Heavy-Duty Outlets for Commercial Sites in Melbourne
High-current commercial outlets — 15A, 20A and 32A connections for equipment, machinery and high-power appliances.
High-Current Commercial Outlets
Commercial environments demand more power than standard 10A outlets can provide:
- 15A outlets – colour-coded grey, used for medium-power equipment and some air conditioners
- 20A outlets – colour-coded red, used for commercial kitchen equipment, heat pumps and ducted heating
- 32A outlets – colour-coded orange, used for high-power machinery, EV chargers and workshop equipment
Heavy-duty outlets use larger pins and different keyways to prevent plugging a standard plug into a high-current socket — this prevents overloading and fire risk.
Equipment Power
Commercial equipment that requires heavy-duty outlets:
- Kitchen equipment – commercial ovens, dishwashers, refrigeration and cooktops
- Air conditioning – split systems, ducted systems and multi-split units
- Workshop machinery – welders, saws, compressors and lathes
- EV chargers – commercial and public EV charging stations
- Server rooms – high-density IT equipment and UPS systems
Circuit Protection
Every heavy-duty outlet requires dedicated circuit protection:
- Dedicated circuit breaker – sized to the outlet rating and cable size
- RCD protection – mandatory for all commercial outlets
- Correct cable gauge – cable size is calculated based on current rating and run length
- Circuit labelling – every outlet and circuit breaker is labelled for identification
What to Expect
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use an extension lead with a heavy-duty outlet?
No — heavy-duty outlets must connect directly to the equipment via a matching heavy-duty cable. Extension leads are not rated for high-current use and create a fire risk.
Do heavy-duty outlets need a dedicated circuit?
Yes — every heavy-duty outlet must be on its own circuit from the switchboard. It cannot share a circuit with standard outlets or lighting.
How thick does the cable need to be?
Cable size depends on the current rating and run length. A typical 15A circuit uses 2.5mm² cable, a 20A circuit uses 4mm², and a 32A circuit uses 6mm² or 10mm² for longer runs.
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