[BC] Re: Flipped outlets

[Al Wolfe]

    Having spent more than twenty years as a commercial electrician in a 
former life, maybe I can add something to the outlet orientation debate. I 
have been threatened with physical violence for installing outlets either 
way. It seems that old heads and union electricians like to put the ground 
down while independent electricians and the new guys generally put them up. 
And they believe this religiously.

    I have taken an informal survey among electricians over the years as to 
why the ground should go up or down. Most thought that was a stupid 
question. "Of course they go down (up)." When I asked why most just said 
because that's the way it's done. One gentleman said that he wants the 
right-hand terminal to be the hot one when he removes the outlet from the 
wall. (Ground down)  Others said it's because it looks like a little face. 
(Ground down) Another said the ground terminal is supposed to be the first 
to make contact and the last to break contact. This make a lot of sense but 
doesn't really answer the question.

   ( I spent one summer working in Canada and there it was 100% ground 
down.)

    When outlets are mounted horizontally there was 100% agreement that the 
ground should be to the left. This puts the hot wire on the bottom of the 
outlet. The reason given was the one about dropping a conductive item on a 
semi-inserted plug being fairly innocuous. To me this is a pretty good 
arguement to put the ground up when installed vertically. At least then 
there's a 50-50 chance that the paper clip will fall to the neutral side 
when it falls behind the plug.

    Having spent some time in ER's and OR's most of the outlets have the 
ground up. If it's good enough for the hospitals it's good enough for me.

One who has installed thousands of outlets, 98% ground UP.

Al (retired)
AKA K9SI