Don Fearn wrote:
Is there a "right" way for wall outlets to face?

Should they be

| |
O

| |
O


or


O
| |

O
| |



and why?



The top way makes little faces and the ground pin is closer to the
ground, but it seems like the bottom way might be safer (something
metal would hit the ground pin first if it fell). Any other reasons to
prefer one way over the other? How about sideways (I won't attempt
ASCII art for sideways).

-Don

I have heard people say that the ground pin should be up or to the left.
The reasoning behind this is, if a metal cover plate becomes loose and
falls off while something is plugged in and manages to get between the
recep. and the plug, it will fall on either the ground or neutral
terminal. A rare occurrance to be sure, but it makes sense to do it
that way.

I don't believe that the NEC addresses this issue at all.
nate

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