Did you guys know this about outlets? I didn't!

[sunandsand]

Local building inspector - who is very good - INSISTS on ground down. Doesn't make a whole lot of difference to me, and he's worth keeping happy. You do NOT want him as an enemy and he can be a darn good friend. (Also, I keep his beer in my hangar refrigerator - you didn't see this, I wasn't here and this conversation never took place.)

Best Regards (up or down),

Mike/Florida

 

[Omega Woods]

Thanks for sharing this video. That'll save me time from now on...

 

[meackerman]

we've always done (residential).... regular outlets, ground goes down. on switched outlets the ground goes up. when looking for the outlet that the switch works for, it makes it easy to find.

 

[6feettogo]

we've always done (residential).... regular outlets, ground goes down. on switched outlets the ground goes up. when looking for the outlet that the switch works for, it makes it easy to find.

This works ok if it is a dedicated switched outlet. For those outlets where you have half the outlet hot and half switched this won't work.

 

[KennyG]

Maybe it's just me, but why would one ever remove a cover with a cord attached? I know a lot of people have done it, but why? I usually put them in ground down, but I have them both ways. I also have right angle cords oriented both ways. Always the wrong way for my outlets.

 

[OldPaint]

There's a theory that if you mount the ground in the up position it is harder for the cord to fall out when plugged in. Every notice a 3 prong cord leaning down and the top two blades are exposed in a gap?

Also, something like a metal paper clip could fall into that gap and short the two blades together. That can't happen if the ground is on the top.

At least, that's how it was explained to me. When I replace outlets, I put the new one's in the same way they came out.

Same thing was explained/taught to me, same reason, a very long time ago when I first started learning electrical installations. My step-dad was still old-school enough he cut the ground prongs off extension cords or the raised bumps on two wire cords that prevented reversal of the hot and neutral. After being nailed by older drills and other equipment a few times, I finally decided maybe electrical engineers knew a little more about it. So I became one. There's also a reason for one wide blade and a narrow blade, and the colors of the screws do have some to do with how it's wired. Most know these, but beginners do not, and more often than not, get it wrong.

If a paper clip falls between a partially engaged plug and the outlet, it's a direct short circuit, and will make a VERY loud bang even at relatively low currents. If you're lucky, there's a GFCI or AFCI feature on that circuit. If you're not, you're likely replacing the receptacle and faceplate. I usually fall into the latter category when my luck goes awry. If the ground prong is turned up, it will typically deflect the paper clip to the side. All that said, though, look at the way a GFCI outlet is designed. If you mount it with the ground prong up, the "TEST" and "RESET" buttons are upside down. Rarely will an inspector say anything about the orientation, and if there were 5 different ways to do it, you'd get 5 different opinions about the ONLY way to do it. I've seen contractors in hospitals have to go back and flip every outlet they installed because the hospital RE wouldn't approve the job until they were oriented "his way". I prefer the ground prong up, but I'm OCD enough that I don't want any text on the faces of the outlets upside down either, particularly stuff like GFCI or AFCI outlets.

Strangely enough, in a shed build I'm currently doing, I had exactly this conversation with my son just a couple days ago right after I finished the permanent electrical work.

 

[DGeorge747]

My wife once tried removing a metal plate with a plug attached. The metal plate contact with the hot contacts in the ground-down plug did not make her day , and ever since I've been installing with ground-up, and she has never removed another outlet cover either.....

Why would anyone remove a receptacle plate with something plugged in? Asking for a friend.

 

[Bob Rooks]

Many codes, including the CFR's are written in blood, and some are purely academic or based on theory and conjecture. There should be documented proof of why a code exists - ground up or down.

 

[allenron]

I generally install receptacles with the ground up. The reasons for doing so is that with the ground hole up, you see it easily, and it makes it easier to stick a plug into the receptacle, especially when you're reaching around a piece of furniture. Try it! The ground prong on a plug sticks out further than the hot & neutral pins, and this makes it easy to center the plug on the receptacle's holes. Well, there's a minor safety reminder aspect, too: You see the ground prong hole and always keep in mind the importance of equipment grounding. But, yes, there is no code requirement for either orientation, and the receptacle can be horizontal with the ground sitting either left or right.

 

[waowens1978]

I’ve done residential and commercial electrical. On new construction I always check the prints for installation specifications. If there’s nothing specifying which direction I install them with the ground pin down, because that puts the hot wire on the right side of the plug. I always install the hot wire last and remove it first whether the circuit is hot or not. Most of the time this keeps my left hand away from the hot side of the plug. It’s a lot easier for right handed people this way. On old construction, I match it to the rest of the plugs in the building.