Quirky and OCD tendencies..... Anyone else have them?

[buckeyefarmer]

Was that way in the 90s.

 

[/pine]

I've heard it's because if the plug was partly in, and something fell down it would hit gnd first. I don't buy it..

I realize how low the odds would be...but something like a paper clip that somehow gets launched could possibly fall in a gap between a plug and socket and land across the power tangs and cause a short...

Not sure about it being standard code for residential applications in general but it is in commercial structures...especially applications where oxygen or flammable gasses are in use...i.e., hospitals, medical and industrial buildings etc...

 

[bcp]

The National Electric Code doesn't specify receptacle orientation. NEC 406, I believe.

State or local codes may.

Bruce

 

[k0ua]

On the metal cover plates, when you are putting in a surge protector, you must take out the center screw, then with the metal cover plate still in place, you plug in the surge arrestor, and use either its included screw or the one you took out to fasten the little tab of the surge arrestor in place. Well, I let the cover plate drop on one and it did fall on the two vertical prongs, hot and neutral, and it did blow the breaker. Sooooo, maybe that is why. But with plastic cover plates, that wouldn't happen, but the paper clip idea does hold some water, so maybe it is a good thing.

 

[prichard]

Way back when I was an electrician. We would install ground up when metal plates were used for the reason James discovered. It was not code that I recall. All others were ground down including commercial installs. I've always done ground down on my personal stuff except a freezer or fridge that had a cord ground up.

 

[4570Man]

I’ve seen plenty of outlets ground down in commercial buildings that are newer than 2000. I’ve always installed them ground down. I’ve heard that it’s better to be up for reasons already mentioned. I had to put tamper proof outlets in my house to pass code. I hate them and they’re a lot more expensive. Is that national or local code?

 

[kenlip]

That would require tools from the 1st drawer....

The flats of the screwdrivers are not aligned with the labels on the handles. Aaaarghhhh!

 

[bcp]

And the foam earplugs? should be arranged radially, or in rows in a rectangular box.

Bruce

 

[4570Man]

The flats of the screwdrivers are not aligned with the labels on the handles. Aaaarghhhh!

It’s not as bad as when the paint store guy doesn’t put the hole on a 5 gallon pail in line with the handle.

 

[dieselcrawler]

Way back when I was an electrician. We would install ground up when metal plates were used for the reason James discovered. It was not code that I recall. All others were ground down including commercial installs. I've always done ground down on my personal stuff except a freezer or fridge that had a cord ground up.

Code does not require up or down, but recommends ground up. However, when sideways, it DOES REQUIRE neutral side up, so things falling (metal cover, paper clip, etc) hits a grounded conductor. The neutral is the 'long' prong slot, the hot is the smaller one, if wired properly on a modern 120v duplex receptacle.