We've done a lot of rewiring around my commercial property, and about half of the are up, and half are down. I thought at first it depended on which person had installed the outlet, but I asked around, and it seems that what actually happened is the person who installed the most outlets just never looked -- he installed them whichever way they were when he picked them up. Drives me batty. I'm getting ready to sell the building, so I've been going around and changing the ones I don't like -- so the ground plugs are facing down. No reason, other than the way the plugs are shaped, they seem to fall more naturally into my hand, that way.
NEC Question
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DUMBDOG
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I have always installed them with the ground plug down when we wired the shop, the horizontal ones were always with ground towards the south wall because that is the way I started and then to keep them consistent kept going with the ground in the same direction, not to start a new debate on the horizontal ones
Lazy
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Hi
I doubt if most Electricians look to see which way the ground is positioned or at least the ones I worked with didn't. I have been doing electrical work since I joined the navy in 1961 and I was a member of IBEW until I retired in 1996 and I never installed them the same, I installed them however I picked them up. They work fine either way. The wiring of the outlet is another story, making sure the right wire is connected to the right terminal and the use of pigtails to connect the circuit to the outlet. Also NOT using the holes to poke the wires into.
Charlie
I doubt if most Electricians look to see which way the ground is positioned or at least the ones I worked with didn't. I have been doing electrical work since I joined the navy in 1961 and I was a member of IBEW until I retired in 1996 and I never installed them the same, I installed them however I picked them up. They work fine either way. The wiring of the outlet is another story, making sure the right wire is connected to the right terminal and the use of pigtails to connect the circuit to the outlet. Also NOT using the holes to poke the wires into.
Charlie
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"I never installed them the same, I installed them however I picked them up."
That would never fly with homeowners for me. I for one always check, switches too unless of course if its a 3 or 4 way.
That would never fly with homeowners for me. I for one always check, switches too unless of course if its a 3 or 4 way.
dbelisle
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This was a big discussion around 1987 when the new code was getting ready to come out. It was thought that the outlet grounds would have to be installed in the up position, but as has been stated earlier it never came to be. Since then we have Electricians doing it both ways.
Any Electricians might remember that is about the time the ground screw on switch yokes moved from the lower right to the upper left. Not sure if that is what started the ground up or ground down debate.
I actually had a call where banging on the other side of the wall knocked a clock down with metal lattice work on it .
It fell behind the refrigerator and sorted out the circuit. That is the only time I have seen where if the ground was up it wouldn't have shorted.
On the flip side of that if the ground is up and something knocks the plug part way out the ground could disconnect but the plug could still stay energized. Making for a possible unsafe condition.
Due what looks good to you.
Any Electricians might remember that is about the time the ground screw on switch yokes moved from the lower right to the upper left. Not sure if that is what started the ground up or ground down debate.
I actually had a call where banging on the other side of the wall knocked a clock down with metal lattice work on it .
It fell behind the refrigerator and sorted out the circuit. That is the only time I have seen where if the ground was up it wouldn't have shorted.
On the flip side of that if the ground is up and something knocks the plug part way out the ground could disconnect but the plug could still stay energized. Making for a possible unsafe condition.
Due what looks good to you.
RonL
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I believe it was proposed that the ground should be on top. it was never officially adopted. The idea was that if the plug was not completely seated anything that fell across the prongs ( curtains, etc.) could short and start a fire. As far as the plug being part way out and the ground losing contact, the ground is much longer than the hot prongs so that it makes contact first. The plug would have to out substantially for the ground to break contact. As an aside, neutral, as it comes out of the weather head, should be longer than the hot leads. This is so that if a tree or other object falls across the power lines the last lead to disconnect would be the neutral. When I set up my power pole on my property I left the neutral long. PSNH shortened them all to the same length and crimped on their connections.
RonL
RonL
RonL
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In retrospect. For some reason i thought that it had been adopted and then rescinded. Maybe I just thought that a proposal had been adopted.
RonL
RonL
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Mike, at our job there are lots of metal rulers. Probably 2-3 times a year, someone drops one behind their desk and it falls across both prongs of a plug that is not in all the way and pops the breaker. Our facilities people have started installing outlets with the ground on top. I don't know how I will wire our new home when the time comes. For now, I always put the ground the same way the others in the house are and that is down.
Like Don said, it drives me batty, too, to see them in both directions in the same building.
Someone mentioned 90 degree plugs earlier... as far as I know, they all angle down, except for the ones meant for window air conditioners, which angle up.
Like Don said, it drives me batty, too, to see them in both directions in the same building.
Someone mentioned 90 degree plugs earlier... as far as I know, they all angle down, except for the ones meant for window air conditioners, which angle up.
Junkman
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What if the outlets are horizontally??? Does the ground go on the right or the left??? Inquiring minds want to know????? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif