Electric Receptacles: Ground up or Ground Down?

samhill · Post by **samhill** » Sun. Apr. 08, 2012 9:26 pm

I just looked at two different c/o detectors & both are designed for ground down for the digital readout to be upright.

jpete · Post by **jpete** » Sun. Apr. 08, 2012 9:32 pm

AA130FIREMAN wrote:Think about how you pull out a plug, thumb and index finger, thumb on top and index on the bottom, being (MOST) peoples index fingers are longer than their thumb, it would seem that would be more prone to going past the insulation, so ground down. I don't have any proof of this ,just my opinion, anyway, recptacles look better ground DOWN, more like a smily face

What utopian society do you live in?

Grab a handful of wire and pretend you're starting the mower!

CoalHeat · Post by **CoalHeat** » Sun. Apr. 08, 2012 10:05 pm

I install them ground down. In certain situations such as a large appliance with a right angle plug you might have to install it ground up so the cord runs out of the plug on the bottom.
I like them all to look like smiley faces and I also have to have all the switchplate screws horizontal.

Here's the exception, it's an early GFI that I installed in the bathroom during some rewiring. In order to have the "Test" and "Reset" correct and not upside down I had to install it ground up. Drives me nuts every time I go to plug in a 3 pronged plug.

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Rick 386 · Post by **Rick 386** » Sun. Apr. 08, 2012 10:06 pm

jpete wrote:This is the "proper" way to do it.

Here's the link. Slightly NSFW for those with sensitive eyes.

Did you even read Fred's post ????? The damn plate screw is supposed to be horizontal !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now fix that pic.

Rick

CoalHeat · Post by **CoalHeat** » Sun. Apr. 08, 2012 10:12 pm

Problem solved!!!

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Post by **Richard S.** » Sun. Apr. 08, 2012 11:05 pm

Freddy wrote:
Richard S. wrote: grounds on top because it's code.
I"m a show me type of guy.....so show me! I'll bet fifty cents it's not in writing.

Fred this is what two electricians said, the one at our house and another down my brothers. Perhaps it's just a recommendation to prevent things like a tape ruler going behind it and shorting out the whole thing. The one electrician told me it was because of the metal plates which really doesn't make sense because you would have to have the power on, have something plugged in and be taking the plate off at the same time. In any event I don't the idea primarily because so many plugs are designed to be with the ground down, all that stress can't be good.

CoalHeat · Post by **CoalHeat** » Sun. Apr. 08, 2012 11:11 pm

There is a European receptacle that is recessed, the prongs on the plug are not energized until the plug is inserted into the recess. That makes sense, doesn't it?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets

Post by **Richard S.** » Mon. Apr. 09, 2012 12:25 am

Wood'nCoal wrote:There is a European receptacle that is recessed, the prongs on the plug are not energized until the plug is inserted into the recess. That makes sense, doesn't it?

Just something else to break , next thing is they'll make them code.

vermontday · Post by **vermontday** » Mon. Apr. 09, 2012 5:59 am

In Vermont we have to attend code updates for our master electricians license every two years. We sat through one in which two vermont inspectors argued for 15 minutes on ground up versus down. In the end, they said either way was OK.

rberq · Post by **rberq** » Mon. Apr. 09, 2012 6:16 am

KLook wrote:I suppose you run them under the rugs too?!

"Somebody" in my house does. I asked her what she was doing in 3rd grade Health class when everybody else was taught not to do that. It probably was a bigger issue yea those many years ago, when there was only one outlet per room, no such thing as a ground prong, and extension cord insulation consisted of that fuzzy cloth thread that the cat liked to eat.

SMITTY · Post by **SMITTY** » Mon. Apr. 09, 2012 6:23 am

Wood'nCoal wrote:Problem solved!!!
DSCN1001.JPG

Same as my place. Anything with a ground has no ground wire attached in most my outlets. 3 generations of families have lived in this house since it was equipped with electricity, and all of them died of old age. Just sayin ....

My bathroom has a non-GFCI outlet with the ground facing up. It annoys me every time I go to the can, and has for the past 9 years.

Makes the cord bend ... which I would think is more dangerous than the 1 in 1 BILLION chance something falls on the prongs. Bend a cord like that for long, and the jacketing cracks - now you have exposed wires. Puts unnecessary stress on the cord, IMHO.

While codes have good intentions, most of them are based in government reality - the same reality most hippies enjoyed at Woodstock '69 after eating the brown acid that the nice man warned about. I prefer to live my life in just plain REALITY.

Post by **Richard S.** » Mon. Apr. 09, 2012 6:45 am

SMITTY wrote: which I would think is more dangerous than the 1 in 1 BILLION chance something falls on the prongs.

SMITTY · Post by **SMITTY** » Mon. Apr. 09, 2012 6:50 am

Yeah gotta watch where you put those things.

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Mon. Apr. 09, 2012 7:13 am

Yep, when I was going for my Journeyman, working for North Country Elec. out of Rochester, Vt. more emphasis was put on those plate screws being uniform, then how to set the receptical.

As long as it worked & looked good.

vermontday wrote:In Vermont we have to attend code updates for our master electricians license every two years. We sat through one in which two vermont inspectors argued for 15 minutes on ground up versus down. In the end, they said either way was OK.

steamup · Post by **steamup** » Mon. Apr. 09, 2012 8:25 am

Rob R. wrote:I always face them down. Here is one I haven't gotten to yet that is bugging me...good thing I rarely use it.

I hate this situation too. NEMA angle plugs are ground down when gravity tugs on the wire. I vote ground down. Nothing in the code says otherwise.

Electric Receptacles: Ground up or Ground Down?

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