TL;DR
An in-use cover is the deep, bubble-style enclosure over an outdoor receptacle that keeps the box weatherproof while a cord is plugged in, unlike old flat flip plates that protect only an empty outlet. The NEC requires this extra-duty weatherproof-while-in-use protection on receptacles in wet locations, the rule that matters for holiday lighting, pond pumps, and EV cords.
What it means
An in-use cover is the deep, bubble-style enclosure over an outdoor receptacle that keeps the box weatherproof while a cord is plugged in, unlike old flat flip plates that protect only an empty outlet. The NEC requires this extra-duty weatherproof-while-in-use protection on receptacles in wet locations, the rule that matters for holiday lighting, pond pumps, and EV cords. Listed versions carry a marking for extra duty and pair with a weather-resistant GFCI receptacle behind them.
Where it sits in the glossary
In-use cover is part of the Trade jargon group inside the ProFix Directory glossary. Browse every term in this category from the glossary index.
Why Ohio homeowners should know it
This is a term Ohio homeowners encounter when reading contractor quotes, hiring paperwork, or inspection reports. Understanding it well enough to ask one good follow-up question is usually all the protection a homeowner needs.
ProFix Directory keeps definitions short on the index page and saves the longer context — Ohio-specific rules, where the term comes from, and which ProFix tools touch it — for these per-term pages so the term is easy to cite and easy to share.
ProFix tools that touch this term
See also
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