Ground up or down on electrical outlet
#1
01-29-15, 12:41 PM
Ground up or down on electrical outlet
This debate have been going on for a while now. I would like to know your thoughts on either to have the ground on the outlet up or down?
http://youtu.be/EmVH5En6x6o
http://youtu.be/EmVH5En6x6o
#2
01-29-15, 01:29 PM
The position of the ground pin is really irrelevant as an arc flash can happen in any configuration when metal touches metal. Had the demonstrator's screwdriver been at a slightly greater angle there would have been flash between hot and ground just like between hot and neutral. A far better solution is to follow the codes and use GFCI protection and AFCI protection where required and never work on live electrical equipment DIY.
#7
01-29-15, 05:21 PM
I wouldn't want people to get shocked and then get sued..lol
One actual problem of ground on top: Most residential right angle grounded plugs are made so the cord hangs down when the ground is on the bottom
#8
01-29-15, 07:02 PM
Member
My thought is that it makes absolutely no difference and is strictly personal preference. That being said, my preference is ground down in residential applications and ground up in commercial.
#9
01-29-15, 07:10 PM
We live in a world of I'll sue you for any little thing that goes wrong. But there's been plenty of times I saw the incident occur. On the jobsites where plenty of extention cords were just leaning out of the outlet and with the welders and iron workers working above. It just took little pieces of metal to cause an arc or blew up the outlets. Lucky most were gfci protected but not all.
