Upside down wall plugs

[imoldernu]

Are your wall plugs installed right side up or down? ... Better way to ask...
Is the round grounding part of the plug on top or bottom.

Most angled plugs ends of appliance wires are designed so that when the wire is plugged in, the wire hangs down. Also, plug in wall items such as Carbon Monoxide detectors, are designed to have the grounding plug below the "prongs". I just bought this... charging plug module,
Westinghouse T91001 Outlet Valet Portable Charging Station with 1 Grounded Outlet & 2 USB Ports, White - Amazon.com but can't use it because all my plugs have the grounding plug on top.

All of the homes in our development, my mfg home in FL and my camp have what I'd call upside down plugs, so it's not unusual.
Upside down equals grounding plug on top, because most plug in stuff is designed that way.

... and we put a man on the moon!.
.....................................................
one explanation... a metal piece like a metal backplate, falling down on two prongs that might not be plugged in all the way, could create a short... with the upside down, the metal would ground safely...

Who's smarter? the manufacturer or the electrician?

 

[Midpack]

I must be missing your drift, but in case I'm not...

Not doubting your observation at all, but I can't remember ever seeing a 120V outlet with the ground prong on top. Though it's just as easy to install 'upside down' - no self-respecting electrician would do it. The receptacle-plugs in our house (and every one I've ever seen) can be easily 'flipped' with a (simple flat blade) screwdriver.

Throw the breaker for the affected circuit, take the receptacle cover off, loosen the top and bottom screws, gently turn the receptacle 180° (less wiring twist is better than more), put the screws back in and tighten, replace the cover, and re-energize the breaker. Literally (almost) anyone can do it. Easy-peasy.

I've never seen one without plenty of excess wiring to allow the 'flip' - also a standard practice for electricians.

Could be a little more confusing with switched/unswitched receptacles, but you can still flip them.

Again, I must be missing something...

 

[Rustward]

My grounding plugs are on the bottom. I always thought that is how they are supposed to be.

After getting frustrated with little plug in power supplies blocking access to two or three outlets on a power strip, I bought some 1 to 2 splitters that have about 18 inches of wire on them. They are unsightly, but usually are behind furniture.

Maybe you could use something like this:
Amazon.com : C2G / Cables to Go 03137 18 AWG Outlet Saver Power Extension Cord NEMA 5-15R to NEMA 5-15P (1 Foot/0.30 Meters) Black : Electronics Power Cables : Electronics

 

[aaronc879]

Funny you mention this. Up until the last few months, i've only seen them the right way. When I rented a condo in Florida for a couple months this winter, half the plugs where right and half where wrong. Then when I left Florida to go to Texas, I noticed many of the hotels had them the wrong way. The extended stay hotel i'm in now in Austin has all the plugs the wrong way. I thought it was automatic that the round part went on the bottom. I guess not

 

[easysurfer]

imoldernu,

Would this solve your problem?

http://www.amazon.com/ROTATOR-GR710..._sim_hi_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GMTZWJAKNCTH1H32DP8

I have a few of these to rotate so that I can use both outlets.

 

[imoldernu]

I must be missing your drift, but in case I'm not...

Not doubting your observation at all, but I can't remember ever seeing a 120V outlet with the ground prong on top. Though it's just as easy to install 'upside down' - no self-respecting electrician would do it. The receptacle-plugs in our house (and every one I've ever seen) can be easily 'flipped' with a (simple flat blade) screwdriver.

Throw the breaker for the affected circuit, take the receptacle cover off, loosen the top and bottom screws, gently turn the receptacle 180° (less wiring twist is better than more), put the screws back in and tighten, replace the cover, and re-energize the breaker. Literally (almost) anyone can do it. Easy-peasy.

I've never seen one without plenty of excess wiring to allow the 'flip' - also a standard practice for electricians.

Could be a little more confusing with switched/unswitched receptacles, but you can still flip them.

Again, I must be missing something...

Gonna try turning the wall plug... but... in your picture....
Note that the correct/wrong pictures both have the wider part of the prong on the left... If it were just put in upside down, wouldn't the wide part of the plug prong be on the other side?

 

[KB]

I have a few plugs in my house that are the 'upside down' plugs. Those plugs are the ones that have a wall switch that controls the plug. I asked the contractor why they were upside down when I had my walk through on the house and he explained about the wall switch. Whether it is standard or not, this contractor did it in my entire subdivision.

 

[imoldernu]

imoldernu,

Would this solve your problem?

ROTATOR GR7100 Swivel Socket Power Adaptor, 2-Pack - Amazon.com

I have a few of these to rotate so that I can use both outlets.

Would solve my problem, but I only paid $2.50 for the charger, and the rotators cost $24. My reputation as a [-]cheapskate[/-] frugal person would suffer.

 

[nash031]

Here's what I learned from this post: I need to save more money and accelerate my retirement timeline so I can spend my days worried about stuff like this!!

 

[Hermit]

Funny you mention this. Up until the last few months, i've only seen them the right way. When I rented a condo in Florida for a couple months this winter, half the plugs where right and half where wrong. Then when I left Florida to go to Texas, I noticed many of the hotels had them the wrong way. The extended stay hotel i'm in now in Austin has all the plugs the wrong way. I thought it was automatic that the round part went on the bottom. I guess not

aaronc879, could you check your wall plugs against the pictures of the inverse? It looks like a picture is flipped. The wide blade should be on the other side.

 

[Midpack]

Gonna try turning the wall plug... but... in your picture....
Note that the correct/wrong pictures both have the wider part of the prong on the left... If it were just put in upside down, wouldn't the wide part of the plug prong be on the other side?

I didn't notice that, poor choice of pictures on my part. But aside from the picture, are your wider prongs on the "wrong side?" If not, you can just flip them as described.

 

[Tortoise]

The National Electrical Code, which is commonly but not exclusively adopted by local authorities having jurisdiction, specifies that three-prong outlets should have the ground facing up in certain circumstances -- particularly hospitals. As for commercial and residential applications, however, there is no such requirement in the NEC. The reason for hospitals is that it is safer to have the ground on top in case a plug is partially pulled out and something metallic, like a paper clip or pen, falls across the prongs.

 

[unclemick]

What's a ground - I have a house with mixed plugs, many being two prong with no ground. I removed the cover on several and observed the ground wire nowhere to be seen. But the bathroom and kitchen and former garage now an added room have three prong grounded plugs.



heh heh heh -

 

[imoldernu]

Here's what I learned from this post: I need to save more money and accelerate my retirement timeline so I can spend my days worried about stuff like this!!

YES!

Having just solved the Ukraine crisis, had a little time on my hands...

BTW... looks like the question isn't too unusual... Read this for more input.
Why are these outlets upside-down? - homeimprovement electricalwiring resolved | Ask MetaFilter

Back to working on the US budget.

 

[ls99]

In our house all of the wall sockets are upside down. It was built in the seventies and has the electrical inspector's signature on the power panel, noting the house's wiring were approved before issuing a certificate of occupancy to the original owners.

A pain in the arse. I just don't feel like going around to rotate them so the ground prong is at the bottom. OTOH when they they fail or I have to remove them for some other reason they do get turned the right way.

Apparently at one time it was the electrical code for some areas. Years ago I read somwhere that the purpose was to avoid bare wire or paper clips or some such falling on the partiallly seated plug and cause a short. I all my life I never heard of any bare wire accidentally falling on a partially seated plug's terminals and causing problems.

This was from the same brilliant era of allowing the wiring to be pushed into the socket's holes in the back. I had replaced several sockets which were malfunctioning due to overhated and poor connections. On the replacements the wires wre properly attached via the conveniently provided screw terminals.

NB. Before ERD50 shows up and says code allows for that, I do know. We had a long discussion a few years back of this very subject on this forum. I just don't feel like searching for it.

Seems like some OSHA as*hole looking for a problem which did not exist.

 

[easysurfer]

Would solve my problem, but I only paid $2.50 for the charger, and the rotators cost $24. My reputation as a [-]cheapskate[/-] frugal person would suffer.

I didn't even look at the price before I posted.

How about this one?

360 Electrical 36083 1-Outlet Compact Rotating Surge Protector - Amazon.com

$5.99 sounds better than $24 at least

 

[ls99]

What's a ground - I have a house with mixed plugs, many being two prong with no ground. I removed the cover on several and observed the ground wire nowhere to be seen. But the bathroom and kitchen and former garage now an added room have three prong grounded plugs.



heh heh heh -

In olden days there was some stuff called BX cable, metal jacket and all that

 

[38Chevy454]

The National Electrical Code, which is commonly but not exclusively adopted by local authorities having jurisdiction, specifies that three-prong outlets should have the ground facing up in certain circumstances -- particularly hospitals. As for commercial and residential applications, however, there is no such requirement in the NEC. The reason for hospitals is that it is safer to have the ground on top in case a plug is partially pulled out and something metallic, like a paper clip or pen, falls across the prongs.

What I have heard also, it prevents a shock or shorting if something slips down between the wall and the plug.

As for functionality, it usually does not matter. On 120V one leg is hot (black wire), other neutral (white wire). Most devices do not have preference, but the wide plug slot (neutral, the white wire) is intended for applications where it does matter.

For OP, as suggested, you should be able to just turn the receptacle the way that fits your needs. Should be enough wiring inside to flip it 180.

 

[pb4uski]

....Back to working on the US budget.

That should keep you busy for a while.....

 

[travelover]

I worry a lot, too, about the proper way to hang toilet paper. Of course any fool knows the end should be away for the wall.

 

[imoldernu]

For the younger persons... knob and tube wiring, switches and plugs that we grew up with...

 

[Rustward]

I believe it was Archie Bunker who educated us on the toilet paper. . . .


...and NEVER a sock and a shoe and a sock and a shoe. It's always a sock and a sock then a shoe and a shoe.

 

[Midpack]

This thread went into the toilet faster than most...

 

[ERD50]

...
Not doubting your observation at all, but I can't remember ever seeing a 120V outlet with the ground prong on top. Though it's just as easy to install 'upside down' - no self-respecting electrician would do it. ...

I do recall coming across a discussion on a site dedicated to code enforcers/inspectors, and several of them were making the case for 'upside down' (I won't call it 'wrong') plug - and it appears to actually be code in some cases - so that 'self -respecting' electrician better know the code!

The National Electrical Code, which is commonly but not exclusively adopted by local authorities having jurisdiction, specifies that three-prong outlets should have the ground facing up in certain circumstances -- particularly hospitals. ... it is safer to have the ground on top in case a plug is partially pulled out and something metallic, like a paper clip or pen, falls across the prongs.

...

Apparently at one time it was the electrical code for some areas. Years ago I read somwhere that the purpose was to avoid bare wire or paper clips or some such falling on the partiallly seated plug and cause a short. I all my life I never heard of any bare wire accidentally falling on a partially seated plug's terminals and causing problems. ...

What I have heard also, it prevents a shock or shorting if something slips down between the wall and the plug. ...

And if you think it can't happen - it happened to us! Our kid was trying to fish something out from behind his bed with an aluminum yardstick. It swung and shorted on a plug that was partially pulled out. Wham - kazamm-sparks-excitement!!!!

Being swung from the side (and the plug was arranged horizontally - so turning it brings neutral to the top, rather than hot) is a little different than something falling from the top, but a similar concern. The code people were saying that a sideways socket was safer with the neutral (the wide slot) on the top, and a vertical socket with ground at the top, so something falling would not be as likely to contact a hot leg.

But neutral and ground on the bottom seems to be common. I just noticed my kitchen has a vertical oriented duplex, and ground is on the top. I never noticed before!

For the OP - I've noticed that some devices that are designed to plug directly in and where the orientation matters to the user have a rotate-able plug on them. Something to look for.

-ERD50

 

[Walt34]

I worry a lot, too, about the proper way to hang toilet paper. Of course any fool knows the end should be away for the wall.

Of course. That is the natural and proper order of things, as explained here: http://currentconfig.com/2005/02/22/essential-life-lesson-1-over-is-right-under-is-wrong/

Of course any decision can be made more complex by offering more choices. If the roll is hung vertically, should the flap be to the right or to the left? Or if it isn't hung at all, but merely placed on a nearby shelf, does it matter which finger the roll is hung upon to unspool it or which hand is used? The Absolute Right Way to Hang Toilet Paper. Maybe

Being retired means you have time to research and contemplate the universal significance of such important questions, setting aside such trivial irrelevancies such as whether the Republicans or Democrats or both are idiots.