Outlets -- which way?

Standard practice seems to dictate the grounding pole to be at the lower postion.

Searcher

^That one is right side up.

^That one is upside down.

Darned if I know. There might be a written code somewhere?

Seems to me that if you drop something metal on a plug, the plug will probably just pull out of the socket?

I like sideways...less cord interferance. All mine are ground down because that is the way the electrician installed them.

The ground pin should always be down. Reason: Certain plug-in items won't hang correctly if the outlet is upside down. Example: Extension cords with those flat plugs on the end, or appliance extension cords - those really thick ones. You may say "I have no intention of having an appliance in my living room", and that would be true. But, you *will* have one of those extension cords or something similar in the future.

Next time you're at Home Despot or Staples, take a look at the plugs on Belkin surge suppressors.

There does not seem to be any rule on this. While the convention is with the ground down looking like two eyes and a mouth, I suggest ground up is better. In the event that something gets dropped onto a plug it would hit the ground first. Since accidental contact is much more likely to come from above and not below, I believe that is a safer arrangement. I also believe it is not material in real live. I put mine in ground up and I usually switch any that I work on.

I remember when I had a house built on Long Island. All the grounds were pointed down except one outlet in every room. When I asked the builder why he told me that this was his electricians way of pointing out the outlets that were switched on and off by a wall switch.

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

I agree with this that someone wrote above:

"The ground pin should always be down. Reason: Certain plug-in items won't hang correctly if the outlet is upside down. Example: Extension cords with those flat plugs on the end, or appliance extension cords - those really thick ones. You may say "I have no intention of having an appliance in my living room", and that would be true. But, you *will* have one of those

extension cords or something similar in the future"

There is no requirement on which way is right for the home.

In hospitals the ground pin has to be up.

The reason is, when a plug is pulled partially out of an outlet the terminals are exposed. A metal tray sliding down the wall would come in contact with the ground plug and not the hot.

If you will look at the markings on a receptacle, the labeling on the receptacle will give you an indication on how the manufacture recommends the receptacle to be installed. Put the writings facing right side up.

Another way to use this trick is in the kitchen. Put them in one direction for one circuit and put them facing the other for the other circuit.

This will tell you which outlets you can use if you are using two high wattage kitchen appliances at the same time.

Never heard of that; clever actually.

All commercial buildings seem to be wired with the ground pin UP. Why is that?

Mark

I've personally seen a metal outlet cover plate where the screw fell out and the plate fell across the plug that was in the outlet. It ended up balanced on the wider neutral blade and dangling about 1/64" away from shorting to the hot blade. Had to kill power to the circuit to fix it.

Pete C.

You're likely to have multiple wall-warts.

What is a wall-wart?

Because it makes practical sense.

Offices have had problems in the past when a paper clip would fall off of a desk and get behind a plug and short it out. With the pin up, it will generally fall off to the side. This is becoming accepted practice now.

Standard practice is changing.

Not any more. . New appliances will hang better with the pin up. This is becoming standard practice in the industry.

Those little power supplies that you plug into the electrical outlets... PITA