Re: Upside down oulets

"D. Gerasimatos" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
> Paul <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> >I just purchased a new construction house, and all of the
> >electrical outlets are upside down.  Is this something new?
> >Who started this?
>
>
> I didn't realize there was a "right side up". Outlets often have the
> ground at the top so that if an appliance pulls away from the wall only
> the ground is exposed. I have seen outlets mounted both ways in homes and
> in commercial installations. Which way is "right side up"?
>
>

Have you ever seen a 90-degree or a right-angle plug? They all have the
ground prong on the bottom. Same goes for wall-wart style transformers.
I have one that has a warning printed on it not to use it on a power strip
and to ensure it is mounted on a wall right side up. It has a ground prong
on the bottom.

Most refrigerators and other appliances have a right angle plug. I have
yet to encounter one with the ground on the top.

As I understand it, some electricians started mounting the outlets with
the ground on top because some elderly people claimed it was difficult
to orient the plug correctly because they could not see the ground prong
on the bottom when they were trying to plug something in.

RT