socket-outlet-with-protective-contact","publishedOn":"2026-10-28","updatedOn":"2026-10-28","provenance":"independent-public-research","symbolVariant":{"convention":"IEC","form":"Socket outlet with protective contact","reference":"IEC 60617 installation-plan style (architectural and topographical installation symbols); independently drawn, not certified IEC geometry or a database identifier.","counterpart":"iec-single-power-receptacle"},"plainEnglish":{"title":"What does Socket outlet with protective earth contact mean?","introduction":"On an installation plan this mark places a socket outlet whose contact set includes a protective earth pin or earthing clip. The basic half-circle outlet form is completed by a straight bar across the top of the curve, which tells the reader that the outlet connects the protective conductor of the final circuit to the plug.","example":"Most general-purpose outlets in Australian, British and European buildings are earthed, so many project legends use this form as the default outlet. Where a legend shows both earthed and unearthed outlets, the bar is the only visual difference and should be checked carefully at shaver points, double-insulated equipment locations and extra-low-voltage outlets.","drawings":"The mark does not state the plug pattern, current rating, mounting height or circuit number. Those come from the legend, outlet schedule and circuit labels written beside the symbol.","terms":[{"name":"Normally open / normally closed","meaning":"The contact state in the normal condition defined for the drawing."},{"name":"Rating","meaning":"A value stating the conditions for which equipment is specified."},{"name":"Schematic","meaning":"A drawing showing function and connections rather than physical appearance."}],"diagram":"flow","steps":["Identify the device and form","Read the connections and state","Check the equipment reference"],"caption":"A guide to reading this reference. The original symbol illustration and its drawing notes appear below; these boxes are not a wiring diagram.","sources":[{"label":"IEC graphical symbols for diagrams","url":"https://tc3.iec.ch/tc-activity/graphical-symbols-for-diagrams/"},{"label":"Autodesk IEC-60617 preview: Single and duplex power-receptacle forms","url":"https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2021/ENU/AutoCAD-Electrical/files/GUID-7DAEDB03-74FC-47A2-9C50-9164297AA5A3.htm"},{"label":"Electrical installation design methodology and references","url":"https://www.electrical-installation.org/enwiki/General_rules_of_electrical_installation_design"}],"detail":"Installation plan mark for a socket outlet that includes a protective earth contact for Class I appliances. A plain socket-outlet mark shows an outlet position only; the earth bar adds the protective contact. The protective earth terminal symbol itself is a schematic conductor mark, not an outlet.","profileId":"reviewed-symbol-20261028"},"url":"https://eloragrid.ai/symbols/iec-socket-outlet-with-protective-contact","illustration":{"url":"https://eloragrid.ai/tools/electrical-library/illustrations/iec-socket-outlet-with-protective-contact.svg","scope":"Original educational concept; not an official standard graphic or product footprint","license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"sources":[{"id":"iec-diagrams","title":"IEC graphical symbols for diagrams","publisher":"IEC","url":"https://tc3.iec.ch/tc-activity/graphical-symbols-for-diagrams/","type":"standard","scope":"IEC 60617 and related symbol-design publications. Full database access requires a subscription.","checkedOn":"2026-10-13","reuse":"link-only","relevance":"IEC committee context for graphical symbols used in diagrams and installation documents; not a source of reproduced artwork."},{"id":"iec-public-receptacles","title":"Autodesk IEC-60617 preview: Single and duplex power-receptacle forms","publisher":"Autodesk","url":"https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2021/ENU/AutoCAD-Electrical/files/GUID-7DAEDB03-74FC-47A2-9C50-9164297AA5A3.htm","type":"cad-reference","scope":"Public publisher IEC-context family names and vendor block references. No vendor images or CAD library files are reproduced, and vendor tokens are not presented as verified IEC database identifiers.","checkedOn":"2026-10-14","reuse":"link-only","relevance":"Public receptacle family in an IEC-oriented CAD library, useful for comparing schematic receptacle forms with plan marks."},{"id":"pub-object-engineering-design","title":"Electrical installation design methodology and references","publisher":"Schneider Electric — Electrical Installation Guide","url":"https://www.electrical-installation.org/enwiki/General_rules_of_electrical_installation_design","type":"manufacturer","scope":"Public design context. No universal working clearance, equipment dimension or project compliance conclusion is asserted.","checkedOn":"2026-10-13","reuse":"link-only","relevance":"Installation design methodology context: circuits, outlets and final distribution are planned before symbols are placed."}]}