I’m about to put in all of the outlets for our basement remodel and picked up a 10 pack of them. Dumping them out I noticed that the instruction card showed the outlet ‘upside down’ from what we all grew up with (the ‘face’ layout with the ground plug on the bottom).
Looking at a single outlet I had picked up in addition to the 10-pack, I noticed the writing on it, too made the outlet upside down from what I’m used to.
A bit of googling turned up a couple of tutorials that also showed the upside down outlet.
So what I thought would be a simple thing to get done tonight has now stumped me…what way is an outlet supposed to go these days? When did they flip them over? Why?
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I picked up on that a few years ago in the NEC Book. They claim it is a safety margin to stop anything shorting across the blades if it were partialy installed and somthing droped behind the fomed insulated head. So the grounding pin on the top side also helps the plug from drooping out of the wall plate plug.
Dan
This is a new safety feature.
But installing them with the face pointed backwards you can accidently insert anything in the receptacles.
unfortuantely you can't pruposely put anything in either.
Oh, you mean flip themup and down, not back and front.
The ground pin up or down has been argued for a long time. Then is not code (except possibly in some medical applications) that requires one or the othr orintation.
You can always install them horizontally and that kills that arguement.
BTW, the latest code is suppoe to require recetpacle with "rejection" to prevent kids from putting stuff in the slots. The msot common method is that face plate side to the side covering slots.
But I have not seen any of them in this area.
PS then is one duplex receptacle where the 2 section rotate so that you can have one up and one down or both sideways or one up and one to the right.
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Edited 7/28/2008 10:55 pm by BillHartmann
"This is a new safety feature.
But installing them with the face pointed backwards you can accidently insert anything in the receptacles.
unfortuantely you can't pruposely put anything in either.
Oh, you mean flip themup and down, not back and front."
Congratulations!
BillHartmann receives the
Little Attempt at Humor Award.
Saaalute!View ImageView Image
I am glad to see that someone reconized by attempt at non-humor..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
I've been installing them pointy-side-up for 23 years bec someone mentioned to me it made sense for all the given reasons and i agreed.
I installed them "pointy-side-up" in my house and even I usually go to put the plug in the wrong way.
I also had a home inspector try and tell me it meant the polarity was reversed.
At work I put them pointy side down.
Canadian outlets must be a lot like US ones where there's a sensing device that switches the lengths of the blade openings as you approach with a plug. If it doesn't fit
You must re-submit.
There is no "correct" way to mount them if anyone says that 1 way is wrong and their way is correct, they are flat wrong, NEC code committies have refused to touch the issue, I prefer ground prong up, but useally mount them down The only place where the up/down issue is important is 30/50A receptacles where a right angle cord is used, (dryers & ranges are just a couple) if they are not mounted ground up the cord will not hang right.
The Canadians may have solved that issue by mounting the dryer/range receptacles sideways, which can start another debate on sideways mounted duplex receptacles.....:):):)
Right angle cords also get used in 15/20 amp receptacles. Notice all those appliance cords and at least some UPS and surge protectors? Which is why I still put the ground plug down.The argument about a piece of debris not shorting the hot and neutral if the ground pin is up applies only to three prong cords. If the plug is only two prongs, it is irrelevant. And I'd guess that more cords are two prong than three.
I installed a double bank, one side pointy side up and the other side pointy side down specifically for that reason.
get the point?
All I want to know is when are the flipping outlets gonna flop.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
dunno.
A lot of flap goes on but does anyone really give a flip since they've been flipflopping over the issue for quite a while now?
be the pointyside up
Edited 7/29/2008 11:04 am ET by rez
Me, too, but because I hate seeing those little angry faces...
Best reason of all!(Are you SURE you can't come to Peachfest? <G>)
Alas! But some year I will get there...
Might be my last for a while, with gas prices as they are. I have three R/T tix in airmiles that i'm blocked from using except in Feb. :^(
I've noticed that a lot of the new ones are installed "ground up" lately.
I've been doing it this way for almost thirty years. I felt that there was more protection from a kid sticking something in there. If you look at a typical three prong plug that we use on the job and the way that it hangs down. With the ground up, it doesn't fall out and un-plug.
I don't understand how pointy side up would stop a kid from sticking something in there. The sockets are still open aren't they?
and if you set them pointy side up won't the polarized wallwarts have the chord sticking up which would appear to be upside down?
as a user and not an electrician I prefer pointy side down.
Edited 7/29/2008 6:40 am ET by john7g
Correction: Less likely to stick something in an hit the HOT lead.
With a three prong plug (ground up) the cord is pulling down. The ground is exposed.
Gorund down... the hot is exposed.
"Correction: Less likely to stick something in an hit the HOT lead.With a three prong plug (ground up) the cord is pulling down. The ground is exposed.Gorund down... the hot is exposed."While that is true, AS FAR AS IT GOES, there is on flaw in the logic.How many plugs, were little kids are crawing around, have grounds. Very few..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
SHUT UP AND INSTALL THESE.http://www.360electrical.com/Or one of thesehttp://www.smarthome.com/4534e.html.
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
every one I have ever put in has been horizontal with the Gr on the right. but I learned my trade in a different world
my house has them all in the more vulgar up-n-down fashion, someday I will tear them all out and make them up right
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They flipped along with all our favorite politicians. < G >
As to whether the ground "should" be up or down, most heavier extension cords and appliances are the new way. I bought a box of older appliance cords at an auction and they all have the ground plug opposite my newer cords.
The ones with the ground on the top are for South of the Equator.If Mark Cadioli were here he'd tell ya I am right!!.
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"After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion" -Neil deGrasse Tyson
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If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???
"The ones with the ground on the top are for South of the Equator.'So the Coriolis effect works on electricity too?BruceT
actually with electric it is the Cadioli effect.....
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"After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion" -Neil deGrasse Tyson
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If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???
You cannot recieve a MrT/brownbagg OneLiner Award no matter how good it is.
I don't want your STUPID award anyway!!!NEYAHHHH!!!<}:oP.
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"After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion" -Neil deGrasse Tyson
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If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???
Out here, and in new residential construction, you may find a room with 8 outlets...7 face style, 1 ground-up.
The one that's ground-up is the one controlled by the wall switch.
That's a good idea. I've always though it would be a good idea to identify them somehow. Might save a few callbacks over "dead" outlets.
Yeah I agree, I wish I thought of it! I never saw it until I moved out here.
The ones in my place are all installed with the ground up. All the transformers, uninteruptable power supplies, low profile plug ins, etc. are made to hang down from the plug, and polarized.
So they have to go in upside down, with the cord or body up. Minor pain in the tucus.