Electrical back box orientation

Nope, which ever way suits you.

With plastic ones, I tend to ensure the writing is the right way up, but sometimes they have different cable punch outs at top and bottom so it doesn't hurt to invert if there's a good reason.

Theo

Whatever works for the installation...

When doing the kitchen I needed to space the back boxes so that the front plates could be adjacent to each other. I used these spacers which attach in the punched hole left by the fixed lug so each pair of boxes ended orientated differently.

Richard

Oooops! Forgot the link again

Thanks. Looks neat.

Blank side facing away from you?

If you are going to attach an earth wire to a metal box earth terminal then having the back-box terminal at the bottom can make it much easier if the back box is mounted low on a wall. With it at the bottom you will have visibility to connect a wire whilst knelling down. With the terminal at the top you may/will have to get your head to the same level as the box in order to see the terminal and to see to insert the wire.

Also these, but a tad expensive

vbg

Could be worse pal.

I went to second fix a house and someone had fitted the 2g back box for a shaver point in the en suite in the wrong orientation by 90 deg.

The en-suite was fully tiled when I got there.

Adam

well if you will mount it in the wrong orientation at the 1st fix or was that one of your apprentices?.....

vbg

I assume that you procured a suitably oriented shaver socket?

That might not be as daft as it seems. Proofvision make in wall chargers for Oral B and Braun electric toothbrushes that fit standard 47mm 2g back boxes. The double chargers require the back box to be installed horizontally.

Richard

But the one with the shaver socket needs a vertical backbox.