Guys,
In all the time that I've been here at ECN, I've only ever seen vertical Receptacles used in the US.
Here is one of ours used here in New Zealand:



This is what I'm wondering, do you guys have a Receptacle that is Horizontal?
Like this?:



Your thoughts?.

{Thanks to Clipsal.com.au for the pics).


{Message edited to fix URL}

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 08-21-2005).]

Yeah Mike we have options.







Our receptacles may face any direction.

Bob

[This message has been edited by iwire (edited 08-21-2005).]

Yes, I have seen a few GFCI outlets that are sideways like the one in your second picture. I don't have a picture handy though. While I have seen GFCI's like that I have never seen just a regular duplex receptacle though.

Check out the triplex outlet on this page: http://www.levitonhelpdesk.com/catalog/
I have never seen one before though.

"Yeah Mike we have options."
Bob
LOL everybody's a comedian

[This message has been edited by IanR (edited 08-21-2005).]

[This message has been edited by IanR (edited 08-21-2005).]

Thanks Bob,
Oh and by the way,
I don't wan't any Ground up or down comments.

Well no comments but there is also Roger's outlet.

And there's this:



The Biceptacle

electure
Thats a really interesting concept for a receptacle. Still soumething about it just doesn't look right to me. Maybe I just don't like change

OK, let's give our overseas friend a break here; I don't think the 4-square is used outside the US.

Mike, our basic electrical box is steel, 4" square and maybe 1.5" deep. This box is completely open in the front, and is used together with a "mud ring."
The mud ring comes in three varieties: for one device, for two devices, and with a round opening (for lights). They are made in different depths, to accomodate differing wall thicknesses. Again, our "typical" wall material is drywall- a factory made sheet of paper faced gypsum "plaster." so, the ring is the part that goes through the drywall.

You can mount the ring, and thus the device, in either orientation on the box.


Now, these days homes are often wired using a different sort of box- a plastic one with nails attached to it. This type does not use a "mud ring," and has to be mounted in line with the wall stud- or vertically.

You will note that our receptacles do not have switches mounted with them. This might be why our usual practice is to mount the receptacle vertically- it's just the "normal" way to do it.

They make a 4 plug device that has them indexed 90 degrees around in a circle.

Sorry, I didn't see Bob's picyture, that's the one

[This message has been edited by gfretwell (edited 08-21-2005).]

I'm sure I saw an electrician on an American tv show several years ago, bend two metal tabs into a hole in the the sheetrock to fix a receptacle?
Alan

Alan are you talking about a "Madison bar". It is a flat metal strip, used in pairs yto hold a box in a hole on old work.
The long part sits behind the hole against the back of the wall and the 2 tabs bend over the box edge to hold it.

Often the 4X4 box is a "bracket box" with mounting onto the side of the wood 2X4 (most construction here is wood-framed with drywall). That leaves one side of the box firmly mounted, but sometimes the other side moves or hinges. The tabs were probably "steamboats" which can help firm the loose side to the wall. Usually though, the steamboats are used for "rework" boxes whose only support is the drywall. The top and bottom tabs of the rework box keep it from pushing into the wall, and a steamboat on the two sides keep the box from pulling out of the wall.

Now you're probably REALLY confused. Pictures anyone?

Dave

Dave

Like Bob said, we have 4 options, installing them whichever direction we want. Of course, most are vertical since the single gang nail-on box is vertical, but for some reason most of the receptacles in the Chicagoland area are installed horizontally. When I worked there, they were all that way, except if they were ganged together whith a switch, or another receptacle. And most of them are in 4-square, or 1900 boxes, with mud rings.

We have a lot more than 4 options.

We've got all 360° of options.

In Mexico we have this device made by Grupo IUSA:


It's a horizontal version of an American-style "decorator" receptacle.

Mexican wiring uses the same type wall boxes and devices as USA/Canada.

Unfortunately a lot of the stuff made down in Mexico by Mexican companies doesn't see the light of day here in the USA market. Some of it is pretty innovative.

Only Mexican stuff I see sold here is Leviton and Cooper (USA brands that are manufactured down there).

[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 08-21-2005).]

How about hot up/down for the horizontal mounting?

Ducks for cover.....

ROFL....

Incoming!!!

It is used in Canada as well.

How about twistlocks.. you can get dizzy going around in circles..

At least this is one debate we don't have in Britain. With right-angle plugs being the norm, there's only one possible orientation which is considered correct:



Notice that our ground is up though, versus the Australian/New Zealand down. This is due entirely to the fact that we're on the opposite side of the world and are thus "upside down" of course!

Sorry, couldn't resist that one.....