Electrical Outlets Upside Down? Code?

[DerbyDad03]

P.S. I have a split/switched receptacle in my garage, but for a very strange reason.

I inherited an old 19" TV from my Dad. The picture doesn't go off when you press the power button or use the remote. The sound goes off but the picture stays on. You have to kill the AC input to turn it off completely, so I split a duplex and added a switch. A one-time wiring job was easier than using the plug to turn it on and off every time.

Here's the even stranger part: When you reapply the power, all you get is snow. You still have to press the power button or use the remote to *really* turn it on.

[TomR]

Interesting. Good to know. I like to do the "half hot" switched outlet routine once in a while, so it's good to know that the bottom one is typically the switch-controlled half.

[trader_4]

Following the only thing I've seen here cited as any reason for ground up, you'd want the ground up on the ones that are permanently on, because they are most likely to be energized and if a metal object drops onto partially inserted pins, it will hit the ground pin.

I'd do it with the top one live, because a lamp or similar could be plugged in below on the switched one, leaving the upper one easier to access.

[gdmellott]

replying to Jes Doit, gdmellott wrote: There is ah... not a mouse in my wall.

[gdmellott]

replying to gfretwell, gdmellott wrote: Let's face it. There are parasitic loads ( both psychologically and substantively evidenced) what ever ways its oriented.

[im2oldBob]

replying to hrhofmann, im2oldBob wrote: In a textbook, Electric Wiring Residential 15th edition based on 2005 National Electrical Code by Ray C Mullen. ISBN1-4018-5019-. Mr. Mullen addresses the subject. Mr. Mullen' advocates, that while not a code requirement that the ground ( U blade) should be up for the reason that conductive items falling would encounter the ground first, or at least fall across either one of the conductors and the U blade if the conductor was positive then a shunt trip would occur. Note; this is not an exact quote.

[im2oldBob]

replying to hrhofmann, im2oldBob wrote: In a textbook, Electric Wiring Residential 15th edition based on 2005 National Electrical Code by Ray C Mullen. ISBN1-4018-5019-. Mr. Mullen addresses the subject. Mr. Mullen' advocates, that while not a code requirement that the ground ( U blade) should be up for the reason that conductive items falling would encounter the ground first, or at least fall across either one of the conductors and the U blade if the conductor was positive then a shunt trip would occur. Note; this is not an exact quote.

[gfretwell]

The only "book" that counts is the National Electrical Code and it is silent on the issue. If you look long enough you will find people arguing the opposite case. When a plug loosens and starts falling out, ground down assures the ground connection is the last to break. Neither are a significant enough reason to drive a code change.

[Clare Snyder]

This has been an item of discussion and dissagreement for several years. Traditionally american style 2 terminal (grounded) outlets have been installed ground down. There is also something of a tradition of "switched" outlets being installed ground side up.

The ground down tradition has pretty well mandated that right angle plugs have the terminals oriented so that the cable, when plugged into the oputlet, runs DOWN the wall so gravity aids inkeeping the plug installed rather than trying to pull it out, as it cones off the top of the plug..

Non grounded polarized plugs are also trtaditionally installed with the large (neutral) blade on the left.

[gfretwell]

Just install one of these and be done with it.

$mdmain$

[Bud]

Install them any way you like. The code allows both ways. I personally like the traditional way of putting the ground on the bottom. Wehn I moved into my house, I had 2 outlets with the ground on top. That drove me crazy. At least make them all the same in the same home. (I finally rotated those two).

[Ed Pawlowski]

Depends on where you live. In the town where I worked, the inspector wanted them with pin up. Yeah, you can argue with him, we put them pin up.

[Ralph Mowery]

Put the ground terminal down. It makes it lookd like a smiling face.

[Clare Snyder]

Another case of a prick throwing his weight around with nothing to back him up.

Heshould be in the white house - - -

[Tekkie®]

[e-mail] posted for all of us...

Yeah, that's the ticket. Use this as your universal response for this never ending question.

[Ralph Mowery]

Sometimes I wish I had some like that. If you buy something with a plug where the cord comes out of the bottom/side or anything but the back of the plug. Just needs some at the 45 deg angle for an odd plug or two that I have.

[gfretwell]

The first one I ever saw was from Jim Pawley (VP SqD) at an inspector seminar. It always gets a laugh and points out the silliness of the debate.

[gfretwell]

It is a hubbel part that you can get at any real electrical supplier or on line. It goes in a 1900 box and a ring is available.

[Barman]

replying to Clare Snyder, Barman wrote: I had a case where the inspector insisted I rotate all the outlets so that ground was down, my argument was if I had the outlets mounted horizontally (eg. kitchen backsplash) what direction would he want the ground.

[Barman]

replying to Clare Snyder, Barman wrote: I had a case where the inspector insisted I rotate all the outlets so that ground was down, my argument was if I had the outlets mounted horizontally (eg. kitchen backsplash) what direction would he want the ground.