I've been an electrician my whole life (45 years exp). I worked non union, union and owner. A place you will always see outlets installed ground up is in hospitals or anything patient care. That was for the metal clipboards they used and hung on walls all over patient areas would slip off their screw or the staff would fumble them and they would hit the outlet and short circuit. So in many municipality settings, it's in the blueprint literature to install them ground prong up. They're many other commercial and industrial settings they could fit this example as well. I've always install outlets to the environment they are in, so in any instances that something could come off the wall or fall onto an outlet or if in the specs, I would install ground up. If not, ground down. Also, horizontally, you should always install the receptacle neutral side up. Thank you and have a good day.
My place in Europe, the plugs are round, and they go into a hole, so it is impossible for the prongs to be exposed. I'm surprised that no one makes such a receptacle in US for such scenarios as you describe. Could be bad to short out circuit with life support equipment on it, probably worth the extra few cents of plastic.
Thanks for explaining this about my work environment - I always wondered. And, we're building a new house and have plans for some horizontal receptacles so good to think about that as well.
@@marlohowell7081 We have horizontal outlets in this building. With neutral pointing pointing up, if something is dropped it is going to hit the neutral and ground. Though if a person's finger edges over without being seen when unplugging something, the hand will touch the hot prong. I've not noticed this to be a problem.
We lived in a house where nearly all of the outlets were installed with the ground pin facing up. It only really caused issues behind the refrigerator and a few similarly designed appliances where the power cord was manufactured in a way that caused the cord to loop over the top of the outlet. The cord was shaped naturally for the ground pin to be on the bottom.
In my experience, if you go to a hardware store and look at outlet strips and extension cords, the majority of them that have a up/down design are designed for ground plug down.
Same but even worse for plug in 240V dryers and ranges. The cord is so thick I have flipped over the receptacle to avoid a big loop of wire sticking up or out.
I've been to many houses where the switched outlets have the outlets with ground prong up and the rest with the ground prong down. I like this because you know to find the switch to operate the outlet.
I'm a retired accredited engineer. There are two kinds of three prong plugs. One kind the wires go straight into the plug. The other one the wires go into the plug at a right angle. I've only ever seen right angle ones with the ground prong on the side the wires come out. If you install the outlet ground plug up these right angle plugs are very easy to pull out. Gravity torque on the cord or any tug pulls the top out first. You can actually have a plug that looks like it's in but the top ground plug is not well connected and maybe not even making contact. It can also get awkward when the wires first go up then curl back down to the floor producing a protruding loop of wire that's easy to get snagged by activity in the room. For this reason I think ground plug down is the safest. As for switched outlets, up here in Canada a lot of the switched plugs are split receptacle with only on plug of the two in the outlet being switched. I prefer all of these to ground prong down for these for the same reason. Screw the labelling as a reference. You want maximum safety, ground plug down, for your install if you're being responsible.
I prefer them prong side down for a very simple reason. Most AC adapters and wall chargers are non-grounded and hang down with gravity from the plug as a floating device. If you plug them in upside down or into a receptacle that is prong side up, the weight of the transformer will tend to plug in too loosely for a secure connection and even cause it to unplug itself over time. This is never a problem with ground prong down.
Additionally, there are nightlights and other devices that have built-in plugs with no cords, and every one I've ever seen was designed to go ground -plug down. Even if the device has only two conductors, if the plug is polarized, it is designed for the neutral to be on the left, which is the same as in 3-prong plugs with the ground hole down.
AC to DC wall adapters with no ground typically are not polarized anyway. Their full bridge rectifiers do not care which side is live and which side is neutral.
This is exactly why this change had not been made. In the late 1990's I talked to a member of the board who makes these NEC decisions and sets these standards, and they realized that it makes more sense for the ground plug to be up, and it is somewhat safer, but there were so many transformers and devices out in the market that are designed for ground down.
@@stevelux9854 Fascinating. Thank you for contributing that keen insight. Perhaps if they had made that recommendation much sooner, those same transformers and devices would be designed for ground up use. But, as they say, the train has left the station. Cheers.
35 yr master electrician. I have the habit of putting receps ground down in all applications except if it is switched (lamp plug) or split (2) circuits. And that's only to make it easier to identify for costumers and service. No code just a habit I picked up from the OG's... Doogie
This is how all new construction homes are wired in Florida. The upside-down outlet identifies the switched outlet. If you’re unlucky enough to drop a metal object into that 2mm gap or “amped” up enough to touch the prong with your finger, Darwinism is definitely working against you. You might as well just flip off your main breaker every time you need to unplug something!
I highly suspect that 99+% of homeowners don't know why electricians installed the receps ground up. I'm nearly 70, and this is the first time I have heard of your reasoning. The industry may want to consider PRINTING something on the receps to indicate lamp plug or split circuits.
In my experience it seems that most appliance and extension cord manufactures design their products to accommodate the receptacle being installed ground pin down. Also, in most cases the only time a receptacle is installed ground pin up is to indicate that it is controlled by a wall switch.
In my next house, I am going to put all ground prongs up. I'll also attach all of my furniture, appliances, cabinetry, and floor fixtures attached to the ceiling upside-down, as well as install ceiling fixtures like lights on the floor instead of the ceiling. I'm still uncertain as to what my main entrances and garage doors will look like, but I have a few ideas that might prove very lucrative for me when FIMA comes to visit me after the next heavy storm.
@@brucefowler8690 That in no way refutes the "theory" (I'd rather call it a practice or a convention). In all the houses and apartments I've lived in over many decades, every switched receptable was split. Typically the switched side would be used for a lamp, while whatever device was plugged into the other side you wouldn't want to be controlled by the remote switch but by its local on/off switch. So if followed, the practice would inform you that the outlet is switched and it would be normal to expect that only one side is switched.
As a former Industrial Medium Voltage Electrician I have two comments. It is very satisfying to hear you mention the size of the two slots in a 120VAC receptacle as determining which is Hot versus Neutral. Ad Nauseam over the years I have corrected so many people who say that the Brass and Silver color of the screws tells you which is which. IT IS NOT. You are correct. One item you did not cover (or I missed it) is that the nailing ears need to be removed when installing receptacles in boxes - which is predominate now. I'm pretty sure nobody nails receptacles to studs anymore. That was bad practice then and now. Using a pair of 'Klein’s' Journeymen Electricians bend and snap off these flanges. They have no business remaining as part of the assembly when put in a box. The 'ears' are an artifact of the days when house wiring electricians nailed receptacles to wall studs without a box. Almost nobody does that anymore, and most inspectors would not pass that kind of installation anyway. The nailing tabs get in the way of installing a receptable in a box. So use of best practices is important, as I was taught by journeymen (and women). And I really appreciate that you addressed ground hole up or down based upon the lettering on the receptacle. Every Electrician I've known over the years based their choice on this one determinant. As you suggested there is very little reason to chose by any other factor than how the receptacle in labeled. Good job on whole. Props from an old 'Tron Chaser' (Electronics nerd as well as Electrician). Side note: I'm an oddball having spent time deep in Electronics including Broadcast Engineering as well as general Electronics, and Industrial Electrician work up to 13.8KV - mostly 480 3-phase motor controls and Predictive Maintenance in Industrial settings. My first love was the Theatre though. I spent over 30 years on a stage somewhere, acting and lighting sets, and often being the House Electrician. Many of us old farts wore a lotta hats over the years. Happy Trails from an old desert rat.
completely answers my questions as to why all my GFI‘s are always facing downward when they are plugged into a receptacle that has the ground plug on the bottom, they are designed to be plugged in to receptacles with the ground plug up top, thank you for that.
I had this "problem" with the house I'm building in the DR. The electricioan installed all of them with the ground pin up. I made him remove them and and install them withe the ground down. The reason is that most manufacturers of just about any thing you plug in, design it to plug with the ground down. Example, air freshner.
Most air fresheners do not have polarized plugs. They utilize a warmer, which can usually take current in either direction. Most also do not have earth ground pins. Furthermore, the ones that DO utilize a polarized plug usually have rotating prongs.
I have a watt meter that requires the ground at the bottom, otherwise the digital display would be upside down. The same with timers. They are always ground down. Another reason, is that 90 degree cords, like the ones on most refrigerators are ground down. Otherwise the cord points upward from the 90 degree plug.
I have had several houses where the ground prong is down EXCEPT on switched outlets, which the builder puts the ground prong up, in order to make it easier for the homeowner to identify the switched outlet(s) in a room.
Father was an electrical contractor. He taught me a lot about home wiring and for a while took me on jobs. He wanted them prong down. On a more practical point, the first time I was shocked I was a child of 4 years old so around 1960 and the house we were in was build way before then. No receptacles had ground prongs. I helped my mother with the vacuum cleaner by unplugging it from the wall. I got my finger behind the plug up from below and across the two blades. The path was only across the my finger but the experience has not been forgotten. I totally can relate to your point of accidental contact.
Yes, those are allowed, too (because they're not prohibited). Still, I side with vertical, ground-down because of the design of common wall-warts, as discussed by others.
@@r0bst4rl1ngin my opinion wal-warts should NEVER have been designed to plug directly into an outlet, since they usually always block the 2nd outlet from being used. I think there SHOULD be a code for adapters, and they should have that block with the transformer/electronics in it should be like a lap top computer adapter, a 2 or 3 prong cord plugs into the outlet, then it either has a female plug that mates with the adapter or is wired directly into the adapter block(lays on floor or table), then the other side exits out to be plugged into the device it powers or recharges. Yet, here we are with big, bulky wall warts that rob us of using the electrical outlets full ability still in use today...why?
We lived in a really old house that originally only had electric lights, there were no outlets. Somebody put in outlets at since point later on but since the house wasn't designed for it, a lot of them are a little crooked or in weird places. Of course the rest of the house was a little crooked too 😂
I am a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (retired) and was always taught to orient the "safety ground" at the bottom. This helps to ensure that one will not lose chassis (safety) ground in case the plug starts to pull out e.g. from the weight of the cord or something falling on the cord. I own and use some older portable power tools with metal cases and insist the receptacles I use them with are oriented with the ground at the bottom. I personally think a horizontal mounting with the neutral "up" would be best, but the boxes would have to be re-designed. I have not checked code since I left the profession to know if the code has changed, but I have noticed that medical offices are using "ground up" these days.
Ground down means weight of the cord pulls prongs out Ground up means cord weight always pushes prongs in. ground is always the longest pin. Other than lay flat plugs ground up has the advantage.
My brother worked at a hospital and had many incidents where paper clips fell off the desks and shorted the hot to neutral starting 🔥 fires. They turned all the recepticals to ground up.
The ground prong up causes a problem for low-profile surge protectors which usually have the wire going down to the ground and prong on the wire side down to avoid a kink. Thats likely also a big part of why people are saying you are installing them upside down. As a person who uses a bunch of surge protectors (cause PCs need them), I can say that installing them prong side up causes people more problems with cable routing and cable weight putting strain on the prongs and causing more problems than solving by doing it ground prong side up. Prong down better accommodates the vast majority to low profile surge protectors and also (Backup Batteries) Uniterutpable Power Supplies. Many of which the higher-end ones often have low-profile plugs with the wire going toward the ground and the Ground Prong down. Not having the ground wire (prong down) also causes a huge problem for a lot of low-profile surge protectors. I have the prong up in my apartment. It was the first time I had ever seen them upside down cause every place else puts its prong side down. The cable on many of the service protectors with the prong down as the wire goes down, I can literally see one of my cables now with the wire going up, putting weight and strain on the power outlet before it goes to the ground. It tends to hang off further from the wall since the wire has to route up before it can go down. I also suspect the reason why the outlets in my apartment may be so loose (cause plugs can easily come out) is not just because it's an old building but also because of the constant strain from surge protectors and thick wires rubbing on the outlets.
For the past 35 years, I've always installed outlets ground side down because that just seemed the way it was supposed to be. I never understood why I've seen them ground side up, so I now have a better understanding after watching your video. Thanks for making these!
My vote: Ground prong DOWN for safety. The instance of nail falling from top is, as you said, rare. What is not rare is a kid sticking something into an outlet. The image that is presented with ground prong DOWN looks very much like a frightened face: eyes wide (the slots) and mouth wide open (the ground). That's what I always thought when I was a little kid, and I feel sure that the frightened-face image has kept many kids away from outlets.
Canadian electrician here. When i started my apprenticeship in the mid 2000's we had it hammered into our heads that receptacles should always be installed ground up. Many a coffee break argument has been had about this issue. I had always installed plugs ground up but after replacing half a dozen refrigerator receptacles or so the problem became clear. Equipment with 90 degree plugs are always designed for ground down, this is always the case for refrigerators. When the ground is up, the cord sticking up wants to pull the plug out of the socket and vibration from the fridge motor slowly wiggles the plug loose causing low level arcing. I'd find these plugs half melted and covered in soot. The inspection authority in my region was demanding grounds up but after discussing this issue with the head inspector he relented and said "ok, fridge receptacles can be ground down". Personally my preference is for ground down. If I'm doing renovations i will do that same as the rest of the building. If a blueprint spec says ground up, I'll do that. My house, ground down. I will usually speak to a building owner or manager and suggest ground down but if they want ground up i won't argue. Hope this helps anyone trying to wrap their brain around this.
This was very informative. Curious, which region was demanding ground up? The only place I can remember seeing ground up was at an AirBnB in Quebec where the owner did all the work himself.
Many....MANY...years ago I was told the hospitals in this area have the ground prong on the top, because most of the receptacles had stainless covers, and for some reason if one came loose it could land on the ground prong and not the energized prong. Makes sense to me. No matter what, it would be best if they all were pit in in the same orientation in a home.
A good friend of mine (now deceased), who was a licensed master electrician, told me the ground pin should be down because, if the plug began to fall out of the outlet, the ground pin (a safety feature) would be the last to separate. Our house has outlets installed both ways but every one I've installed or replaced is ground pin down.
@@stargazer7644 Actually --- it's the FIRST to make contact ... either for a static discharge to keep expensive electronics from that or to make sure that if, somehow, just the hot prong went in, then there'd still be a ground to protect the device or the stupid human. You have to de-humanize things or the lawyers will get ya!
Glad to hear that there is little difference as to receptical orientation. I like the look better with the ground side down because it looks like a smiley face. Silly reason, but all of my recepticals have the same orientation. Thanks!
The reverse of that is that if the ground pin was on top, the action of someone pulling out the plug would tend to add a torque force to the ground pin, as we're usually well above the height of the outlet, and pulling _up_ as well as out.
I was talking with my mom about this because because many of the outlets in her house are installed up-side-down (ground up). She was asking about that. I explained that in residential installation, it is a preference of the installer and there was no code that required it. I tried to explain the reason for having ground up vs ground down. This whole argument was likely caused because ONE TIME, something fell and hit hot and neutral of a plug that was part way out and the person who did that got on their high horse and started the campaign to invert outlets. It would be interesting to experiment with this to see how difficult it is to cause an arc (closed circuit) with both outlet orientations. Even with ground up, if the object doesn't bounce off, there is a 50/50 chance it will slide over to the hot (line) side and cause an arc anyway. That is assuming the device has a grounded plug as you pointed out. This really is an argument for people who have too much time on their hands. 😀
@@John_Ridley So why didn't you have the plug all the way in the receptacle? I have NEVER had it happen to me once so maybe you are accident prone or plain careless.
@@KStewart-th4sk The thing that fell on it was pretty heavy and levered the plug out of the socket. Also, the typical crappy plugs that get installed in the US (the ones that are $8 per dozen at Home Depot) after 20 years or so are so weak that they won't hold a plug anymore. If you go into any hotel room that hasn't been remodeled in 5 years you will find that you can't get anything to make proper contact anymore. I have had to replace 4 or 5 sockets in my house over the last 20 years as they got to the point where plugs just fell right out of them.
I also had something metallic and very flat like a lid, don't remember, it fell onto the blades and blew a fuse. I'd rather blow a fuse or breaker than be zapped a zillion times with a pointer finger error😮
This issue came to light about 10yrs ago. As an industrial electrician, we use a lot of metal receptacle covers. If the screw loosens on the cover and it drops, ground up is a little safer than ground down.
Where has this video been all my life? I have always just replaced outlets in the same way they had already been, lacking any better guidance. Thank you for this!
Probably the biggest consideration for me is the prevalence of 90 degree plugs "usually" hanging down with the ground prong down. Plus it just looks weird the other way as we're used to it down.
Not just "looks weird" but having the cord constantly hanging with a sharp U-turn is not good for the power cords and strain relief features. The plug orientation is the deciding factor for me when orienting outlets.
Yep. I've been aware of this issue and the lack of official standardization on the issue for a long time now (decades) so I've been keeping my eyes open and *every* plug (except one and that was a two-pin plug) I've seen where orientation was designed in, it was for ground pin down. As an aside, I was originally a ground-pin-up orientation guy. It's what the UK uses and avoids that shocked-face look. But as I looked into it more, it just seems that the choice has already been made.
When I was vacuuming floors, half the outlets were installed ground pin up, and some ground pin down. What I noticed is that the vacuum would stay plugged in better with ground pin down.
@@chaos.corner France is also ground up, but Australia is ground down. Germany is ambidextrous. Their sockets have ground clips top and bottom, instead of a prong, and the plugs can go either way.
Great discussion. You’ll never convince the other side however. One thing you didn’t mention is that an awful lot of cords on fridges, washers and power strips now are right angled to hug the wall better and the majority of them are in a ground down orientation.
@@bv226 Exactly! Plugging such a cord into a ground up receptacle nullifies the whole point of the bend as the cord has to make a u shape which does not hug the wall any better than a non-bent cord does.
In the house I install ground prong down, in garage, shed, work area I install ground prong up , for 2 two reasons, 1 dropped safety as you show on the video if something is not plugged in all the way and, 2 for stability , the ground prong is longer and feel it will help hold a plug in if hanging and such. one exception in a garage if I have a fridge or chest freezer, I put that outlet ground prong down due to angle or directional plugs on them , otherwise the cord will go up and have to bend over and go down. Not saying anything I do is correct but is what I do.
Very Good Video, as a residential user I did have the Incident of something falling on the prongs of a ground side down outlet and causing a spark and short circuit. It was the metal winding chain of a cuckoo clock that feel down across the contact while I was winding the clock. I had a rechargeable flashlight plugged into the outlet. (and it had wiggled out from the outlet slightly, exposing the prongs) There was a big spark and noise for sure. But like you said in you video there was no ground connecter on this devise, so it would not have mattered which way it was installed, although they are made to hang down, making the ground down installation most practical. (again as you mentioned in your video....) Good Job.... I watched this video to really see once and for all which was is the right way to install these outlets... and I still don't know... LOL
I wired up my walk-in basement that we’re living in with the ground prong up, because at the time, 15 or so years ago, that was the trend, and was supposedly “safer”. I regret doing this and eventually will rotate and reinstall them with the ground down. The #1 reason I think they should be ground prong down is that while using a handheld power tool, the cord often moves around and the combination of the tool’s movement along with the weight of the cord tends to pull downward. When wired with the ground prong up, the cord tends to unplug from the receptacle in this configuration, whereas with the ground prong down, the plug resists becoming unplugged.
Code aside... Straight 3 prong or Polarize plugs doesn't care outlet orientation but Angle plugs do care. Most things make for home and office are made for outlet "Ground Down" so weight or stress is pointed down so having angle plug the cord isn't bent tight at the plug or heavy Wall Warts stay put. Search for "low clearance power cord" and related for many examples. Some "Shop" and Hospital equipment have angle plugs but made to expect to have outlets "Ground Up" for same reason.
It seems 90 degree extension plugs, nite lights, and power bricks are manufactured with the ground side down being most convenient so as to not block the other receptacle.
@@PappaMike-vc1qv That’s a good point. And another good point is that some 3 pronged cords are designed to make a 90 degree angle after leaving the plug head. Such cords bend downward in the direction of the ground prong. If the receptacle is ground prong up then the cord makes a u-shaped bend as it bends upward because of the 90 degree angle and then drops down due to gravity. Bending the cord in a u shape is likely not very good for the conductors inside it.
I wore all of mine ground Prong up except behind the refrigerator. Really, it is not a good idea to plug anything else into the outlet with the refrigerator. It isn't as much of a problem now, but in the past, older refrigerators drew more amperage due to the appliance itself and different components inside them. Also many times I would come across a freezer plugged in on the same circuit as the refrigerator.
@@desertdan100Refrigerator motors have leakage current through the oil bath. That trips the GFCI. Refrigerator receptacles have their own circuit. A non-GFCI outlet was permitted 10 years ago: I don't know if that has changed
@Fetherko Things are changing on refrigerators and freezers. They used to have a high starting amperage or surge but that is changing. Now they are starting to install linear compressors. They may not last as long.
Thank you for this video. Great topic and very good presentation. While it does not matter if the ground is up or down here are some things to consider. 1. No mater which way you put the ground be consistent in the direction you chose. 2. Some angled plugs will not work with ground up. 3. With the ground down it is possible to break the outlet casting around the ground prong if pressure is applied on the cord. Like when someone steps on the cord. I have never seen this happen in the ground up position. Hope this helps.
In commercial construction we ALWAYS do ground down because in sub spaces (subterranean, meaning below ground floors - like residential basements only in commercial buildings often fully occupied) any flooding puts the ground into the water circuit before the live, greatly reducing the chance of fires in remote electrical closets or transformer installs.
The biggest problem I see with ground up is most refrigerators come with a flat plug, and it is for a plug with ground hole down. But people will plug them in having the cord going up and curled back down due to outlet installed ground up.
Fridge is not the only plug like that. My place have all outlets sideways. But my sister have all her outlets ground up. A Lot of her appliance have unnecessary bends on their cable because they turn towards the ground, in this case up. Even her multiplug extensions. And some things that have a plug with reset. (Like a hair dryer) Bulky block, have their cable going up and between the cable and the weight distribution it makes the plug to not stay in all the way. And come out a bit. So it's not about what code says or doesn't say. It's about common sense. If you are gonna be plugging things like a refrigerator, don't put the ground up, it messes with the plug.
Old school, back in the 60s when I was learning wiring from my dad (an electrician) ground was up on the outlet. The theory was the ground pin on a 3-prong plug was longer and easier to see when inserting. These days I see ground up on a switched outlet, and use the lower outlet to the switch. Now in Commercial I see mostly ground up.
Hospital, nursing homes, medical on life support ground up easy to plug in quick and also all these places metal plates in case plate gets loose and plate slips down it will hit ground and and not on hot and netural with people life support
I teach middle school and had a student pull out a plug exposing the prongs and proceeded to touch the prongs with a metal ruler. Needless to say he learned about electricity the hard way. Good teaching moment. 😊I asked why would you do that? “I was bored”😀
My one childhood accident with an electrical outlet was: I had a small lightbulb (of the kind that might be included in beginner science/electrical kits) and wondered if I could just plug its (insulated) wire leads straight into the wall outlet. Didn't know a thing about how electricity works, but in hindsight, at least the wires were insulated.
@JonBee-h7p Having worked in schools in a non-instructional role I know this is their answer to everything. They know nothing about real life. However, they can cite all of the specifications of gameplay in the newest video game! I weep for the future!
For 10 years I asked all the electricians I saw the same question. Because I notice that all the plugs in hospitals were plug up. After 15+ years a Union Journeyman electrician for 30+ years, said “there is no rule unless called for in the drawings” but we all install grounds up in all commercial and industrial buildings (Hospitals), grounds only go down in residential buildings.
Ground side down works best to accommodate cords that have a 90° angle on their prongs. So, that's in a home or office. On the other hand, I agree with others at every hospital I've ever seen has them turned the other way. I was once told that the reason for this was to allow important or life-saving equipment connected to a receptacle with a plug that was partially pulled out and turned down but still provide power to the equipment.
as a house painter, i hav replaced hundreds of switches & outlets... most old 1s were painted in place, usually installed as was b4... wen doing a double outlet, i do 1, ground UP, 1 ground down... that way it will work w/either direction of plug/cord... saved many a house that i found w/loose connection & discoloration of wire f/heat... actually did my whole house as i painted each room that was actually OUT OF CODE, did NOT hav enuff outlets in each room, being 10 ft. apart...only 4 outlets in a 20 X 12 dinning room... ANOTHER GOOD VID... thank U 🤗
I'm in the ground-port-down camp for residential. The only time i see ground-port-up is in medical or industrial applications. The thinking is; this protects a potential short from an object (think piece of wire, key tether, another cable, etc) being drug across the inserted plug which might slightly dislodge the plug as mentioned in the video
Even in hospitals, I don't believe there is a requirement for ground plug up. It goes back to the old "metal faceplate falling down on plug causing short" syndrome. Every plug I have ever plugged into an outlet leaves absolutely no room for a plate or any other object to fall between. Plugs are totally flush against the outlet and designed that way to prevent objects or fingers to touch the prongs. Faceplates do not just fall off the wall. At least in my 71 years of existence I've never seen it happen.
If you examine plugs, the ground prong is longer than the hot/neutral prongs. Having the outlet ground on the bottom allows the ground prong to make contact with the outlet longer as the plug becomes dislodged from the outlet. Thus making the ground on the bottom the safer of the two orientations.
I have been installing receptacles ground prong up for quite awhile now. I heard the idea about something falling on it from above and that made sense to me. Most the installing I've done was in my carpentry shop. Incidentally, you pointed out that most people grab the plug with their thumb on top. I dawned on me that I don't do that, I grab it palm down with the thumb on one side and pointer finger curled back on the other side. . And there is no way a finger can contact any of the prongs. I don't recall ever being taught this, but it is what I do. Probably Mom taught me this when I was a child.
Home owner here, just a thought, in homes most of the recepticals are low, the ground terminal is longer and "ground plug" up is easeir to locate when bending over for most outlets especially behind furniture. However I follow what ever is installed previously. Learned some more here, Thank you
Been in the trade since 1978. Every recep I installed have been equipment ground down, The exceptions being engineered medical / hospital facilities. The engineer will specify orientation for receps, both installed vertically and horizontally..
So can you explain why medical/hospital offices have their receptacles ground prong up? And why not for legal offices, laboratory research offices, etc.?
@@Rick-the-Swift Hospitals are engineered, and engineers recognize the following standard. This is an excerpt from citation: IEEE 602-2007 Electrical Systems in Health Care Facilities - 4.4.3 Hospital grade receptacles. "Parallel blade devices should be mounted ground pin or neutral blade up. In this configuration any metal that drops between the plug and the wall will most likely contact a nonenergized blade." I'm not certain that this is the latest IEEE Standard. The article numbers may vary from cycle to cycle, but the text appears not to have changed since at least IEEE 602-1996.
Very interesting and informative video. My house was originally ground side up. As I replaced worn out units I put them ground side down. Partially to easily show which ones were done. But truthfully, looks proper ground side down. 😊Vs🙃 Also when plugging in window ac units, the power cord sticks out the bottom of the brick, ground side down has cable hanging down. Seems better to me. 😎
Its not all one or the other. Ground down cord pulls the prongs out exposing them Ground up cord weight pushes prongs in. Flat cords would need ground down.
My take on it is to install ground prong down unless the receptacle is switched. Then install it ground prong up to make a clear visual distinction as to which outlet is switched. Admittedly it is possible for only half of the receptacle to be switched and the other half constantly powered. However, you still have the visual indication as to which receptacle it is though you might not be sure which half is powered at all times.
That's how I've seen it on several houses - switched outlets are ground prong up. Also, if the outlet is split, one outlet switched and one on constant, the switched outlet is on top and the constant power is on the bottom.
@@philipstaite4775 People, to whoever: Just be in the habit of _always_ installing the wires coming in on the bottom. And, if you want the switched receptacle visual orientation, you still install the wires coming in on the bottom. In = bottom, switched(/out) = top, no matter the receptacle orientation. I don't know why anyone even thinks an argument is worth the time.* EDIT *Not referring to you guys.
BTW, I am just taking into account what was shown in this video. For instance, if I had 2 receptacles next to each other: in would be left bottom, out would be left top, to right bottom, anything out would be from right top.
Agreed. I've lived in several apartments that did this, and it made it super easy to know which one to plug a light into so it's switched. My house doesn't have a switched outlet so I don't have to worry about it now, but if I ever decide to wire one, it'll be upside down for identification purposes.
Very informative! As a longtime landlord and the weather of many hats, I have seen receptacles installed ground pin up, and I understand the reasoning behind it. Unfortunately, it looks weird, and it looks like whomever installed it that way didn't know what they were doing.
That’s old news I stole the government seized research from Nicola Tesla and have had wireless electricity transmissions for decades now no wires or outlets at all
Union journeyman electrician for 30+ years, there is no "rule" but our locals in NYC area all install grounds up in all commercial and industrial buildings, grounds only go down in residential buildings, houses, apartments, condos, etc...
You missed the 2 points that are critical to this question: 1. There is no research, neither field experience, to support the imaginary argument in favor or ground-up orientation (the argument of something falling onto the line & neutral prongs). 2. There IS significant research and experience to show melt, arc, and even fire risk from fatigue and eventual failure from cords being severely bent or flexed at the plug. Many plugs are 90-degree plugs, particularly the GFI plugs on bathroom-type small appliances, designed for the cord to hang down when plugged into a ground-down-oriented outlet (normal outlet orientation). Having that cord go straight up and then immediately flex and hang back down creates the aforementioned fatigue resultant risk (not saying it's huge, but it's one of the relatively biggest ones left in this context).
To your point #1, the reseach and field experience amounts to gravity. Gravity always pulls down. With the proper ground up configuration, gravity will tend to expose the grounding conductor rather than current conductors. Gravity doesn't care. It only works one way. A proper electrical installation will work with gravity and use it to advantage and not against it. Nothing more, nothing less.
That’s imagination or pontification, not research and not field experience. Point 2 trumps it anyway. Upside down outlets are the kind of nonsense that creates hassle, expense, and risk for bad reasons.
as a electrician i have always noticed the ground would break off and stay behind in the plug in the smiley face. i have never seen a ground broke off if inside the other way. no official testing done by me. but 30 years worth of experience.
i am an old fart and have only seen those 90 deg plus plugs for the past 15 years. never had them when i was younger. the ground plug down usage probably came about because that way it looks like a "face" and people are pretty stupid that way.
@@EchoDelta-e4z back in the 70s when metal wall plates were the only things available, an argument was made for installing receptacles ground up. It was common for the screws securing the plates to loosen, with the result being the plate could slide down between the plug and the receptacle contacting the hot and neutral prongs, causing a short with the result of burn marks on the wall, plate and receptacle. I never worried about it myself.
Just to settle this briefly. You have circuit testers that you plugs in your wall socket. All of them are designed so that you can looking down on them and you can see the lights and key for what the different lights stand for when the ground is down and prongs up. If you install it with the ground up you need to find another way to read the lights, example lay down on the floor and look up. On the ones that have a GFCI testing butting the button will also be on the top when plugged in correctly.
@@jessenajera5369 Really? That's interesting. Which setting on my multimeter tells me if the outlet is wired properly and where's the button to trigger a circuit breaker test? Think before you post. EVERY electrician has at least one of those blocky circuit testers kicking around in his bag. Many of us have multiples from different brands with various different functions.
I learned in AZ that builders put ground plug down except when it is a switched or switched half hot plug. Then the ground plug was up. It was a super simple way to differentiate between outlets that were always powered and ones that are attached to a switch. I have followed it in my new house. It is just a super easy way of know what you are plugging into. I like the ambiguity in the code for this reason.
I'm a retired electrician, non union, union and owner. In the 70's my instructor taught us that ground down as on an extension cord ground is the longest prong and the last prong to exit the outlet. Wagoes have not used them at all, but still do electrical work and I found 2 so far burned up. I twist my wires and use a wire nut, I have found some burned up with a wire nut and the wires usually aren't twisted.
NEC doesn't specifically address it, but tens of thousands of manufacturers do: "Ground Down." It may actually be illegal to install a ground down cord in a ground up recptacle. It could even conceivably be an issue in a lawsuit.
"Unless you have a local code" (8:43).... This is a key point. I attended a 2-day electrical safety workshop that was being held in a conference room in a hotel in another state than my own. When first entering the room I noticed that all the receptacles were oriented sideways, with the neutral slot up. The speaker at the workshop had also noticed this, and inquired about it before we arrived. The local code required it. The Local Authority Having Jurisdiction (LAHJ) always has the right to tell you how to do things. However, the local inspectors don't always agree on everything. You have to do what YOUR inspector tells you if you want him or her to approve your installation.
I like this video. Personally, as an electrician for 30 years, I always ask the final customer how they would like the receptacles oriented. 10% would say ground up; the rest preferred ground prong down. No problem. The only time I would make my own executive decision, is that if the receptacle needed to be installed horizontally. Only then, by instinct, I would always orient it so that the neutral side was on the top (90 degrees to the right) And never once had a complaint or a change order. But until the NFPA 70 decides otherwise, I'm sticking with customer preference.
I always install ground down as most right-angle plugs are designed for ground down. However, I have noticed that almost all medical offices and hospitals have the ground side up! That seems a little odd to me!
The journeymen wireman I know say ground pin down because the cord hangs from it and in the event that it gets pulled out especially while in use the ground pin is likely to be pulled from the receptacle last.
Also, 90 degree cords, like on refrigerators need the ground at the bottom, otherwise the cord points upward from the plug, instead of down, like it is supposed to.
My old journeyman insisted that the reasons that, for example, the hospitals install them with the ground side up was because the ground pin can carry more weight from a heavy 120VAC cable. Which back then the hospitals did have heavy duty cords for just about all their devices. The jury is still out!
I do like how the plug "hangs" with the ground up, keeps the 2 prongs inserted better, reducing arcing possibilities when things start getting looser. Not great for the 90 degree plugs though.
Not just the weight of the cords, but also blows from falling objects. I've only ever heard the "something might fall and hit the ground pin" argument from people arguing against ground-pin-up. The issue isn't something making contact with the pins, it's something dislodging the cord of potentially critical equipment. Things falling and striking the cord are less likely to dislodge it if it is narrow side up. Doesn't usually matter in homes, but something to keep in mind when wiring up a shop (or a hospital).
In 34 years experience, ground down in houses or owner preference. Ground up in an industrial setting. In hospitals, I've always installed the gray or red hospital grade recepts.....Geeeez, have you ever tried pulling a plug out of one of those? I don't think it would matter which orientation the ground was. They have a pretty stout grip. I was always told to install ground up in industrial and some commercial settings because of the possibility of something falling in between the plug and device. Anyhoo....good vid
I put ground side up in garage and industrial areas for the same reason plus over the years the receptacle seams to last year's longer less cords falling out after a few years
Linaman over 10 years and wired my entire addition and never even thought of putting it upside down, however dont see any safety reason why it would matter except like ypu mentioned face up with water above. Great video
Just a simple condo owner in Montreal here. The vast majority of three-prong plugs are designed so that the cable hangs downward when the outlet is installed with the neutral prong down. When the neutral prong is installed up, the cable points upward and must twist to hang downward. In residential settings, most of the time we want the cable to hang naturally downward, making a neutral-up installation both impractical and sometimes a real pain.
I have always installed ground pin down. Why? If the plug has worked its way out of its outlet, the weight of the plug's cord tends to cause the plug to point slightly dowward, eventually disconnecting the hot and neutral before the ground pin. Having the ground pin on the bottom tends to help stop the plug drooping under the weight of its cord. Thanks for sharing.
I was just recently in a local hospital & I noticed that all the outlets in the rooms & hallways had ground up. I didn't notice if the gfi in the bathrooms were this way though.
In Canada we put ground down in residential areas so as the plug wiggles out the ground breaks contact last. In hospitals it’s ground up to prevent an arc flash in a possible oxygen rich environment.
@Peanutz77 In our hospital and research building, the emergency power recepticals are red, and the non are white. Which is pretty standard in the area hospitals I have been in. All have ground up. Do you have red recpticals at all there?
I like them up, because that is how UK (where I come from) is. But ground down will be better if the cord gets pulled semi out, as the Live Neutral will disengage before Ground. In UK the plugs are way more substantial. And the Ground (Earth) pin is longer. Because they are thick square pins they unplug straight out. which is more safe.
Haha......such a non-issue video that kept my attention throughout the ENTIRE time! I have always installed ground-DOWN. Whenever I have see the ground "up", it looks goofy to me. One thing you did not say was just the "physics" of gravity as a cord tends to pull down, having the ground side down, holds the plug more securely into the outlet. People that complain to you about this need to get a life. Haha I appreciated you making this. Thanks for the video.
My friend is an electrical contractor, on residential work any wall switch controlled outlets. He does this so when new home owner calls saying he needs to send someone out to replace a dead outlet. He asked if round hold next to the slotted holes. If round is on top he tells to turn the wall switch on.
All of my angled plugs are shaped for bottom ground if I don't want the strain of the power cable doing a full 180 going back to the floor, so the correct orientation for me is ground-down.
I worked as an electrician for several years. There were some instances where ground orientation was specified. Typically in industrial and hospital settings. Otherwise I’ve ALWAYS installed receptacles with the ground down. I think it is aesthetically pleasing and it’s what we are accustomed to seeing.
Hello As an electrician starting in early 70’s. receptacle orientation was to be grd side down. The grd prong would be made first and disconnected last since it is longer (for safety reasons). But if the cord was heavy or a loose connection or physically knocked downward there may be a chance the power prongs may be disturbed but the weight or orientation of the hanging plug would insure the grd is not disconnected. Nowadays does it matter. FYI as an apprentices we tried to drop many sizes of nails,cutlery etc onto a partially seated plug and were not able to cause a fault.
Thumbs up on GP down. I’ve been an electrician for 50 + years and have always done it that way and in the CEC Canadian Electrical Code all the diagrams in it show this style of receptacle GP down. Not sure on the NEC.
P&S receptacles show (the wiring diagram) to install with the ground side up. Ps my uncle was licensed as commercial electrician For 50 years when he started in the trade they were still soldering the wires together; was a supervisor for the last years of his electrical career . He retired once at 62 got bored and found another job retired again for the last time at 70. Lived to be 93.
Im not sure what CEC that you are looking at, but Diagram 1 CSA configurations for non-locking receptacles shows the Ground pin as the top pin. This is for all devices on the page. People are more comfortable with the ground pin being down as it looks more like a human face.
You’re right. By Code, there’s no “proper” way to install an outlet. If you’re replacing an outlet, keep it uniform to the rest of the room/house. If you’re roping a new house, do whatever the boss says. If you’re the Boss, well, Everyone has a boss.
I've always been curious about this because it seems like a lot of AC "wall wart" adapter manufacturers make them with the ground prong intended to be down. I say this thinking even back in the 1980's with Nintendo AC adapters, if you plug those in to an outlet with the ground prong up, their own weight distribution will make them fall out of the outlet especially on a slightly worn outlet. If they are connected into an outlet with the ground prong down, their shape makes it such that they press into the lower part of the outlet cover and are less likely to just fall out unless the prong springs in the outlet are extremely worn out.
We were the first builders in Southern California (1980) to install the bedroom switched outlet with the ground up. We called them half hots because only half of the outlet was continously hot. We did not want our home buyers killing the clock radio which normally had a bed lamp on the same outlet. There was no code for this and was a valued added cool feature introduced eliminating the need to figure which outlet was the "switched" outlet. I was the quality control inspector for the company.
Electrician here, all I can say is that the orientation is much less important than the actual wiring. Although, I think out of practicality, it's easier to plug in a 3 prong connector with the ground on the bottom. The code isn't too specific on the orientation, but inspectors might still question why an outlet is installed upside down.
Once an electrician told me that to avoid confusión during wire instalation he always placed Hot on the left, same as water in shower, that way ground pin would go up. Personally I feel ground pin down withstands more weight.
I've always done ground prong down. Now I live in a home built from Adobe block and the outlets in those walls are sideways! Only have seen that before in Mexico and the city if Chicago....'splain that!😊
We just made a video talking about why we think the the prong (ground) on the bottom is a better idea because of right angle cables having to face the ceiling when plugging something in putting way to much weight on the pins. P.S. We found this video right after we just made our video.....LOL
That's actually making the case for ground prong up. Ask any firefighter about causes of house fires, and they can tell you about the ignition point being an outlet with two blades sticking out of it where the plug-in air freshener used to be before it melted.
My outlets are all ground plug down or wide blade left orientation because I use a switched outlet plug-in accessory. It's just adding an on-off switch to an outlet, like for soldering irons or little sandwich grills. They all are made for the switch to be in the upright position, some light up when on. Also some night lights & plug-in air fresheners are made for it's feature/light to be orientated up.
Thank you so much for covering this. I’m a do it yourselfer. I have always been confused about this issue. Thank you for the clarity and for the reference to code.
My dad, who was an electrical engineer, taught me that having the ground up provides stability to the plug itself while gravity is pulling the cord down and trying to dislodge the ground and thus keeping the hot and neutral prongs inside of the recepticle. This also helps maintain the clamping force of the clamps inside the receptical since there would be less movement overall throughout its lifespan. That being said, since there are certain appliances that design their plugs with ground down, without or without the ground prong, it would be more advantageous to rearrange specific recepticles to accommodate this, such as a refrigerator.
I totally disagree based on personal experience. Ground down provides a more stable plug connection when gravity pulls down on a heavy wire connected to the plug.
You did not mention those appliances which come with 90 degree caps, if ground prong up it leaves a loop above the receptacle or reduces the usable length 15:31
With ground up!there is still a 50% chance of a short if a conductive object falls toward the ground and line. The NEC is just wrong about a lot of things. Technology connections had a informative take on this.
Thank you for a very accurate and concise video. I was an Electrician from 1980 to 2000 and an Electrical Inspector from 2000 to 2021. Over 40 years this has been an argument with no basis. I must say that being an Electrical Inspector for that many years, I never saw once where any contractor installed the ground up with the exception of switched receptacles. I'm not sure how specific you get in any of your videos, but one of the most misunderstood parts of the code is redundant grounds in medical facilities, and with the twist of 120 volt receptacle mixed with 277 volt lighting. Even of out 20 inspectors, most did not really seem to completely get it beyond using "green" MC. Also misunderstood is what a medical facility is, and what rooms are covered. Circuiting is another completely different area and is not what I am referring to, just grounding.
When I took a basic electrical ‘shop’ course in high school (Canada) I learned that the ground prong installs down b/c pulling at a cord would usually drag it down, and as the plug disengaged from the outlet, the ground prong would disconnect last,… leaving the appliance grounded as long as possible.
I used to work at an electrical wholesaler, and I want to say that Levington used to have the nomenclature on the receptacle the correct orientation, and they might have changed it some time in the early 2k's, if I'm not mistaken. It's been a while so I'm unsure if I'm remembering correctly. I had also reinstalled all of the switches and receptacles in my house at one point (the old ones were too old and loose for my liking), and I installed them all "correctly". Only to find out throughout the years, manufacturers of gadgets and appliances made their plugs, specifically the angled ones, to be orientated ground prong down. Mostly noticeable on things like power bars and the fridge, where the plug was designed to be flush behind an object, and on things like nightlights and those fragrance doohickies. Number 1 argument (for ground prong up)? When did this move up to #1? I always thought the #1 reason was the ground prong not breaking off (or bending) when it was right side up (ground on top). Having it the correct way, as it comes loose, the plug just falls out... whereas if the ground prong was down, as it got loose, the ground prong would still be in after the hot/neutral came out and could rip the prong off. I think one of the biggest arguments of why they should be installed upside down is purely just aesthetics. It does look better, imo, plus as I previously mentioned, a lot of appliance manufacturers make their plugs to fit better in an upside down receptacle.
I suspect Eaton puts the instructions on the back of their outlets upside down to allow the installer to view them while it is tipped outward during installation.
I kept thinking, what does it matter which way the writing is on the back, the outlet has to be twisted over when you shove it into the wall box anyway? Is there a correct number of flips to comply to codes for that?!? 😳
I dissagree with prong up!! 90 degree plugs are designed with ground down and if you have to plug that upside down, now you have a dangerous loop of the cord. Truth be told it's not wrong either way.
I have a watt meter and a couple of digital timers that require the ground at the bottom, otherwise the displays would be upside down. They are all consistently that way. So, ground down is best.
I'm constantly dropping nails perfectly parallel with the wall and directly over dubiously plugged cords, i mean it probably happens like 6 times a day at least. 😂
I like ground pin down (except when I know the appliance angled plug favors ground pin up). When I installed TWO RECEPTACLES in a garage (four outlets in one 4 inch box), I installed one UP, and one DOWN to give the user the option of what worked better for their situation. I love the idea of ground pin up for switched outlets, and one outlet switched, and one always hot, for bedroom or other appropriate situation.
37 years as an electrician, thank you for doing this for DIYers, pertinent part ended for me at no determination of correct orientation for outlet by NEC.
Good question. Just had sideway outlets installed for first time. The electrician installed them neutral up - probably based on the same logic as the safety ground up argument. I am OK with this because there doesn't seem to be any argument against it.
Installation is location/situation sensitive. In residential, I install vertically with the ground down as any fluids will run to ground; horozontal mounts have neutral down. Exceptions are like the fridge circuit; the fridge plug has a 90 degree plug with the ground on top. To prevent undo stresses, I invert the outlet.
I originally chose ground up because young grandkids roamed the house in those days, and I considered the possibility of their yanking the cord in a lower mounted receptacle and then becoming intrigued by the shiny parts while looking down from above. I never pictured their little hands wrapping around the entire plug, but good point! I may change them around when I get a free day to go around everywhere now, based on your demonstrations. That would alleviate my wife’s negotiating the awkward positioning of those block plugs on some of her bathroom personal care devices and the occasional room deodorizer…oh, and some of the CO detectors that don’t swivel.
As a residental customer (homeowner) and Mechanical Engineer with a working knowledge of the NEC, my ONLY experience where it may have marginally helped to have the ground pin UP was an instance with a thin necklace, similar to a single strand wire size chain. My wife dropped this necklace off a bathroom shelf near the receptacle and it fell between the face of the receptacle and plug for her hair dryer. The necklace immediately made contact across the hot and neutral, causing the necklace to arc, flash, smoke, and melt. This left scorch marks on the receptacle and plug and tripped the GFCI. However, if the receptacle was groung prong up, I feel this flexible thin "wire" would have similarly draped across all three prongs, connecting the hot to ground anyway, with similar results. Otherwise, I have only run into the situations noted by others with the residential device cords manufactured such that ground prong down works better.
I remember as a child looking at the outlets in the house and seeing an alarmed face image: two eyes and an open-mouth expression, with the ground downwards. It was like 'danger, don't come near'.
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I've been an electrician my whole life (45 years exp). I worked non union, union and owner. A place you will always see outlets installed ground up is in hospitals or anything patient care. That was for the metal clipboards they used and hung on walls all over patient areas would slip off their screw or the staff would fumble them and they would hit the outlet and short circuit. So in many municipality settings, it's in the blueprint literature to install them ground prong up. They're many other commercial and industrial settings they could fit this example as well. I've always install outlets to the environment they are in, so in any instances that something could come off the wall or fall onto an outlet or if in the specs, I would install ground up. If not, ground down. Also, horizontally, you should always install the receptacle neutral side up. Thank you and have a good day.
My place in Europe, the plugs are round, and they go into a hole, so it is impossible for the prongs to be exposed. I'm surprised that no one makes such a receptacle in US for such scenarios as you describe. Could be bad to short out circuit with life support equipment on it, probably worth the extra few cents of plastic.
Thanks for explaining this about my work environment - I always wondered. And, we're building a new house and have plans for some horizontal receptacles so good to think about that as well.
Good point on horizontal, I hadn't thought about that!!
@@marlohowell7081 We have horizontal outlets in this building. With neutral pointing pointing up, if something is dropped it is going to hit the neutral and ground. Though if a person's finger edges over without being seen when unplugging something, the hand will touch the hot prong. I've not noticed this to be a problem.
The real problem was the Einsteins hanging clipboard and what not onto cords -THIMK ¡
We lived in a house where nearly all of the outlets were installed with the ground pin facing up. It only really caused issues behind the refrigerator and a few similarly designed appliances where the power cord was manufactured in a way that caused the cord to loop over the top of the outlet. The cord was shaped naturally for the ground pin to be on the bottom.
@@glen4cindy Yeah. Every refrigerator in our hospital has this same issue. At least in the break rooms.
I have had this issue also.
In my experience, if you go to a hardware store and look at outlet strips and extension cords, the majority of them that have a up/down design are designed for ground plug down.
When we built our house, we installed all the outlets sideways. The plug closest to the switch was the one operated by the switch.
Same but even worse for plug in 240V dryers and ranges. The cord is so thick I have flipped over the receptacle to avoid a big loop of wire sticking up or out.
The builder of our new home installed outlets connected to wall switches prong side up to distinguish them from non-switch outlets.
Every house I’ve owned has been this way
Our new house has the switched outlets upside down as well.
Yep all my switched receptacles are prong up also
So…what does prong up actually mean? Either way at least one prong is “up”
@@bobvecchi304 They are referring to the ground plug (or socket), which what this video was all about.
I've been to many houses where the switched outlets have the outlets with ground prong up and the rest with the ground prong down. I like this because you know to find the switch to operate the outlet.
I'm a retired accredited engineer. There are two kinds of three prong plugs. One kind the wires go straight into the plug. The other one the wires go into the plug at a right angle. I've only ever seen right angle ones with the ground prong on the side the wires come out. If you install the outlet ground plug up these right angle plugs are very easy to pull out. Gravity torque on the cord or any tug pulls the top out first. You can actually have a plug that looks like it's in but the top ground plug is not well connected and maybe not even making contact. It can also get awkward when the wires first go up then curl back down to the floor producing a protruding loop of wire that's easy to get snagged by activity in the room. For this reason I think ground plug down is the safest. As for switched outlets, up here in Canada a lot of the switched plugs are split receptacle with only on plug of the two in the outlet being switched. I prefer all of these to ground prong down for these for the same reason. Screw the labelling as a reference. You want maximum safety, ground plug down, for your install if you're being responsible.
I prefer them prong side down for a very simple reason. Most AC adapters and wall chargers are non-grounded and hang down with gravity from the plug as a floating device. If you plug them in upside down or into a receptacle that is prong side up, the weight of the transformer will tend to plug in too loosely for a secure connection and even cause it to unplug itself over time. This is never a problem with ground prong down.
Good point!
Additionally, there are nightlights and other devices that have built-in plugs with no cords, and every one I've ever seen was designed to go ground -plug down. Even if the device has only two conductors, if the plug is polarized, it is designed for the neutral to be on the left, which is the same as in 3-prong plugs with the ground hole down.
AC to DC wall adapters with no ground typically are not polarized anyway. Their full bridge rectifiers do not care which side is live and which side is neutral.
This is exactly why this change had not been made. In the late 1990's I talked to a member of the board who makes these NEC decisions and sets these standards, and they realized that it makes more sense for the ground plug to be up, and it is somewhat safer, but there were so many transformers and devices out in the market that are designed for ground down.
@@stevelux9854 Fascinating. Thank you for contributing that keen insight. Perhaps if they had made that recommendation much sooner, those same transformers and devices would be designed for ground up use. But, as they say, the train has left the station. Cheers.
35 yr master electrician. I have the habit of putting receps ground down in all applications except if it is switched (lamp plug) or split (2) circuits. And that's only to make it easier to identify for costumers and service. No code just a habit I picked up from the OG's... Doogie
This is how all new construction homes are wired in Florida. The upside-down outlet identifies the switched outlet. If you’re unlucky enough to drop a metal object into that 2mm gap or “amped” up enough to touch the prong with your finger, Darwinism is definitely working against you. You might as well just flip off your main breaker every time you need to unplug something!
I highly suspect that 99+% of homeowners don't know why electricians installed the receps ground up. I'm nearly 70, and this is the first time I have heard of your reasoning. The industry may want to consider PRINTING something on the receps to indicate lamp plug or split circuits.
Doing mine now.
Agreed, NEC has no determination on direction ground up, down, sideways it isn't a code thing. But i also mount switched receps ground up
@5deeplogic676 those do exist. They are often required in commercial buildings.
In my experience it seems that most appliance and extension cord manufactures design their products to accommodate the receptacle being installed ground pin down. Also, in most cases the only time a receptacle is installed ground pin up is to indicate that it is controlled by a wall switch.
That would mean that 90% of my receptacles be ground up. Very inconvenient.
But a receptacle can be split, so one side is on a switch and the other side is always hot. So much for that theory...
Items like hairdryers seem to be better accommodated by ground prong down, so that’s my preference.
In my next house, I am going to put all ground prongs up. I'll also attach all of my furniture, appliances, cabinetry, and floor fixtures attached to the ceiling upside-down, as well as install ceiling fixtures like lights on the floor instead of the ceiling. I'm still uncertain as to what my main entrances and garage doors will look like, but I have a few ideas that might prove very lucrative for me when FIMA comes to visit me after the next heavy storm.
@@brucefowler8690 That in no way refutes the "theory" (I'd rather call it a practice or a convention). In all the houses and apartments I've lived in over many decades, every switched receptable was split. Typically the switched side would be used for a lamp, while whatever device was plugged into the other side you wouldn't want to be controlled by the remote switch but by its local on/off switch. So if followed, the practice would inform you that the outlet is switched and it would be normal to expect that only one side is switched.
As a former Industrial Medium Voltage Electrician I have two comments.
It is very satisfying to hear you mention the size of the two slots in a 120VAC receptacle as determining which is Hot versus Neutral. Ad Nauseam over the years I have corrected so many people who say that the Brass and Silver color of the screws tells you which is which. IT IS NOT. You are correct.
One item you did not cover (or I missed it) is that the nailing ears need to be removed when installing receptacles in boxes - which is predominate now. I'm pretty sure nobody nails receptacles to studs anymore. That was bad practice then and now. Using a pair of 'Klein’s' Journeymen Electricians bend and snap off these flanges. They have no business remaining as part of the assembly when put in a box. The 'ears' are an artifact of the days when house wiring electricians nailed receptacles to wall studs without a box. Almost nobody does that anymore, and most inspectors would not pass that kind of installation anyway. The nailing tabs get in the way of installing a receptable in a box. So use of best practices is important, as I was taught by journeymen (and women).
And I really appreciate that you addressed ground hole up or down based upon the lettering on the receptacle. Every Electrician I've known over the years based their choice on this one determinant. As you suggested there is very little reason to chose by any other factor than how the receptacle in labeled.
Good job on whole. Props from an old 'Tron Chaser' (Electronics nerd as well as Electrician). Side note: I'm an oddball having spent time deep in Electronics including Broadcast Engineering as well as general Electronics, and Industrial Electrician work up to 13.8KV - mostly 480 3-phase motor controls and Predictive Maintenance in Industrial settings. My first love was the Theatre though. I spent over 30 years on a stage somewhere, acting and lighting sets, and often being the House Electrician. Many of us old farts wore a lotta hats over the years.
Happy Trails from an old desert rat.
completely answers my questions as to why all my GFI‘s are always facing downward when they are plugged into a receptacle that has the ground plug on the bottom, they are designed to be plugged in to receptacles with the ground plug up top, thank you for that.
I had this "problem" with the house I'm building in the DR. The electricioan installed all of them with the ground pin up. I made him remove them and and install them withe the ground down. The reason is that most manufacturers of just about any thing you plug in, design it to plug with the ground down. Example, air freshner.
Most air fresheners do not have polarized plugs. They utilize a warmer, which can usually take current in either direction. Most also do not have earth ground pins. Furthermore, the ones that DO utilize a polarized plug usually have rotating prongs.
I have a watt meter that requires the ground at the bottom, otherwise the digital display would be upside down. The same with timers. They are always ground down.
Another reason, is that 90 degree cords, like the ones on most refrigerators are ground down. Otherwise the cord points upward from the 90 degree plug.
@@JoeMikeMakes most air fresheners are filled with oil which will drip out if you plug it in upside down.
@@DoubleplusUngoodthinkfulThat’s why they have the rotating plugs…
@christopheralthouse6378 I have glade, airwick, and bath and body works, and none of those rotates.
More importantly, which way should we install the roll of toilet paper?
Loose side away from wall, of course!😊
Plumbing code requires* it to be flap out over the top.
*not really, but that's the way I like it. 🤣
@@danoberste8146😂 Happy we have some folks with a sense of humor.
The original ad for toilet paper illustrated it with the paper hanging over the top (away from the wall).
Toilet paper roll is oriented so it’s a beard, paper towel roll so it’s a mullet.
I have had several houses where the ground prong is down EXCEPT on switched outlets, which the builder puts the ground prong up, in order to make it easier for the homeowner to identify the switched outlet(s) in a room.
That's a really good idea! Bright electrician.
I live in California, and this is how the outlets are wired. The outlets with the ground prong up are wired to the switch in the room.
That's how we always did it too.
These are called "half hot" outlets.
In my town this is all but a standard.
Father was an electrical contractor. He taught me a lot about home wiring and for a while took me on jobs. He wanted them prong down. On a more practical point, the first time I was shocked I was a child of 4 years old so around 1960 and the house we were in was build way before then. No receptacles had ground prongs. I helped my mother with the vacuum cleaner by unplugging it from the wall. I got my finger behind the plug up from below and across the two blades. The path was only across the my finger but the experience has not been forgotten. I totally can relate to your point of accidental contact.
Once when I was 7 years old, I used my finger to check that I was plugging in (something) under a desk. Learned my lesson there.
I was shocked in the same manner in the same year. I still remember it.
I feel like I've been given permission to install these sideways or perhaps even at odd angles. My wife will love it!
Yes, those are allowed, too (because they're not prohibited). Still, I side with vertical, ground-down because of the design of common wall-warts, as discussed by others.
I am in a building wired by monkeys. All the receptacles are sideways. Maybe they couldn't decide ...
@@r0bst4rl1ngin my opinion wal-warts should NEVER have been designed to plug directly into an outlet, since they usually always block the 2nd outlet from being used.
I think there SHOULD be a code for adapters, and they should have that block with the transformer/electronics in it should be like a lap top computer adapter, a 2 or 3 prong cord plugs into the outlet, then it either has a female plug that mates with the adapter or is wired directly into the adapter block(lays on floor or table), then the other side exits out to be plugged into the device it powers or recharges.
Yet, here we are with big, bulky wall warts that rob us of using the electrical outlets full ability still in use today...why?
We lived in a really old house that originally only had electric lights, there were no outlets. Somebody put in outlets at since point later on but since the house wasn't designed for it, a lot of them are a little crooked or in weird places. Of course the rest of the house was a little crooked too 😂
😂😂😂😂
I am a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (retired) and was always taught to orient the "safety ground" at the bottom. This helps to ensure that one will not lose chassis (safety) ground in case the plug starts to pull out e.g. from the weight of the cord or something falling on the cord. I own and use some older portable power tools with metal cases and insist the receptacles I use them with are oriented with the ground at the bottom. I personally think a horizontal mounting with the neutral "up" would be best, but the boxes would have to be re-designed. I have not checked code since I left the profession to know if the code has changed, but I have noticed that medical offices are using "ground up" these days.
Ground pin is always longer, so it stays connected if ground up.
Ground down means weight of the cord pulls prongs out
Ground up means cord weight always pushes prongs in.
ground is always the longest pin.
Other than lay flat plugs ground up has the advantage.
@@heyyou5189 I learned something from you today - thanks!
My brother worked at a hospital and had many incidents where paper clips fell off the desks and shorted the hot to neutral starting 🔥 fires. They turned all the recepticals to ground up.
The ground prong up causes a problem for low-profile surge protectors which usually have the wire going down to the ground and prong on the wire side down to avoid a kink. Thats likely also a big part of why people are saying you are installing them upside down. As a person who uses a bunch of surge protectors (cause PCs need them), I can say that installing them prong side up causes people more problems with cable routing and cable weight putting strain on the prongs and causing more problems than solving by doing it ground prong side up. Prong down better accommodates the vast majority to low profile surge protectors and also (Backup Batteries) Uniterutpable Power Supplies. Many of which the higher-end ones often have low-profile plugs with the wire going toward the ground and the Ground Prong down.
Not having the ground wire (prong down) also causes a huge problem for a lot of low-profile surge protectors. I have the prong up in my apartment. It was the first time I had ever seen them upside down cause every place else puts its prong side down. The cable on many of the service protectors with the prong down as the wire goes down, I can literally see one of my cables now with the wire going up, putting weight and strain on the power outlet before it goes to the ground. It tends to hang off further from the wall since the wire has to route up before it can go down.
I also suspect the reason why the outlets in my apartment may be so loose (cause plugs can easily come out) is not just because it's an old building but also because of the constant strain from surge protectors and thick wires rubbing on the outlets.
For the past 35 years, I've always installed outlets ground side down because that just seemed the way it was supposed to be. I never understood why I've seen them ground side up, so I now have a better understanding after watching your video. Thanks for making these!
You just like the 😮 face.
My vote: Ground prong DOWN for safety. The instance of nail falling from top is, as you said, rare. What is not rare is a kid sticking something into an outlet. The image that is presented with ground prong DOWN looks very much like a frightened face: eyes wide (the slots) and mouth wide open (the ground). That's what I always thought when I was a little kid, and I feel sure that the frightened-face image has kept many kids away from outlets.
😂😂
Bingo.
Canadian electrician here. When i started my apprenticeship in the mid 2000's we had it hammered into our heads that receptacles should always be installed ground up. Many a coffee break argument has been had about this issue. I had always installed plugs ground up but after replacing half a dozen refrigerator receptacles or so the problem became clear.
Equipment with 90 degree plugs are always designed for ground down, this is always the case for refrigerators. When the ground is up, the cord sticking up wants to pull the plug out of the socket and vibration from the fridge motor slowly wiggles the plug loose causing low level arcing. I'd find these plugs half melted and covered in soot.
The inspection authority in my region was demanding grounds up but after discussing this issue with the head inspector he relented and said "ok, fridge receptacles can be ground down".
Personally my preference is for ground down. If I'm doing renovations i will do that same as the rest of the building. If a blueprint spec says ground up, I'll do that. My house, ground down. I will usually speak to a building owner or manager and suggest ground down but if they want ground up i won't argue.
Hope this helps anyone trying to wrap their brain around this.
This was very informative. Curious, which region was demanding ground up? The only place I can remember seeing ground up was at an AirBnB in Quebec where the owner did all the work himself.
Many....MANY...years ago I was told the hospitals in this area have the ground prong on the top, because most of the receptacles had stainless covers, and for some reason if one came loose it could land on the ground prong and not the energized prong. Makes sense to me. No matter what, it would be best if they all were pit in in the same orientation in a home.
Exactly
A good friend of mine (now deceased), who was a licensed master electrician, told me the ground pin should be down because, if the plug began to fall out of the outlet, the ground pin (a safety feature) would be the last to separate. Our house has outlets installed both ways but every one I've installed or replaced is ground pin down.
The ground pin will always be the last to separate regardless. That's why it is longer than the hot and neutral blades.
@@stargazer7644 Actually --- it's the FIRST to make contact ... either for a static discharge to keep expensive electronics from that or to make sure that if, somehow, just the hot prong went in, then there'd still be a ground to protect the device or the stupid human.
You have to de-humanize things or the lawyers will get ya!
Glad to hear that there is little difference as to receptical orientation. I like the look better with the ground side down because it looks like a smiley face. Silly reason, but all of my recepticals have the same orientation. Thanks!
@SurferJoe46 um actually 🤓... try reading the comment you're "correcting" again.... it doesn't say what you assumed and went on a rant against.
The reverse of that is that if the ground pin was on top, the action of someone pulling out the plug would tend to add a torque force to the ground pin, as we're usually well above the height of the outlet, and pulling _up_ as well as out.
I was talking with my mom about this because because many of the outlets in her house are installed up-side-down (ground up). She was asking about that. I explained that in residential installation, it is a preference of the installer and there was no code that required it. I tried to explain the reason for having ground up vs ground down.
This whole argument was likely caused because ONE TIME, something fell and hit hot and neutral of a plug that was part way out and the person who did that got on their high horse and started the campaign to invert outlets.
It would be interesting to experiment with this to see how difficult it is to cause an arc (closed circuit) with both outlet orientations. Even with ground up, if the object doesn't bounce off, there is a 50/50 chance it will slide over to the hot (line) side and cause an arc anyway. That is assuming the device has a grounded plug as you pointed out.
This really is an argument for people who have too much time on their hands. 😀
ONE TIME at band camp...
I've had stuff fall on a plug and spark myself more than once.
@@John_Ridley So why didn't you have the plug all the way in the receptacle? I have NEVER had it happen to me once so maybe you are accident prone or plain careless.
@@KStewart-th4sk The thing that fell on it was pretty heavy and levered the plug out of the socket.
Also, the typical crappy plugs that get installed in the US (the ones that are $8 per dozen at Home Depot) after 20 years or so are so weak that they won't hold a plug anymore. If you go into any hotel room that hasn't been remodeled in 5 years you will find that you can't get anything to make proper contact anymore. I have had to replace 4 or 5 sockets in my house over the last 20 years as they got to the point where plugs just fell right out of them.
I also had something metallic and very flat like a lid, don't remember, it fell onto the blades and blew a fuse. I'd rather blow a fuse or breaker than be zapped a zillion times with a pointer finger error😮
This issue came to light about 10yrs ago. As an industrial electrician, we use a lot of metal receptacle covers. If the screw loosens on the cover and it drops, ground up is a little safer than ground down.
Where has this video been all my life? I have always just replaced outlets in the same way they had already been, lacking any better guidance. Thank you for this!
Probably the biggest consideration for me is the prevalence of 90 degree plugs "usually" hanging down with the ground prong down. Plus it just looks weird the other way as we're used to it down.
Not just "looks weird" but having the cord constantly hanging with a sharp U-turn is not good for the power cords and strain relief features. The plug orientation is the deciding factor for me when orienting outlets.
@@danoberste8146 Yeah, I wasn't clear as the "looking weird" I was referring to was the outlet.
Yep. I've been aware of this issue and the lack of official standardization on the issue for a long time now (decades) so I've been keeping my eyes open and *every* plug (except one and that was a two-pin plug) I've seen where orientation was designed in, it was for ground pin down.
As an aside, I was originally a ground-pin-up orientation guy. It's what the UK uses and avoids that shocked-face look. But as I looked into it more, it just seems that the choice has already been made.
When I was vacuuming floors, half the outlets were installed ground pin up, and some ground pin down. What I noticed is that the vacuum would stay plugged in better with ground pin down.
@@chaos.corner France is also ground up, but Australia is ground down. Germany is ambidextrous. Their sockets have ground clips top and bottom, instead of a prong, and the plugs can go either way.
Great discussion. You’ll never convince the other side however. One thing you didn’t mention is that an awful lot of cords on fridges, washers and power strips now are right angled to hug the wall better and the majority of them are in a ground down orientation.
@@bv226 Exactly! Plugging such a cord into a ground up receptacle nullifies the whole point of the bend as the cord has to make a u shape which does not hug the wall any better than a non-bent cord does.
In the house I install ground prong down, in garage, shed, work area I install ground prong up , for 2 two reasons, 1 dropped safety as you show on the video if something is not plugged in all the way and, 2 for stability , the ground prong is longer and feel it will help hold a plug in if hanging and such. one exception in a garage if I have a fridge or chest freezer, I put that outlet ground prong down due to angle or directional plugs on them , otherwise the cord will go up and have to bend over and go down. Not saying anything I do is correct but is what I do.
@@robertdashnier4184 That’s very sensible. I agree that is a very smart decision.
I built a garage and turned them sideways….
Ground down cord weight pulls prongs out exposing them. Ground up cord weight pushes prongs in.
Flat plugs tend to avoid that to begin with
Very Good Video, as a residential user I did have the Incident of something falling on the prongs of a ground side down outlet and causing a spark and short circuit. It was the metal winding chain of a cuckoo clock that feel down across the contact while I was winding the clock. I had a rechargeable flashlight plugged into the outlet. (and it had wiggled out from the outlet slightly, exposing the prongs) There was a big spark and noise for sure. But like you said in you video there was no ground connecter on this devise, so it would not have mattered which way it was installed, although they are made to hang down, making the ground down installation most practical. (again as you mentioned in your video....) Good Job.... I watched this video to really see once and for all which was is the right way to install these outlets... and I still don't know... LOL
I wired up my walk-in basement that we’re living in with the ground prong up, because at the time, 15 or so years ago, that was the trend, and was supposedly “safer”. I regret doing this and eventually will rotate and reinstall them with the ground down. The #1 reason I think they should be ground prong down is that while using a handheld power tool, the cord often moves around and the combination of the tool’s movement along with the weight of the cord tends to pull downward. When wired with the ground prong up, the cord tends to unplug from the receptacle in this configuration, whereas with the ground prong down, the plug resists becoming unplugged.
I "read the room". If it's old work, keep it the same as the rest of the house. If it's new work, it's the homeowner's choice.
Code aside... Straight 3 prong or Polarize plugs doesn't care outlet orientation but Angle plugs do care. Most things make for home and office are made for outlet "Ground Down" so weight or stress is pointed down so having angle plug the cord isn't bent tight at the plug or heavy Wall Warts stay put. Search for "low clearance power cord" and related for many examples. Some "Shop" and Hospital equipment have angle plugs but made to expect to have outlets "Ground Up" for same reason.
It seems 90 degree extension plugs, nite lights, and power bricks are manufactured with the ground side down being most convenient so as to not block the other receptacle.
Valid point.
@@PappaMike-vc1qv That’s a good point. And another good point is that some 3 pronged cords are designed to make a 90 degree angle after leaving the plug head. Such cords bend downward in the direction of the ground prong. If the receptacle is ground prong up then the cord makes a u-shaped bend as it bends upward because of the 90 degree angle and then drops down due to gravity. Bending the cord in a u shape is likely not very good for the conductors inside it.
I wore all of mine ground Prong up except behind the refrigerator. Really, it is not a good idea to plug anything else into the outlet with the refrigerator. It isn't as much of a problem now, but in the past, older refrigerators drew more amperage due to the appliance itself and different components inside them. Also many times I would come across a freezer plugged in on the same circuit as the refrigerator.
@@desertdan100Refrigerator motors have leakage current through the oil bath. That trips the GFCI. Refrigerator receptacles have their own circuit. A non-GFCI outlet was permitted 10 years ago: I don't know if that has changed
@Fetherko Things are changing on refrigerators and freezers. They used to have a high starting amperage or surge but that is changing. Now they are starting to install linear compressors. They may not last as long.
Thank you for this video. Great topic and very good presentation.
While it does not matter if the ground is up or down here are some things to consider.
1. No mater which way you put the ground be consistent in the direction you chose.
2. Some angled plugs will not work with ground up.
3. With the ground down it is possible to break the outlet casting around the ground prong if pressure is applied on the cord.
Like when someone steps on the cord. I have never seen this happen in the ground up position.
Hope this helps.
In commercial construction we ALWAYS do ground down because in sub spaces (subterranean, meaning below ground floors - like residential basements only in commercial buildings often fully occupied) any flooding puts the ground into the water circuit before the live, greatly reducing the chance of fires in remote electrical closets or transformer installs.
The biggest problem I see with ground up is most refrigerators come with a flat plug, and it is for a plug with ground hole down. But people will plug them in having the cord going up and curled back down due to outlet installed ground up.
Fridge is not the only plug like that. My place have all outlets sideways. But my sister have all her outlets ground up. A Lot of her appliance have unnecessary bends on their cable because they turn towards the ground, in this case up. Even her multiplug extensions. And some things that have a plug with reset. (Like a hair dryer) Bulky block, have their cable going up and between the cable and the weight distribution it makes the plug to not stay in all the way. And come out a bit.
So it's not about what code says or doesn't say. It's about common sense. If you are gonna be plugging things like a refrigerator, don't put the ground up, it messes with the plug.
Old school, back in the 60s when I was learning wiring from my dad (an electrician) ground was up on the outlet. The theory was the ground pin on a 3-prong plug was longer and easier to see when inserting.
These days I see ground up on a switched outlet, and use the lower outlet to the switch.
Now in Commercial I see mostly ground up.
Hospital, nursing homes, medical on life support ground up easy to plug in quick and also all these places metal plates in case plate gets loose and plate slips down it will hit ground and and not on hot and netural with people life support
Hence "theory "
I teach middle school and had a student pull out a plug exposing the prongs and proceeded to touch the prongs with a metal ruler. Needless to say he learned about electricity the hard way. Good teaching moment. 😊I asked why would you do that? “I was bored”😀
Did he talk about full-bridge rectifiers much?
My one childhood accident with an electrical outlet was: I had a small lightbulb (of the kind that might be included in beginner science/electrical kits) and wondered if I could just plug its (insulated) wire leads straight into the wall outlet. Didn't know a thing about how electricity works, but in hindsight, at least the wires were insulated.
@@chaos.corner Sheet! Fock!
@JonBee-h7p Having worked in schools in a non-instructional role I know this is their answer to everything. They know nothing about real life. However, they can cite all of the specifications of gameplay in the newest video game! I weep for the future!
I hope you corrected him. He was not bored he was stupid.
For 10 years I asked all the electricians I saw the same question. Because I notice that all the plugs in hospitals were plug up. After 15+ years a Union Journeyman electrician for 30+ years, said “there is no rule unless called for in the drawings” but we all install grounds up in all commercial and industrial buildings (Hospitals), grounds only go down in residential buildings.
I orient my outlets based upon those plugs that I have that ARE 'directional', such as 'flush mount' cords. Great VIDEO! Thanks for demonstrating too!
Ground side down works best to accommodate cords that have a 90° angle on their prongs. So, that's in a home or office. On the other hand, I agree with others at every hospital I've ever seen has them turned the other way. I was once told that the reason for this was to allow important or life-saving equipment connected to a receptacle with a plug that was partially pulled out and turned down but still provide power to the equipment.
as a house painter, i hav replaced hundreds of switches & outlets... most old 1s were painted in place, usually installed as was b4... wen doing a double outlet, i do 1, ground UP, 1 ground down... that way it will work w/either direction of plug/cord... saved many a house that i found w/loose connection & discoloration of wire f/heat... actually did my whole house as i painted each room that was actually OUT OF CODE, did NOT hav enuff outlets in each room, being 10 ft. apart...only 4 outlets in a 20 X 12 dinning room... ANOTHER GOOD VID... thank U 🤗
I'm in the ground-port-down camp for residential. The only time i see ground-port-up is in medical or industrial applications. The thinking is; this protects a potential short from an object (think piece of wire, key tether, another cable, etc) being drug across the inserted plug which might slightly dislodge the plug as mentioned in the video
Even in hospitals, I don't believe there is a requirement for ground plug up. It goes back to the old "metal faceplate falling down on plug causing short" syndrome. Every plug I have ever plugged into an outlet leaves absolutely no room for a plate or any other object to fall between. Plugs are totally flush against the outlet and designed that way to prevent objects or fingers to touch the prongs. Faceplates do not just fall off the wall. At least in my 71 years of existence I've never seen it happen.
If you examine plugs, the ground prong is longer than the hot/neutral prongs. Having the outlet ground on the bottom allows the ground prong to make contact with the outlet longer as the plug becomes dislodged from the outlet. Thus making the ground on the bottom the safer of the two orientations.
I have been installing receptacles ground prong up for quite awhile now. I heard the idea about something falling on it from above and that made sense to me. Most the installing I've done was in my carpentry shop. Incidentally, you pointed out that most people grab the plug with their thumb on top. I dawned on me that I don't do that, I grab it palm down with the thumb on one side and pointer finger curled back on the other side. . And there is no way a finger can contact any of the prongs. I don't recall ever being taught this, but it is what I do. Probably Mom taught me this when I was a child.
Home owner here, just a thought, in homes most of the recepticals are low, the ground terminal is longer and "ground plug" up is easeir to locate when bending over for most outlets especially behind furniture. However I follow what ever is installed previously. Learned some more here, Thank you
Been in the trade since 1978. Every recep I installed have been equipment ground down, The exceptions being engineered medical / hospital facilities. The engineer will specify orientation for receps, both installed vertically and horizontally..
So can you explain why medical/hospital offices have their receptacles ground prong up? And why not for legal offices, laboratory research offices, etc.?
@@Rick-the-Swift Hospitals are engineered, and engineers recognize the following standard. This is an excerpt from citation:
IEEE 602-2007 Electrical Systems in Health Care Facilities - 4.4.3 Hospital grade receptacles. "Parallel blade devices should be mounted ground pin or neutral blade up. In this configuration any metal that drops between the plug and the wall will most likely contact a nonenergized blade."
I'm not certain that this is the latest IEEE Standard. The article numbers may vary from cycle to cycle, but the text appears not to have changed since at least IEEE 602-1996.
Very interesting and informative video.
My house was originally ground side up. As I replaced worn out units I put them ground side down. Partially to easily show which ones were done. But truthfully, looks proper ground side down. 😊Vs🙃
Also when plugging in window ac units, the power cord sticks out the bottom of the brick, ground side down has cable hanging down. Seems better to me. 😎
@jlarson42 Yes! 🙂vs. 🙃! In my 1970s house, all are 🙃and I do not like it one bit. Now I know why, thank you.
Its not all one or the other.
Ground down cord pulls the prongs out exposing them Ground up cord weight pushes prongs in.
Flat cords would need ground down.
My take on it is to install ground prong down unless the receptacle is switched. Then install it ground prong up to make a clear visual distinction as to which outlet is switched. Admittedly it is possible for only half of the receptacle to be switched and the other half constantly powered. However, you still have the visual indication as to which receptacle it is though you might not be sure which half is powered at all times.
That's how I've seen it on several houses - switched outlets are ground prong up. Also, if the outlet is split, one outlet switched and one on constant, the switched outlet is on top and the constant power is on the bottom.
@@philipstaite4775 People, to whoever: Just be in the habit of _always_ installing the wires coming in on the bottom. And, if you want the switched receptacle visual orientation, you still install the wires coming in on the bottom. In = bottom, switched(/out) = top, no matter the receptacle orientation. I don't know why anyone even thinks an argument is worth the time.* EDIT *Not referring to you guys.
BTW, I am just taking into account what was shown in this video. For instance, if I had 2 receptacles next to each other:
in would be left bottom,
out would be left top,
to right bottom,
anything out would be from right top.
Agreed. I've lived in several apartments that did this, and it made it super easy to know which one to plug a light into so it's switched. My house doesn't have a switched outlet so I don't have to worry about it now, but if I ever decide to wire one, it'll be upside down for identification purposes.
@@MundiTaurus Thanks for that explanation. I was aware of the orientation, but not the reason behind it.
Very informative! As a longtime landlord and the weather of many hats, I have seen receptacles installed ground pin up, and I understand the reasoning behind it. Unfortunately, it looks weird, and it looks like whomever installed it that way didn't know what they were doing.
00:30 I have them sideways 🤷♂️
Me too. Ground to the right. First place I lived that was this way in my 69 years.
Ground should be to the left so that the neutral prong is on top
I use a diagonal to get the worst of all worlds.
That’s old news I stole the government seized research from Nicola Tesla and have had wireless electricity transmissions for decades now no wires or outlets at all
Union journeyman electrician for 30+ years, there is no "rule" but our locals in NYC area all install grounds up in all commercial and industrial buildings, grounds only go down in residential buildings, houses, apartments, condos, etc...
Why?
Metal plate covers?
Here in Washington, unless the code or contractor says otherwise, ground down is the standard in commercial buildings
Just preference
You missed the 2 points that are critical to this question:
1. There is no research, neither field experience, to support the imaginary argument in favor or ground-up orientation (the argument of something falling onto the line & neutral prongs).
2. There IS significant research and experience to show melt, arc, and even fire risk from fatigue and eventual failure from cords being severely bent or flexed at the plug.
Many plugs are 90-degree plugs, particularly the GFI plugs on bathroom-type small appliances, designed for the cord to hang down when plugged into a ground-down-oriented outlet (normal outlet orientation). Having that cord go straight up and then immediately flex and hang back down creates the aforementioned fatigue resultant risk (not saying it's huge, but it's one of the relatively biggest ones left in this context).
To your point #1, the reseach and field experience amounts to gravity. Gravity always pulls down. With the proper ground up configuration, gravity will tend to expose the grounding conductor rather than current conductors. Gravity doesn't care. It only works one way. A proper electrical installation will work with gravity and use it to advantage and not against it. Nothing more, nothing less.
That’s imagination or pontification, not research and not field experience.
Point 2 trumps it anyway.
Upside down outlets are the kind of nonsense that creates hassle, expense, and risk for bad reasons.
as a electrician i have always noticed the ground would break off and stay behind in the plug in the smiley face. i have never seen a ground broke off if inside the other way. no official testing done by me. but 30 years worth of experience.
i am an old fart and have only seen those 90 deg plus plugs for the past 15 years. never had them when i was younger. the ground plug down usage probably came about because that way it looks like a "face" and people are pretty stupid that way.
@@EchoDelta-e4z back in the 70s when metal wall plates were the only things available, an argument was made for installing receptacles ground up. It was common for the screws securing the plates to loosen, with the result being the plate could slide down between the plug and the receptacle contacting the hot and neutral prongs, causing a short with the result of burn marks on the wall, plate and receptacle. I never worried about it myself.
Just to settle this briefly. You have circuit testers that you plugs in your wall socket. All of them are designed so that you can looking down on them and you can see the lights and key for what the different lights stand for when the ground is down and prongs up. If you install it with the ground up you need to find another way to read the lights, example lay down on the floor and look up. On the ones that have a GFCI testing butting the button will also be on the top when plugged in correctly.
Excellent point.
Sounds like a marketing opportunity for a circuit tester.
And the test button is on the bottom
Most pros use an actual multimeter and not a simple tester.
@@jessenajera5369
Really? That's interesting. Which setting on my multimeter tells me if the outlet is wired properly and where's the button to trigger a circuit breaker test?
Think before you post. EVERY electrician has at least one of those blocky circuit testers kicking around in his bag. Many of us have multiples from different brands with various different functions.
I learned in AZ that builders put ground plug down except when it is a switched or switched half hot plug. Then the ground plug was up. It was a super simple way to differentiate between outlets that were always powered and ones that are attached to a switch. I have followed it in my new house. It is just a super easy way of know what you are plugging into. I like the ambiguity in the code for this reason.
I'm a retired electrician, non union, union and owner. In the 70's my instructor taught us that ground down as on an extension cord ground is the longest prong and the last prong to exit the outlet. Wagoes have not used them at all, but still do electrical work and I found 2 so far burned up. I twist my wires and use a wire nut, I have found some burned up with a wire nut and the wires usually aren't twisted.
Night light are the best argument for GP down.
aren't they all ambidextrous? None of mine have 3 pins, and both pins are the same, so non directional.
Ground prong down looks like an 😮 face, so obviously superior.
Agre. The ground prong down looks like a face and can bring attention to small children.
@@anatolychokler6702 ....Wow! That's actually a great point that I've never thought of. Thank you.
This is the correct and only analogy needed. Face up. Done.
NEC doesn't specifically address it, but tens of thousands of manufacturers do: "Ground Down." It may actually be illegal to install a ground down cord in a ground up recptacle. It could even conceivably be an issue in a lawsuit.
yeah, and everyone knows the ground is down.
Ground down makes it look like a face that is saying something like "uh-oh" or "ouch". A good message to kids.
It always looked more like "OH NO" to me.😁
😮
😮
"Unless you have a local code" (8:43).... This is a key point. I attended a 2-day electrical safety workshop that was being held in a conference room in a hotel in another state than my own. When first entering the room I noticed that all the receptacles were oriented sideways, with the neutral slot up. The speaker at the workshop had also noticed this, and inquired about it before we arrived. The local code required it. The Local Authority Having Jurisdiction (LAHJ) always has the right to tell you how to do things. However, the local inspectors don't always agree on everything. You have to do what YOUR inspector tells you if you want him or her to approve your installation.
I like this video. Personally, as an electrician for 30 years, I always ask the final customer how they would like the receptacles oriented. 10% would say ground up; the rest preferred ground prong down. No problem. The only time I would make my own executive decision, is that if the receptacle needed to be installed horizontally. Only then, by instinct, I would always orient it so that the neutral side was on the top (90 degrees to the right) And never once had a complaint or a change order. But until the NFPA 70 decides otherwise, I'm sticking with customer preference.
I always install ground down as most right-angle plugs are designed for ground down. However, I have noticed that almost all medical offices and hospitals have the ground side up! That seems a little odd to me!
Once saw a soda machine with a right angle plug with the ground side up
The journeymen wireman I know say ground pin down because the cord hangs from it and in the event that it gets pulled out especially while in use the ground pin is likely to be pulled from the receptacle last.
That’s why the ground prong is longer
First make. Last break.
Also, 90 degree cords, like on refrigerators need the ground at the bottom, otherwise the cord points upward from the plug, instead of down, like it is supposed to.
My old journeyman insisted that the reasons that, for example, the hospitals install them with the ground side up was because the ground pin can carry more weight from a heavy 120VAC cable. Which back then the hospitals did have heavy duty cords for just about all their devices. The jury is still out!
I do like how the plug "hangs" with the ground up, keeps the 2 prongs inserted better, reducing arcing possibilities when things start getting looser. Not great for the 90 degree plugs though.
Not just the weight of the cords, but also blows from falling objects. I've only ever heard the "something might fall and hit the ground pin" argument from people arguing against ground-pin-up. The issue isn't something making contact with the pins, it's something dislodging the cord of potentially critical equipment. Things falling and striking the cord are less likely to dislodge it if it is narrow side up. Doesn't usually matter in homes, but something to keep in mind when wiring up a shop (or a hospital).
In 34 years experience, ground down in houses or owner preference. Ground up in an industrial setting. In hospitals, I've always installed the gray or red hospital grade recepts.....Geeeez, have you ever tried pulling a plug out of one of those? I don't think it would matter which orientation the ground was. They have a pretty stout grip. I was always told to install ground up in industrial and some commercial settings because of the possibility of something falling in between the plug and device. Anyhoo....good vid
I put ground side up in garage and industrial areas for the same reason plus over the years the receptacle seams to last year's longer less cords falling out after a few years
Linaman over 10 years and wired my entire addition and never even thought of putting it upside down, however dont see any safety reason why it would matter except like ypu mentioned face up with water above. Great video
Just a simple condo owner in Montreal here. The vast majority of three-prong plugs are designed so that the cable hangs downward when the outlet is installed with the neutral prong down. When the neutral prong is installed up, the cable points upward and must twist to hang downward. In residential settings, most of the time we want the cable to hang naturally downward, making a neutral-up installation both impractical and sometimes a real pain.
I have always installed ground pin down. Why? If the plug has worked its way out of its outlet, the weight of the plug's cord tends to cause the plug to point slightly dowward, eventually disconnecting the hot and neutral before the ground pin.
Having the ground pin on the bottom tends to help stop the plug drooping under the weight of its cord.
Thanks for sharing.
With ground up the weight of the cord always pushes hot and neutral in.
@@heyyou5189 For safety you want the ground connected always, and you want the power disconnected first.
I was just recently in a local hospital & I noticed that all the outlets in the rooms & hallways had ground up. I didn't notice if the gfi in the bathrooms were this way though.
You got that right. Also in our research buildings.
In Canada we put ground down in residential areas so as the plug wiggles out the ground breaks contact last. In hospitals it’s ground up to prevent an arc flash in a possible oxygen rich environment.
I've ask hospital employees about the plug upside down. They said they're plugs that connected to emergency backup power
@Peanutz77 In our hospital and research building, the emergency power recepticals are red, and the non are white. Which is pretty standard in the area hospitals I have been in. All have ground up. Do you have red recpticals at all there?
@@Peanutz77 Most of the time, emergency power outlets will be distinguished by color. Orange outlets are pretty common
I like them up, because that is how UK (where I come from) is. But ground down will be better if the cord gets pulled semi out, as the Live Neutral will disengage before Ground. In UK the plugs are way more substantial. And the Ground (Earth) pin is longer. Because they are thick square pins they unplug straight out. which is more safe.
Haha......such a non-issue video that kept my attention throughout the ENTIRE time! I have always installed ground-DOWN. Whenever I have see the ground "up", it looks goofy to me. One thing you did not say was just the "physics" of gravity as a cord tends to pull down, having the ground side down, holds the plug more securely into the outlet. People that complain to you about this need to get a life. Haha I appreciated you making this. Thanks for the video.
My friend is an electrical contractor, on residential work any wall switch controlled outlets. He does this so when new home owner calls saying he needs to send someone out to replace a dead outlet. He asked if round hold next to the slotted holes. If round is on top he tells to turn the wall switch on.
First time viewer.
Awesome video.
Personally they look proper with ground down
Great video, right angle plug don't look good in a grd up install
True. Also there are lots of timers that require the ground at the bottom, otherwise it will be upside down.
All of my angled plugs are shaped for bottom ground if I don't want the strain of the power cable doing a full 180 going back to the floor, so the correct orientation for me is ground-down.
I worked as an electrician for several years. There were some instances where ground orientation was specified. Typically in industrial and hospital settings. Otherwise I’ve ALWAYS installed receptacles with the ground down. I think it is aesthetically pleasing and it’s what we are accustomed to seeing.
Hello As an electrician starting in early 70’s. receptacle orientation was to be grd side down. The grd prong would be made first and disconnected last since it is longer (for safety reasons). But if the cord was heavy or a loose connection or physically knocked downward there may be a chance the power prongs may be disturbed but the weight or orientation of the hanging plug would insure the grd is not disconnected. Nowadays does it matter.
FYI as an apprentices we tried to drop many sizes of nails,cutlery etc onto a partially seated plug and were not able to cause a fault.
Thumbs up on GP down. I’ve been an electrician for 50 + years and have always done it that way and in the CEC Canadian Electrical Code all the diagrams in it show this style of receptacle GP down. Not sure on the NEC.
P&S receptacles show (the wiring diagram) to install with the ground side up. Ps my uncle was licensed as commercial electrician For 50 years when he started in the trade they were still soldering the wires together; was a supervisor for the last years of his electrical career . He retired once at 62 got bored and found another job retired again for the last time at 70. Lived to be 93.
Im not sure what CEC that you are looking at, but Diagram 1 CSA configurations for non-locking receptacles shows the Ground pin as the top pin. This is for all devices on the page. People are more comfortable with the ground pin being down as it looks more like a human face.
You’re right. By Code, there’s no “proper” way to install an outlet. If you’re replacing an outlet, keep it uniform to the rest of the room/house. If you’re roping a new house, do whatever the boss says. If you’re the Boss, well, Everyone has a boss.
I've always been curious about this because it seems like a lot of AC "wall wart" adapter manufacturers make them with the ground prong intended to be down. I say this thinking even back in the 1980's with Nintendo AC adapters, if you plug those in to an outlet with the ground prong up, their own weight distribution will make them fall out of the outlet especially on a slightly worn outlet. If they are connected into an outlet with the ground prong down, their shape makes it such that they press into the lower part of the outlet cover and are less likely to just fall out unless the prong springs in the outlet are extremely worn out.
We were the first builders in Southern California (1980) to install the bedroom switched outlet with the ground up. We called them half hots because only half of the outlet was continously hot. We did not want our home buyers killing the clock radio which normally had a bed lamp on the same outlet. There was no code for this and was a valued added cool feature introduced eliminating the need to figure which outlet was the "switched" outlet. I was the quality control inspector for the company.
Electrician here, all I can say is that the orientation is much less important than the actual wiring.
Although, I think out of practicality, it's easier to plug in a 3 prong connector with the ground on the bottom.
The code isn't too specific on the orientation, but inspectors might still question why an outlet is installed upside down.
Once an electrician told me that to avoid confusión during wire instalation he always placed Hot on the left, same as water in shower, that way ground pin would go up.
Personally I feel ground pin down withstands more weight.
I've always done ground prong down. Now I live in a home built from Adobe block and the outlets in those walls are sideways! Only have seen that before in Mexico and the city if Chicago....'splain that!😊
@@bobcole3852 Simple answer: Sideways installation prevents you from having to pick a side in a long-standing heated debate like this. 😜
@@davidroddini1512 Of course, in side mounted installations the ground prong should be to the left. :)
@@stargazer7644 lol, yeah so the "neutral blade" is up at top. 😉
We just made a video talking about why we think the the prong (ground) on the bottom is a better idea because of right angle cables having to face the ceiling when plugging something in putting way to much weight on the pins.
P.S. We found this video right after we just made our video.....LOL
Can't plug in a scented oil freshener upside down.. case closed. 🙄
In that case, I want ALL my outlets ground up! Allergies to those accursed stinky oil things.
@@ladybugsarah6671 Wwweeellllll you *can* plug them in upside down. And the scented oil will last longer too. It just might leave a stain 🤪
@@whoooozen No kidding. Me too. And what's up with people washing their clothes in Febreeze and smelling like a toxic waste dump all day?
That's actually making the case for ground prong up. Ask any firefighter about causes of house fires, and they can tell you about the ignition point being an outlet with two blades sticking out of it where the plug-in air freshener used to be before it melted.
My outlets are all ground plug down or wide blade left orientation because I use a switched outlet plug-in accessory. It's just adding an on-off switch to an outlet, like for soldering irons or little sandwich grills. They all are made for the switch to be in the upright position, some light up when on. Also some night lights & plug-in air fresheners are made for it's feature/light to be orientated up.
Thank you so much for covering this. I’m a do it yourselfer. I have always been confused about this issue. Thank you for the clarity and for the reference to code.
My dad, who was an electrical engineer, taught me that having the ground up provides stability to the plug itself while gravity is pulling the cord down and trying to dislodge the ground and thus keeping the hot and neutral prongs inside of the recepticle. This also helps maintain the clamping force of the clamps inside the receptical since there would be less movement overall throughout its lifespan.
That being said, since there are certain appliances that design their plugs with ground down, without or without the ground prong, it would be more advantageous to rearrange specific recepticles to accommodate this, such as a refrigerator.
I totally disagree based on personal experience. Ground down provides a more stable plug connection when gravity pulls down on a heavy wire connected to the plug.
You did not mention those appliances which come with 90 degree caps, if ground prong up it leaves a loop above the receptacle
or reduces the usable length 15:31
With ground up!there is still a 50% chance of a short if a conductive object falls toward the ground and line. The NEC is just wrong about a lot of things. Technology connections had a informative take on this.
Thank you for a very accurate and concise video. I was an Electrician from 1980 to 2000 and an Electrical Inspector from 2000 to 2021. Over 40 years this has been an argument with no basis. I must say that being an Electrical Inspector for that many years, I never saw once where any contractor installed the ground up with the exception of switched receptacles.
I'm not sure how specific you get in any of your videos, but one of the most misunderstood parts of the code is redundant grounds in medical facilities, and with the twist of 120 volt receptacle mixed with 277 volt lighting. Even of out 20 inspectors, most did not really seem to completely get it beyond using "green" MC. Also misunderstood is what a medical facility is, and what rooms are covered. Circuiting is another completely different area and is not what I am referring to, just grounding.
When I took a basic electrical ‘shop’ course in high school (Canada) I learned that the ground prong installs down b/c pulling at a cord would usually drag it down, and as the plug disengaged from the outlet, the ground prong would disconnect last,… leaving the appliance grounded as long as possible.
I used to work at an electrical wholesaler, and I want to say that Levington used to have the nomenclature on the receptacle the correct orientation, and they might have changed it some time in the early 2k's, if I'm not mistaken. It's been a while so I'm unsure if I'm remembering correctly. I had also reinstalled all of the switches and receptacles in my house at one point (the old ones were too old and loose for my liking), and I installed them all "correctly". Only to find out throughout the years, manufacturers of gadgets and appliances made their plugs, specifically the angled ones, to be orientated ground prong down. Mostly noticeable on things like power bars and the fridge, where the plug was designed to be flush behind an object, and on things like nightlights and those fragrance doohickies.
Number 1 argument (for ground prong up)? When did this move up to #1? I always thought the #1 reason was the ground prong not breaking off (or bending) when it was right side up (ground on top). Having it the correct way, as it comes loose, the plug just falls out... whereas if the ground prong was down, as it got loose, the ground prong would still be in after the hot/neutral came out and could rip the prong off. I think one of the biggest arguments of why they should be installed upside down is purely just aesthetics. It does look better, imo, plus as I previously mentioned, a lot of appliance manufacturers make their plugs to fit better in an upside down receptacle.
I suspect Eaton puts the instructions on the back of their outlets upside down to allow the installer to view them while it is tipped outward during installation.
I kept thinking, what does it matter which way the writing is on the back, the outlet has to be twisted over when you shove it into the wall box anyway? Is there a correct number of flips to comply to codes for that?!? 😳
@@danoberste8146 I try not to do any unnecessary flips… I’m not as nimble as I was when I was younger 😝
I dissagree with prong up!! 90 degree plugs are designed with ground down and if you have to plug that upside down, now you have a dangerous loop of the cord. Truth be told it's not wrong either way.
Dangerous loop of the cord? That makes zero sense. "Oh no, my cord has a loop in it, might cause a fire or make me straighten the cord!!!"
@@ericlaing435Think about it, why would you design a 90 degree cord to go up when installed..... that wouldn't make any sense.
I have a watt meter and a couple of digital timers that require the ground at the bottom, otherwise the displays would be upside down. They are all consistently that way. So, ground down is best.
I'm constantly dropping nails perfectly parallel with the wall and directly over dubiously plugged cords, i mean it probably happens like 6 times a day at least. 😂
I like ground pin down (except when I know the appliance angled plug favors ground pin up). When I installed TWO RECEPTACLES in a garage (four outlets in one 4 inch box), I installed one UP, and one DOWN to give the user the option of what worked better for their situation.
I love the idea of ground pin up for switched outlets, and one outlet switched, and one always hot, for bedroom or other appropriate situation.
37 years as an electrician, thank you for doing this for DIYers, pertinent part ended for me at no determination of correct orientation for outlet by NEC.
What about sideways?
Neutral up or hot up?
The outlets in my 25 yr old condo are all sideways. It helps lessen the tangle when I plug in my vacuum, etc.
Man, I just said the same thing. I guess the early bird gets the worm. Dammit!
Good question. Just had sideway outlets installed for first time. The electrician installed them neutral up - probably based on the same logic as the safety ground up argument. I am OK with this because there doesn't seem to be any argument against it.
Installation is location/situation sensitive. In residential, I install vertically with the ground down as any fluids will run to ground; horozontal mounts have neutral down.
Exceptions are like the fridge circuit; the fridge plug has a 90 degree plug with the ground on top. To prevent undo stresses, I invert the outlet.
I originally chose ground up because young grandkids roamed the house in those days, and I considered the possibility of their yanking the cord in a lower mounted receptacle and then becoming intrigued by the shiny parts while looking down from above. I never pictured their little hands wrapping around the entire plug, but good point!
I may change them around when I get a free day to go around everywhere now, based on your demonstrations. That would alleviate my wife’s negotiating the awkward positioning of those block plugs on some of her bathroom personal care devices and the occasional room deodorizer…oh, and some of the CO detectors that don’t swivel.
As a residental customer (homeowner) and Mechanical Engineer with a working knowledge of the NEC, my ONLY experience where it may have marginally helped to have the ground pin UP was an instance with a thin necklace, similar to a single strand wire size chain. My wife dropped this necklace off a bathroom shelf near the receptacle and it fell between the face of the receptacle and plug for her hair dryer. The necklace immediately made contact across the hot and neutral, causing the necklace to arc, flash, smoke, and melt. This left scorch marks on the receptacle and plug and tripped the GFCI. However, if the receptacle was groung prong up, I feel this flexible thin "wire" would have similarly draped across all three prongs, connecting the hot to ground anyway, with similar results.
Otherwise, I have only run into the situations noted by others with the residential device cords manufactured such that ground prong down works better.
I remember as a child looking at the outlets in the house and seeing an alarmed face image: two eyes and an open-mouth expression, with the ground downwards. It was like 'danger, don't come near'.