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#350 01/16/01 09:47 PM
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sparky Offline OP
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Should the ground(ing) of receptacles be up or down? Which would be best? Why? [Linked Image]

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My old boss liked 'em up. His argument was that if something metal were to strike the plug, dislodging it from the receptacle, the metal would be more likely to touch the ground prong rather than the hot, say a cat knocks a lamp over or something.

In residential, I put them in "ground down" unless the customer wants them up, simply because I've run into problems with things like night-lights, CO2 detectors (plug-in type) and appliance cords (90 degree angle type)that have to be plugged in upside down if the grounds are up.

And, most home-owners like them to look like a face... [Linked Image]

In commercial applications, I put the grounds up unless otherwise suggested.


-Virgil
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Up or Down?

[Linked Image]


[This message has been edited by Joe Tedesco (edited 08-27-2002).]


Joe Tedesco, NEC Consultant
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Could you please elaborate, Mr. Tedesco?

I would tend to think that the photos in the link above would be more a product of stainless steel having too high of a resistance to cause a "complete" short (full 15 or 20 amps depending on circuit) rather than the placement of the U ground.

Perhaps you could shed some light and it would make more sense to me.

Might be a good argument for NM covers...


-Virgil
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Grounds up for safety. End of story. Usually after explaining to the customer the benefits of the grounds being on top they agree. I don't care about night lites and the like being upside down. Safety is the number one rule....not looks or convenience.

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Electrician,
The NEC code making panels do NOT consider this a safety issue. There have been many proposals to require the ground to be up, but they all have been rejected.
Don(resqcapt19)


Don(resqcapt19)
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What exactly are the arguments for ground up anyway...?

"..for safety reasons..." just isn't explanatory enough for me...


-Virgil
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sparky Offline OP
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Go for it Don, most of us have no idea what rationale's have been presented.. [Linked Image]

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The proposals mostly cite incidents like those in Joe's photos. Some also try to make the case that the ground will be the last to break contact with the ground up, but that is not a factual statement. The CMP has not be impressed enough to make it a code rule. There has not been a submission showing the number of these incidents, or one that cited personal injury or property damage other than to the cover plate, cord cap and receptacle.
I just don't like how they look with the ground up, may it is beacuse I worked my apprenticship with a jw who had installed knob and tube. In knob and tube with the 2 wire receptacles the hot was always on the right, when the 3 wire receptacles came out, the electricians continued to place the hot on the right and this put the ground down.
Don(resqcapt19)


Don(resqcapt19)
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sparky Offline OP
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Thank you Don,
you somewhat date yourself in mention to K&T, so comes the next Q...do you remember this "up or down" ground being debated when the 3 wire receptacles came out?

For that matter, when did they come out?

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