ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues Receptacles Upside Down?

We recently went on vacation to a new home in Garrett County, Maryland (Deep Creek Lake). The first thing I noticed when I walked in the home was that every single receptacle was installed upside down. I wrote an e-mail to the owner pointing out the list of things I found wrong with the house including the receptacles. The owner wrote back and told me that she thinks it's Garrett County code to install the Receptacles upside down. Can any of you verify this for me?

Upside down by whose definition? Unless there is a specific requirement in the installation instructions that come with the receptacle or there is a local amendment to the NEC, there is no requirement that I'm aware of for any particular orientation.

This topic seems to come up a couple of times a year. If you do a search of this site, I'm sure you'll find a long thread about which way is up.

If you feel really strong about there being a right way & wrong way, submit a proposal to the NEC. But be quick, your time is running out. Look in the back of your 2008 code book for the form & the deadline.

Tom