electrical plugs

[pudgybear]

Hey! just out of curiosity,,,,, when installing an electrical plug which way does the grounding rod go???? i have seen them with the hole up and some go on the botton, is there a code on which way they are supposed to be?

 

[porschedude996TT]

I've always made it look like a smiley face with the ground lower than the two flat prong hole.

 

[wellpoison]

this is one of our main discussions at work. i say it doesn't matter but keep them same as the others. other guy at work says two prongs up. other says ground up and his reason is because, if something fell straight down on the plug and it was a little bit out from the wall then it would hit the ground first and not short the circuit..

 

[shaferz]

NEC doesn't dictate this, but for the same reason as the previous poster, I install most receptacles with the ground pin UP.

 

[aosty]

Both ways work fine. There is an argument ground pin up is safer... if a plug wiggles partially out and something falls on it, there's less chance of getting zapped.

Edit: Oops, didn't see post #3 & #4.

 

[KSwiss]

Ground down, when you wrap your hand around a plug to pull it out you can see easier if its plugged all the way in. And avoid a shock

 

[Steevo]

If you let this thread run long enough, you'll get a 50/50 up/down response.

In homes, often an upside down receptacle is a switched receptacle, or at least one of the two is.

 

[rodm1]

It doesn't matter, I like the smiley way do to appliance plugs hang down to the floor.

 

[jkeyser14]

Ground down. If you ever have to plug a transformer (one of those big power bricks) into a ground up outlet they fall out much easier.

 

[Zeke]

If you let this thread run long enough, you'll get a 50/50 up/down response.

In homes, often an upside down receptacle is a switched receptacle, or at least one of the two is.

But you'll never find 50 % of homes or commercial property with the ground up. I don't find many switched ones upside down either. But that could be a West Coast thing.

It doesn't matter, I like the smiley way do to appliance plugs hang down to the floor.

I've had several fridge cords and some washer cords the opposite.

 

[Stuart in MN]

There's a big argument here about this every six months or so (you could do a search to find previous threads), but it's entirely up to which way you prefer - there are no code requirements either way.

 

[kursplat]

i had all mine ground up, but when i had a feng shui expert check out my garage, she told me ground down would keep me from misplacing tools...





i wish they would make an outlet with the ground holes opposite from each other. if your wanting to plug in 2 cords with the plug like this they would fit

 

[pattenp]

The down side of having the ground pin up is the pictured style cord does not hang correctly.

 

[Hawk]

Just to make it more interesting, back in the sixties when the house we now live in was rewired, some one put the new boxes in horizontally.

 

[cj7365]

The electrician who did my house had the ground down, when he did my shop ground up, kinda wonder why, guess I should of asked him........................

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Just to make it more interesting, back in the sixties when the house we now live in was rewired, some one put the new boxes in horizontally.

I have a Hearthstone log house. Its design is unique in that there is a 4" space between logs, as they are spaced by blocks every so often (sounds weird and yes it is, I would not do this If I built one) and this gives a great place to put electric boxes and receptacles.... horizontally.

When I move in I discovered that along with all the other weird **** the original owner did (owner finished home) is that there was no rhyme or reason to how they installed the electric receptacles. They used the el-cheapo versions, I actually found price stickers on them (1985 build) with 39 cent and 49 cent prices on them. Some had the ground pins left, some right, and the plugs would just fall out of them, they were no good and worn out.

I replaced all with backwired commercial Leviton receptacles and put the ground pins to the left, thus neutral blade on top, for all of them, for consistency.

Switches were the same way, left was off for some, on for others, I had to turn around several switches and replaced several also. Now all are off to the left, and on to the right.

Charles

 

[Falcon67]

I hate upside down plugs. As for the shorting deal - I say if you drop a nail down there, it's 50/50 it'll land on the ground pin and then on the hot and cause a short anyway. If that bothers a person, tell them to push the dang plug all the way in.

 

[larry_g]

The down side of having the ground pin up is the pictured style cord does not hang correctly.

It's obvious that you have the wrong style of cord then

lg

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Actually the OP asked an impossible question as you do not install "electrical PLUGS" in the boxes in the wall, you install RECEPTACLES that you insert plugs into.

Charles

 

[dadsEH]

Now , for the next important DIY survey.........
















do you like your toilet tissue feeding from the back or front of the roll!!!??

 

[Burtonrider10022]

If it's a 4 receptacle box I'd say one side up, one side down. That way you have a higher probability of fitting multiple large/odd shapen/horizontal plugs.

 

[Delta74]

This should be in the never ending debate section, arguements are, Ground up, if something falls, it will hit the ground and reduce chances of a short, other side, ground down, if you step on the cord or pull it, often with downward pressure you may break or partially break the connection to the hot lead, but the ground will still be making contact, Meh i dunno, I always install them down, I think they look better.

Next great debate, the screws for the cover plates, leave them however? all vertical? all horizontal? my eye picks them up when they are just wherever, and had Inspectors tell me when they see that, they take a closer look at the work as its usually a hack or amature job, but the guy ( or gal ) that takes time to make them all vertical likely took the time to do the job right and thus no need to pull things apart to inspect them.

 

[hmbemis]

What about "Chicago Style"?