A friend of mine told me the proper way to install an electrical
outlet for the standard home is to position the round ground connector
in the upward position. Has anyone else heard of this? I have never
seen an outlet positioned this way in my life.

Thanks

WDG

A friend of mine told me the proper way to install an electrical
outlet for the standard home is to position the round ground connector
in the upward position. Has anyone else heard of this? I have never
seen an outlet positioned this way in my life.
WDG

Standard, as far as I know, is with the ground on the bottom.

On Apr 15, 9:48 pm, wrote:
A friend of mine told me the proper way to install an electrical
outlet for the standard home is to position the round ground connector
in the upward position. Has anyone else heard of this? I have never
seen an outlet positioned this way in my life.

Thanks

WDG

It's personal preference, there is no code that addresses the
orientation. The vast majority that I have seen have the ground
receptacle on the bottom.

On Apr 16, 9:13 am, "Eric9822" wrote:
On Apr 15, 9:48 pm, wrote:

A friend of mine told me the proper way to install an electrical
outlet for the standard home is to position the round ground connector
in the upward position. Has anyone else heard of this? I have never
seen an outlet positioned this way in my life.

Thanks

WDG

It's personal preference, there is no code that addresses the
orientation. The vast majority that I have seen have the ground
receptacle on the bottom.

And recently, following this same discussion here on several
occasions, the general conclusion of which, if I recall correctly, was
that ground pin at top was probably the safest against anything
metallic falling across the live and neutral pins etc.; it appears to
me that many (most?) of the el cheapo plug-in wall warts/adapters/
timers etc. seem to be made for ground pin on the bottom! Almost all
outlets in my house are the other way up. Most of the time it doesn't
matter anyway, but ............ occasionally it's nuisance to set a
timer and then plug it in upside down!
those previous discussion also, again IIRC, identified that since the
ground pin is longer and stouter having it at the top 'might' decrease
the likelihood of sagging and dragging out the 'working' pins; more so
than if those pins are at top. In other words sagging would push the
working pins 'in' rather than pull them out.

wrote in message
ups.com...
|A friend of mine told me the proper way to install an electrical
| outlet for the standard home is to position the round ground connector
| in the upward position. Has anyone else heard of this? I have never
| seen an outlet positioned this way in my life.
|
| Thanks
|
| WDG
|

your friend is correct
ground up on outlets.
thats how we have been doing it since 1998
someday the whole country will be this way.

some inspectors care too much about this
and others don't care enough.

wrote in message
ups.com...
A friend of mine told me the proper way to install an electrical
outlet for the standard home is to position the round ground connector
in the upward position. Has anyone else heard of this? I have never
seen an outlet positioned this way in my life.


As you observed, nearly all are ground down.
Some say that is wrong because things falling down will hit the hot/neutral
rather than just the neutral.
There is some sense to that, but ground up looks wrong to most people since
it is not common.
Neither is "proper". Probably best to do whatever the rest of your outlets
are.

Toller wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...

A friend of mine told me the proper way to install an electrical
outlet for the standard home is to position the round ground connector
in the upward position. Has anyone else heard of this? I have never
seen an outlet positioned this way in my life.



As you observed, nearly all are ground down.
Some say that is wrong because things falling down will hit the hot/neutral
rather than just the neutral.
There is some sense to that, but ground up looks wrong to most people since
it is not common.
Neither is "proper". Probably best to do whatever the rest of your outlets
are.

I like to make smiley faces of them.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY

On 15 Apr 2007 21:48:35 -0700, wrote:

A friend of mine told me the proper way to install an electrical
outlet for the standard home is to position the round ground connector
in the upward position. Has anyone else heard of this? I have never
seen an outlet positioned this way in my life.

Thanks

WDG


I've seen many commercial places do this. The reasoning seems that if
a metal face plate comes loose and falls on a partically inserted plug
will not result in a short. Lot of 'if' here.

I personally, like ground port(round hole) on the bottom, since my
index finger does migrate over to it when inserting a plug at times. I
don't use metal face plates.

One note, it seems to be a matter or preference, but I would check
with local code enforcement to see what they 'want'.

tom @ www.FreelancingProjects.com

On 15 Apr 2007 21:48:35 -0700, wrote:

A friend of mine told me the proper way to install an electrical
outlet for the standard home is to position the round ground connector
in the upward position. Has anyone else heard of this? I have never
seen an outlet positioned this way in my life.

Thanks

There is no widely applicable standard, although apparently
some cities have instituted one. It's not important enough
to worry about.

Mount them sideways, and you won't have to worry about
wall-warts being upside down.

On Apr 16, 12:57 pm, wrote:
On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 06:50:03 -0400, "3G" wrote:
your friend is correct
ground up on outlets.
thats how we have been doing it since 1998
someday the whole country will be this way.

some inspectors care too much about this
and others don't care enough.

Inspectors are not allowed to "care" about this. It is not addressed
in the code in any way. Typically the electricians will identify
"switched" receptacles by installing them opposite of the rest.

I've experienced counter-example, Greg. Fire Marshall of town
where our facility was located mandated that all outlets be ground-
lug-up. And it was made so. Arguing would be a pi$$ing contest.

Also, he refused to allow any plug-in electrical heaters, likely
saving a few incidents. He'd catch 'em, we'd smash 'em.

Reasonable guy, but not wishy-washy

J

Goedjn wrote:

Mount them sideways, and you won't have to worry about
wall-warts being upside down.

But then do you mount them with the neutral up or down? grin

Chris

On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 12:58:46 -0400, Goedjn wrote:

On 15 Apr 2007 21:48:35 -0700, wrote:

A friend of mine told me the proper way to install an electrical
outlet for the standard home is to position the round ground connector
in the upward position. Has anyone else heard of this? I have never
seen an outlet positioned this way in my life.

Thanks

There is no widely applicable standard, although apparently
some cities have instituted one. It's not important enough
to worry about.

Mount them sideways, and you won't have to worry about
wall-warts being upside down.

But then, does the ground pin go to the left or the right?

wrote:
A friend of mine told me the proper way to install an electrical
outlet for the standard home is to position the round ground connector
in the upward position. Has anyone else heard of this? I have never
seen an outlet positioned this way in my life.

Thanks

WDG


Did your Google research there? NOT

"Toller" wrote in message

As you observed, nearly all are ground down.
Some say that is wrong because things falling down will hit the
hot/neutral rather than just the neutral.
There is some sense to that, but ground up looks wrong to most people
since it is not common.
Neither is "proper". Probably best to do whatever the rest of your
outlets are.

Some appliances, like air conditioners, have plugs on the ends that will
hand better if the pin is up. They are designed that way as that is now
considered the proper way to orient the receptacles, at least in commercial
applications. . There is no code covering orientation.

Seems like most NEMA publications show the pin up on the 5-15 configuration.
I just looked at my GFCI in the bathroom and the test and reset buttons are
engraved in both orientations.

Goedjn wrote:

Mount them sideways, and you won't have to worry about
wall-warts being upside down.

Is that code in Chicago, or just a custom there?

Toller wrote:

wrote in message
ups.com...

A friend of mine told me the proper way to install an electrical
outlet for the standard home is to position the round ground connector
in the upward position. Has anyone else heard of this? I have never
seen an outlet positioned this way in my life.



As you observed, nearly all are ground down.
Some say that is wrong because things falling down will hit the hot/neutral
rather than just the neutral.


And I believe the things they felt most likely to fall down that way
would be metal outlet cover plates, if the screw vibrated out, or maybe
got lost by a painter who'd removed the plate and then just placed it
back over the outlet.

Jeff
--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.98*1014 fathoms per fortnight.

"mm" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 12:58:46 -0400, Goedjn wrote:

On 15 Apr 2007 21:48:35 -0700, wrote:

A friend of mine told me the proper way to install an electrical
outlet for the standard home is to position the round ground connector
in the upward position. Has anyone else heard of this? I have never
seen an outlet positioned this way in my life.

Thanks

There is no widely applicable standard, although apparently
some cities have instituted one. It's not important enough
to worry about.

Mount them sideways, and you won't have to worry about
wall-warts being upside down.

But then, does the ground pin go to the left or the right?

Depends on if you are north or south of the equator.
;-)

On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:05:53 -0400, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:


"Toller" wrote in message

As you observed, nearly all are ground down.
Some say that is wrong because things falling down will hit the
hot/neutral rather than just the neutral.
There is some sense to that, but ground up looks wrong to most people
since it is not common.
Neither is "proper". Probably best to do whatever the rest of your
outlets are.

Some appliances, like air conditioners, have plugs on the ends that will
hand better if the pin is up. They are designed that way as that is now
considered the proper way to orient the receptacles, at least in commercial
applications. . There is no code covering orientation.

Seems like most NEMA publications show the pin up on the 5-15 configuration.
I just looked at my GFCI in the bathroom and the test and reset buttons are
engraved in both orientations.


The receptacle for my dryer (probably original installation when house
was built, around 1969) has the ground down. The plug on the dryer
(new last year) is positioned for a ground-up receptacle, so it has to
be plugged in with the cord going up instead of down.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"All your western theologies, the whole mythology of them,
are based on the concept of God as a senile delinquent."
-- Tennessee Williams

On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 23:28:54 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 20:51:12 -0400, mm
wrote:

Mount them sideways, and you won't have to worry about
wall-warts being upside down.

But then, does the ground pin go to the left or the right?

East or West of the Mississippi?

Place it so that when water runs down, it'll hit the ground prong
first.

On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 14:09:16 -0600, Chris Friesen
wrote:

Goedjn wrote:

Mount them sideways, and you won't have to worry about
wall-warts being upside down.

But then do you mount them with the neutral up or down? grin

Chris

Neutral up, for population control reasons. The little kids that play
around outlets (and reach UP to put things in them) get fried first
:-)

On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 02:26:12 GMT, Bob wrote:

Goedjn wrote:

Mount them sideways, and you won't have to worry about
wall-warts being upside down.

Is that code in Chicago, or just a custom there?

I have a wall-wart made for use in sideways receptacles. It has a
polarized plug (for no apparent reason), so it may be necessary to use
it upside down.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"All your western theologies, the whole mythology of them,
are based on the concept of God as a senile delinquent."
-- Tennessee Williams

In article , Mark Lloyd wrote:

The receptacle for my dryer (probably original installation when house
was built, around 1969) has the ground down. The plug on the dryer
(new last year) is positioned for a ground-up receptacle, so it has to
be plugged in with the cord going up instead of down.

Something stopping you from flipping the recep upside down?

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

On Apr 17, 12:41 am, "Jackson" wrote:
"mm" wrote in message

...





On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 12:58:46 -0400, Goedjn wrote:

On 15 Apr 2007 21:48:35 -0700, wrote:

A friend of mine told me the proper way to install an electrical
outlet for the standard home is to position the round ground connector
in the upward position. Has anyone else heard of this? I have never
seen an outlet positioned this way in my life.

Thanks

There is no widely applicable standard, although apparently
some cities have instituted one. It's not important enough
to worry about.

Mount them sideways, and you won't have to worry about
wall-warts being upside down.

But then, does the ground pin go to the left or the right?

Depends on if you are north or south of the equator.

You have to flip them over when daylight savings time starts and stops.

On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:18:50 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:05:53 -0400, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:


"Toller" wrote in message

As you observed, nearly all are ground down.
Some say that is wrong because things falling down will hit the
hot/neutral rather than just the neutral.
There is some sense to that, but ground up looks wrong to most people
since it is not common.
Neither is "proper". Probably best to do whatever the rest of your
outlets are.

Some appliances, like air conditioners, have plugs on the ends that will
hand better if the pin is up. They are designed that way as that is now
considered the proper way to orient the receptacles, at least in commercial
applications. . There is no code covering orientation.

Seems like most NEMA publications show the pin up on the 5-15 configuration.
I just looked at my GFCI in the bathroom and the test and reset buttons are
engraved in both orientations.


Nobody told Whirlpool that. My new fridge is set up ground down if the
cord is going to hang right.

In my younger days, I would have thought I was the only one who would
reverse the receptacle to make a cord hang right, but now I know
others would too.

So I would just pick a way, and if a cord arose that new not my way,
I'd rotate the receptacle. (One can use a Leviton #325547 Receptacle
Rotator.)

On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 10:33:58 -0500, Mark Lloyd
wrote:



The receptacle for my dryer (probably original installation when house
was built, around 1969) has the ground down. The plug on the dryer
(new last year) is positioned for a ground-up receptacle, so it has to
be plugged in with the cord going up instead of down.

I think they reverse these every 46 years to keep electricians in
business.

Mark Lloyd

Mark Lloyd wrote:
The receptacle for my dryer (probably original installation when house
was built, around 1969) has the ground down. The plug on the dryer
(new last year) is positioned for a ground-up receptacle, so it has to
be plugged in with the cord going up instead of down.

Is this a gas or electric dryer? Most 120/240 volt appliance cords I
have seen have the ground on top. Also, it appears to be the custom for
gas dryers not to have right angle plugs, while washers have right angle
plugs with the ground down. This allows for both appliances to be
plugged into the same duplex outlet.

On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:49:11 GMT, (Doug Miller)
wrote:

In article , Mark Lloyd wrote:

The receptacle for my dryer (probably original installation when house
was built, around 1969) has the ground down. The plug on the dryer
(new last year) is positioned for a ground-up receptacle, so it has to
be plugged in with the cord going up instead of down.

Something stopping you from flipping the recep upside down?

Probably not. I just hadn't thought of that.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"All your western theologies, the whole mythology of them,
are based on the concept of God as a senile delinquent."
-- Tennessee Williams

On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 16:54:39 -0700, Bob wrote:

Mark Lloyd wrote:
The receptacle for my dryer (probably original installation when house
was built, around 1969) has the ground down. The plug on the dryer
(new last year) is positioned for a ground-up receptacle, so it has to
be plugged in with the cord going up instead of down.

Is this a gas or electric dryer? Most 120/240 volt appliance cords I
have seen have the ground on top. Also, it appears to be the custom for
gas dryers not to have right angle plugs, while washers have right angle
plugs with the ground down. This allows for both appliances to be
plugged into the same duplex outlet.

I have a 3-prong heavy duty extenision cord with the wire at a 45
degree angle. I guess it's meant to allow it with anything in any
socket. It's also darn thin. I've only see this kind of plug once.

On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 16:54:39 -0700, Bob wrote:

Mark Lloyd wrote:
The receptacle for my dryer (probably original installation when house
was built, around 1969) has the ground down. The plug on the dryer
(new last year) is positioned for a ground-up receptacle, so it has to
be plugged in with the cord going up instead of down.

Is this a gas or electric dryer? Most 120/240 volt appliance cords I
have seen have the ground on top. Also, it appears to be the custom for
gas dryers not to have right angle plugs, while washers have right angle
plugs with the ground down. This allows for both appliances to be
plugged into the same duplex outlet.

Electric dryer with NEMA 10-30 plug and receptacle.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"All your western theologies, the whole mythology of them,
are based on the concept of God as a senile delinquent."
-- Tennessee Williams