Mark Lloyd wrote:
On 16 Oct 2006 20:57:57 -0700, "RicodJour"
wrote:

Jeff Wisnia wrote:
George E. Cawthon wrote:

This has been discussed many times here. You can orient the plug any
way you want including horizontally. Most plugs seem to be oriented
with the hole (ground) on the bottom, but other houses have the ground
on the top. Flat plugs are often formed so that a plug with the ground
on the bottom is best. Orient it any way you want, you can always turn
it over later if you want a different orientation.

I've heard that "ground pin up" (for the metal wallplate reason) is
required on new work in some parts of Canada.

Can anyone confirm that?

I can confirm that the metal cover plate reason makes no sense,
regardless of who's bought into the logic and written code to comply.

By the time the ground prong is far enough out of the receptacle hole
to make contact with the cover plate, the other two prongs are far
enough out that the cord is no longer energized.


Even a really thin metal cover plate? Some of these might make contact
even if the plug is only an eighth of an inch out.

The cover plate has nothing to do with the orientation. Nothing. The
grounding plug is a bit longer than the other two. Like the other guy
said, first to make, last to break.

Unless there's a new and stupid plug with flexible prongs, the hot and
neutral can't be made to touch the cover plate unless the receptacle is
recessed well behind the face of the plate.

Why is it that nobody's mentioned a polarized plug? Since there's no
ground, does that make the plug more dangerous?

This whole thing is like someone complaining about the dangers of an
air bag while they're driving around drunk. The mechanical/electrical
systems aren't to blame, it's the nut behind the wheel.

R