Healthcare Compliance

Why Are There Red Electrical Outlets In Hospitals?

All hospitals are required to have emergency backup power to any areas where life saving equipment is being used. In these spaces, certain electrical outlets will be connected to a generator which will continue to supply these outlets with power during a power outage. In order to distinguish these outlets from the standard outlets which are not backed up to emergency power, often these outlets will have red receptacles:

red outlet recepticles

These outlets also will usually be marked with a green dot, meaning they are hospital grade. An alternate method is to use red outlet covers, which signifies the same thing:

red outlet cover

Often a fuel-powered generator will take a few seconds to start up. This can be problematic if sophisticated equipment such as laboratory or imaging are being powered, that cannot tolerate any lapse in power supply. In this case a battery backup system must be used to supply continuous power to the equipment during the generator startup time.

red outlet battery backup

Mediproducts specializes in medical equipment backup power, and have been supplying hospitals and medical centers around the country with battery backup power for over twenty years. Our experienced staff will be glad to assist you in sizing and specifying the correct type of system for your requirements.

Share this article

Further Reading

Why Healthcare Power Planning Shouldn’t Follow the Seasons
Healthcare ManagementVaccine Storage

Why Healthcare Power Planning Shouldn’t Follow the Seasons

On October 12, 2026, the U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order in response to elevated grid demand.

Read more
Case Study: Adapting a Two-Hour Backup Power Plan for a Dental Practice in Virginia 
Surgery Centers

Case Study: Adapting a Two-Hour Backup Power Plan for a Dental Practice in Virginia 

A dental practice in Virginia needed two hours of battery backup power for its operating room equipment.

Read more
Can One Battery Backup System Power Multiple Refrigerators and Freezers? 
Refrigerated Medications

Can One Battery Backup System Power Multiple Refrigerators and Freezers? 

Medi-Products can size a battery backup system to support multiple refrigerators, freezers, or other compatible devices, including equipment located in different rooms.

Read more