I'm not expecting much sympathy on this one...

Most of the outlets (grounded) in my house are upside down; except for kitchen/baths where the house has been remodeled. (Just moved in last summer).

How do I know they're upside down; because the molded appliance plugs, and right angle flush mount ext. cords would be pointed up the wall, if I didn't rotate them.

I asked an electrician once. "Because if a piece of metal (like picture hanging wire) were to slide down the wall, and the plug is slightly out of the wall...it could cause a short. If the ground plug is on top, it offers some protection."

I know, it takes a couple minutes each to flip 'em around, and I will probably do all of them at some point... just cause it bugs me.

It's code now.

When we moved into our circa-1910 home 2 years ago, it had been completely rewired with 200-amp service and not only was every outlet "upside down", they were all the nearly-impossible-to-plug-into childproof type outlets too.

I actually prefer them, I have made all of my outlets "upside down"

That was my first thought when we moved to Tennessee 20 years ago, "Hey, these outlets are upside down!". I've become so used to it that when I visit other places, I now think that they are the ones that are upside down.

Great! Now I need to replace my outlet covers...

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
It's code now.

When we moved into our circa-1910 home 2 years ago, it had been completely rewired with 200-amp service and not only was every outlet "upside down", they were all the nearly-impossible-to-plug-into childproof type outlets too.

Could be a local code, but NOT req'd per NEC or NFPA 70.

petr - Feel free to maintain your present outlet covers!

Just use upside down plugs. You'll be fine.

Not code either way. We use the "upside down" outlets to identify a receptacle where one half is controlled by a switch.

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
It's code now.

When we moved into our circa-1910 home 2 years ago, it had been completely rewired with 200-amp service and not only was every outlet "upside down", they were all the nearly-impossible-to-plug-into childproof type outlets too.

Could be a local code, but NOT req'd per NEC or NFPA 70.

petr - Feel free to maintain your present outlet covers!

It's not NEC, but AHJ (authority having jurisdiction) can make up any silly rules they want. District of Columbia requires upside down outlets. Another silly rule in DC is that you must install switch below dishwasher to act as a disconnect, there is a number of reasons I think that rule is dumb.

My home was built in '16, has 200 amp service, and all of my outlets correctly have the ground on bottom. Also, every outlet plate screw is perfectly vertically aligned.

quote:

Originally posted by sandman76:
Not code either way. We use the "upside down" outlets to identify a receptacle where one half is controlled by a switch.

This is the way I've seen them also. The switched outlets in my house are upside-down.

I want mine that way. I have had a hanging wire cause a short. It wasn't pretty.

My home (apartment) and workplace both have upside-down outlets.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
It's not NEC, but AHJ (authority having jurisdiction) can make up any silly rules they want. District of Columbia requires upside down outlets.

I know we're talking about DoC here, but is there some "real world" reason for this?

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
My home (apartment) and workplace both have upside-down outlets.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
It's not NEC, but AHJ (authority having jurisdiction) can make up any silly rules they want. District of Columbia requires upside down outlets.

I know we're talking about DoC here, but is there some "real world" reason for this?

The reason I've always heard was if you drop a metal object and the plug isn't all the way in and that metal object falls perfectly into the gap between the receptacle and plug it won't short out. Seems like a pretty unlikely scenario.

It can't hurt. Maybe this "extreme outlier" actually happened once.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: egregore,

Welcome to my world. Or worse yet, the one my wife lives in where we had to rotate a half dozen light switches when we moved in because they weren't down when off.......

quote:

Also, every outlet plate screw is perfectly vertically aligned.

Yeah, another by-product....

Yeah I do not like it. I was installing some outlets at work, so 20 years ago and a coworker told me that the correct way was to put them in upside down. I did not do it. So, he was installing some and did it his way. The company made him change them as so many complained. There are codes, at least for hospitals, not sure about anywhere else.

quote:

we had to rotate a half dozen light switches when we moved in because they weren't down when off......

i guess she's not up for a three-way... switch.

I could buy the switched outlet reason as items needing a ground are not likely to be wall switched, but the wire-falling-shorting-out scenario sounds more like Old Electrician Tales than anything else. Would drive me nuts (then again it would be a short drive)

It's so the crazies at the hospital don't see the faces of people doin' it doggie style when they see the outlets.