how many amps does a wall/electrical socket have?

Question

and how badly could this hurt you?

Answer 1

Depends on the circuit breaker (or fuse) that is in line on the plug you are asking about. Up to but not exceeding the main circuit breaker of the house.

Living room, dining room, bedroom circuits are normally 15 amp. Kitchen circuits 20 amp. Electic stove or dryer, 100 amp at 220V.

Old houses with "tube and knob" wiring normally have a 60 amp drop into the house. Later, 100 amp drop was common. Nowadays it's 200 amp.

ALL OF THESE AMPERAGES WILL KILL YOU! That is if you make a good connection to them. If you just lightly touch your fingers across a 110 volt wire, you will get a tickle. Did it a lot as a kid. (Hey, I electrocuted ants for fun with my Model T spark coil)

Kitchen and bathroom circuits are _supposed_ to be protected by a Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) device. Often part of the outlet but can also be in the power panel. If it detects even a slight leakage between the hot and ground, it will trip. This avoids electrocution if your hair dryer falls in the sink or your toaster drops into your bathtub while you're in there cooking breakfast.

Answer 2

Depends on the wiring size and the fuse or circuit breaker for the particular 120 volt outlet. If the outlet has a small horizontal slot on the left upper plug hole, it's a 20 amp rated outlet. Otherwise, it's a 15 amp rated outlet.

The larger outlets - 220 volt - like the one behind an electric oven or clothes dryer may be as much as 30 - 50 amps.

NOTE: THE POWER IN ANY HOUSEHOLD ELECTRICAL OUTLET CAN BE FATAL !

Answer 3

In North America and many other areas, wall outlets are rated at 15 amperes. That amount of current passing through your body will kill you. But your skin has a high resistance, so the important factor is not the available current but the available voltage, which is 120. That voltage, although high enough to propel enough current to cause an unpleasant shock, is unlikely to be fatal unless your skin resistance has been much reduced -- e.g., if you are wet. Which is why appliances intended for use in bathrooms are usually equipped with ground fault interrupters these days -- if the GFI senses abnormal current (as, for example, through you), it will shut off the power.

Answer 4

They are usually 15/20 amps it depends of the size of the breaker/fuse. It can 'hurt' you to death!

Answer 5

There all different, the best way to check is to stick your keys in one of the sockets, or outlets as thier known.

Answer 6

Just because it has "amps" does not mean that you should plug your speakers into the outlet.

Answer 7

Could be 32 amps and it could kill you easily

Answer 8

20. it depends on the circumstance as far as how much it could hurt you.

Answer 9

That depends entirely on its amperage!