Why are electrical outlets in many modern apartment buildings or public places installed with the ground plug at the top of the outlet. I have always known outlets to look like it has two vertical eyes and a tiny mouth. Could I possibly have an upside-down view on what an outlet should look like, or is there a real reason that many are installed this way?
The two reasons I’ve heard from two different electricians:
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If you’re cutting something with a knife on a kitchen counter and slice through an appliance cord, you’ll cut through the ground first if the plug is upside down. This will trip the GFCI and prevent you from shocking yourself.
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If the plug is hanging slightly out of the outlet, the terminals are exposed. If something metal is dropped against the wall and it strikes the plug, it would short out, causing a spark and possible fire hazard. Turning it upside down, the object would simply bounce off the ground terminal on it’s way down.
Since most kitchen appliances have two-wire cords and no ground plug, I say nonsense to this explanation. Besides, I can’t recall ever seeing a GFCI outside of the bathroom (where someone might drop their hair drier or electric razor into a full sink or tub.
Again, the vast majority of small household appliances don’t even have a ground plug. For this explanation to make sense, the hypothetical metal object would need to be very thin — thin enough to slip between the outlet cover plate and the plastic part of the plug and manage to touch both terminals simultaneously. This would also require the falling metal object to remain within 1/4" inch of the wall, remaining parallel to the wall for the entire descent, and somehow not bouncing off the top edge of the cover plate before making contact with the plug itself. Extremely unlikely scenario.
The correct answer is that somebody didn’t notice that they had wired the outlet backwards until they had finished assembling it, and then was too lazy to take it apart and do it right.
Heh - Britside, the socket is always oriented earth-side up. I’ve never found out why.
In Arkansas, at least, new buildings have to have GFCI outlets in the kitchen-one for every foot of counter space. But I agree with you “correct answer.”
I see them in kitchens, garages and outdoors all the time.
The theories I’ve always heard are that they should be upside down so that if the plug is partially pulled out of the wall it exposes the ground, well the ground moreso then the hot anyways.
OTOH, the counterpoint to this is that they should be rightside up so that if it pulls partially out the ground stays in the socket.
Personally I think the ground down looks alot nicer (probably cuz that’s the way I’ve always seen it), but pratically, the ground up does make more sense.
Stateside, although I’m not going to pull out my National Electrical Code, all kitchen receptacles should be on a GFI - either a breaker or wired downstream of a GFI receptacle. My house was built in 1990 and this is the case.
It seems to be common practice around these parts anyway (MD) to install receptacles with ground ‘up’. Most electricians tell me it is for the reason given above that if the plug is only partially inserted, the ground pin is likely to stop anything from ‘falling’ onto the live pins.
Of course we wouldn’t have this issue if the US stopped using wiring devices that were common in the UK in oh…say the 1940s.
Just finished remodelling our kitchen and had all GFCI outlets, at least all the ones above counters. Actually had one outlet without GFCI that was above a counter that was far removed from any water source, but the electrical inspector required that GFCI be installed anyway. Pulled out my trusty tools and did it on the spot to pass the inspection.
Not true, some states have regulated the outlets be installed with the ground up to meet code. NJ is one of these states. What I can not find is the reason this was made code. Perhaps someone knows a handy link to on line building codes.
Jim
Same thing here in NY. My brand new kitchen, FWIW, has GFCI outlets, but they’re oriented the traditional way with ground on the bottom. Same thing in the bathroom.
Having cut through more than my share of electrical cables, it’s my impression that most of them spiral down the length of the sheath. Which wire you hit first won’t matter much on the outlet’s orientation.
This makes some sense, but I can’t think of any practical applications. How often are you dropping paperclips down the side of a wall?
Here’s a thought, though again I’m not sure how practical: If you’re plugging something in blindly (say, in the dark) and you are using a finger to guide the first prong in (because, say, you’ve lost some IQ points from previous shocks :)), it’s marginally safer if your finger is resting on the ground prong than one of the other two.
I’m half amused, or or maybe it’s half disgusted, that an electrical code would be fussy about the way an outlet is installed. Especially so since there are far more serious things to consider. Such as the fact that an individual fuze for appliances, suited to the size of wire in them, is not required.
According to a friend at the National Electrical Contractors Association, the electric code does not specify a proper orientation; most receptacles are UL-listed to be installed either way. And don’t forget the rotating outlet.
You probably know I’m originally from NJ. I’m not aware of any such code requirement, so I’m going to have to ask you to cite this claim.
Don’t know if the matters but I had a metal switchplate cover come off and short between the 2 prongs of a partially inserted plug.
Also sometimes people have been known to ‘feel’ where to insert the plug when they can’t see it directly (due to low light or obstructions). It may be easier to feel along the ground prong if it’s up.
I cannot not, so you can assume I am misquoting information. However, I had House inspectors and Electrical inspectors tell me this for the townships of Tinton Falls & Howell. New installation is suppose to be ground blade up. I did ask for more information in this part of my post: “Perhaps someone knows a handy link to on line building codes.” I do not know how to find this information via Google, I will ask the plant electrician later if I see him. He is pretty savvy on electrical code.
I believe it is true that Building codes are not national but by state and that specific municipalities might have their own additional requirements?
To help anyone who wants to help out on this question, I have the impression the code change happened in the Eighties in NJ or least in Tinton Falls.
Jim
That’s it!
I knew the whole “ground up prevents a short” thing had a smidge more realism than some random sheet of metal falling 1/8 inch from a wall right on top of the outlet, but I couldn’t remember the circumstance. A loose switchplate is in a perfect position to short across the terminals if jostled loose when plugging something in.
I’ve always thought that plugs should be installed upside down so that they don’t look like a face and would be less tempting to kids.
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I just checked the GFCI outlets in my bathroom; I was thinking that a ground at top installation would cause the printing on the TEST and RESET buttons to be inverted. No, it wouldn’t. The words are printed twice, one upside down. It’s a two-outlet box, though and the other outlet is labeled “GFCI protected outlet.” If that outlet were inverted, that label would be upside down.
They were installed by an electrician about 16 years ago. I had him install 7 outlets for me, and all 7 are ground-at-bottom.
Q.E.D.: I checked with our Plant Electrician. He says it is code for the ground to be up and if you install the outlet sideways for the neutral to be up.
I still welcome any links to the Federal of state building codes. I am giving up; it exceeds my Google-fu.
Jim