Which Way Is Up?!
Why are some outlets, or receptacles as they are more commonly called in the electrical industry, installed upside down? Did the electrician not know what they were doing? Is this even legal? Rest assured, I’ll answer these questions and more right away!
Plot spoiler: There is no “upside down outlet” in the general use receptacle world. You can stop reading here if that’s what you were after. Orientation of receptacles only came in to existence with the invention of grounding type receptacles. The National Electric Code (NEC) addresses receptacles in article 406. It breaks down in to 13 sections. If you’re a student electrician I encourage you to take out your code book as this is a very easy section to digest. If we look at 406.5(D), the section that covers the Position of Receptacle Faces, there is no indication of which way the grounding prong should face!
So why would someone install a receptacle in a specific orientation?
I don’t have a good answer for that, maybe someone will have some solid historical evidence I can share and update this page with. In the meantime here are the common “up” and “down” theories.
Ground Prong Facing Down:
- For a period of time, GFCI receptacles had their “test” and “reset” buttons oriented so they could be read if the ground is facing down. Today, manufacturers print “GFCI” in both directions. Just for kicks, I read the “instructions” that come with the GFCI’s from Leviton. At no point do they recommend a particular orientation.
- Ground prong down could prevent shock when unplugging a device (your index finger would be on the bottom). I learned this one from Archtoolbox.com, great website.
Ground Prong Facing Up:
- If a metal object such as a loose cover plate or picture frame or something along those lines happens to fall on the receptacle when an appliance is not completely plugged in, it will hit the ground prong first (no current) and ideally not cause a short. I have seen a loose cover plate cause a short across the prongs of a vacuum plug. Obviously the more important question is “why in the world was the cover plate so loose”?
Closing Thoughts
There you have it. There is no such thing as an upside down outlet. Maybe a particular orientation we’re all used to seeing but that’s about it. We could go farther and debate which way the ground faces when receptacles are installed horizontally! Now go debunk whoever told you that you had upside down receptacles. Thanks for reading.
