110v Receptacle

[Wastedwagesracing]

Help me either win or loose a minor disagreement.
Is a 110V wall receptacle safer installed with the ground port up or down? and why? Or is this just some nonsense all together and it makes no difference.

 

[Stuart in MN]

People argue it both ways until they're blue in the face, but in my opinion it doesn't matter. Some people say that putting the ground prong on top is safer, in the rare event that the plug is slightly pulled out from receptacle and you manage to slide a piece of sheet metal exactly down the wall on top of it, but realistically how often is that going to happen?

As far as it goes, there's no code requirement for how the receptacle should be oriented.

 

[rlitman]

As far as it goes, there's no code requirement for how the receptacle should be oriented.

In the NEC, no, but I've seen local inspectors who have insisted that it be ground pin up. There's no arguing with the AHJ.

 

[Teken]

Strange Fact: There are four hospitals in this local and all of the outlets are ground up. Two of the military installations I was on site to do some work all of the outlets were also ground up.

Now . . .

Anywhere else I have ever seen the ground is facing down. I personally think it looks odd but if it prevents one mishap.

Maybe its worth while for the masses??

Teken . . .

 

[srmofo]

I believe it is local code for me also. When my garare was being wired we placed all of them up.

Im currently in the process of replacing bad installations of receptacles in my house (back-stabbed every outlet and Im finding many of them slightly melted, cracked, and/or wired backwards). I'm replacing them with the higher quality receptacles (i.e. not the blue .49c ones in the bargain bin) as well as the pigtails. Im placing all of the grounds up in the house also. I personally dont care one way or the other which way it looks, but I have a feeling it will be in NEC before too many more years so why not do it now while Im replacing them.

Would I go through and turn them all around....hell no.

Wife thinks they look "goofy" though.

 

[Macgyver_ga]

It's common practice around here to install them ground pin down.

The first time I saw it the other way I was like...uh they installed them upside down. Look's weird to me with the ground pin up.

 

[KenC]

No code requirement as noted, but I have been told by a very competent contractor that all hospitals specify ground up, for the reasons mentioned earlier.

 

[StaggeringGoat]

Or is this just some nonsense all together and it makes no difference.

Bingo.

And I can confirm that the local hospital, brand new, has them installed the "normal" way, that is, ground down. Usually if they are placed ground up it means it some kind of special outlet.

PS - there is no such thing as a "110v" receptacle. Standard outlets are 120 volts...if you're seeing 110 you have something wrong with your wiring.

 

[larry_g]

http://ecatalog.hubbell-wiring.com/...x?Dest=hubbell-wiring.com/press/catalog/a.pdf

Just thinking, when you have a 90* plug what is the relationship of the cord to the ground pin. If you are to believe that the 90* plug is to remove the strain of the wire doing a 90 as soon as it leaves the plug then the ground pin goes on top.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Alchymist]

I install with pin up, but there are instances:

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Refrigerators have 90° plugs for clearance behind the unit when installed. My fairly new (within past 3 or 4 years) Whirlpool Gold fridge has a 90° that requires the ground pin to be down.

Charles

 

[larry_g]

Well the 90* theory is out the window....

lg
no neat sig line

 

[gatchel]

I have heard that the only place it makes sense to wire ground pin down is kitchen counter outlets. If you are working with aluminum foil on the counter and it slides up the wall and contacts the ground first, no harm done. Of course that's what GFCI's are for, anyway so really it doesn't matter much. I did ground down on the counter and garage work bench outlets. All other outlets in the house are ground pin up.

 

[StaggeringGoat]

Refrigerators have 90° plugs for clearance behind the unit when installed. My fairly new (within past 3 or 4 years) Whirlpool Gold fridge has a 90° that requires the ground pin to be down.

Charles

So do things like air conditioners, and even blow dryers....anything with a built in GFCI plug.

 

[KCarGuy]

side to side...not up and down for me.

 

[Greatbear]

I install ground pin down, unless there will be a more-or-less permanent appliance plugged into the outlet which has a right-angle plug with the ground pin on top. Those outlets get turned over.

 

[rburke65]

larry g.....really? That is a ground pin and not a neutral. StaggeringGoat.....save your breath....it's 110v. and or 220v. for the common man. Worry about something you can effect.

 

[GoodoleBoy]

There was a thread about 2-3 days ago started on this very subject. I didnt read the entire thread but it basically said some area code requires ground up, while others areas did not.

 

[StaggeringGoat]

StaggeringGoat.....save your breath....it's 110v. and or 220v. for the common man. Worry about something you can effect.

Only a sign of ignorance.

 

[Wastedwagesracing]

Thanks all good info. I'm in the camp that it makes no difference to me. I was just asking due to fire inspection.
We have a new town inspector. He was not demanding they be changed he was just making a point that ground up is safer.

 

[Milwaukee tool guy]

If you install the outlet with the writing on so you can read it it would be ground down... The new Tamper outlets some of them have a TR stamped on the face they to are ground down..... So I would say ground down.......

 

[larry_g]

larry g.....really? That is a ground pin and not a neutral. .

Fixed it, had a senior moment.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[hh76]

I would think the chances of something slipping in and hitting the prongs from the top would be about the same as from the bottom?

 

[kbs2244]

Greatbear has the idea.
BTW, when I install a quad one goes up and one down.
If "wall warts" are involved it provides better flexability.

 

[Alchymist]

Greatbear has the idea.
BTW, when I install a quad one goes up and one down.
If "wall warts" are involved it provides better flexability.

Probably the one post that makes sense in the whole thread....