# Which Way Is Up?



## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

Jeff G said:


> I believe (emphasis on the word "believe") the ground up method stems from the use of metal cover plates.


That is what I was told by an inspector about 10 years ago, said homeowner/painters would take screw out and plate would fall down hitting plug prongs. 
He wanted us to turn them all around, my electrician said nope. He then wanted all outlets removed so he could check them, nope again, pick 2 outlets any 2. Not removing all of them.


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## mstrat (Jul 10, 2013)

overanalyze said:


> I like ground down and the cover plate screws better be perfectly vertical!!


Ding! I agree...why vertical? I haven't a clue, but it looks better that way than horizontal. If I do see a house with all of them horizontal, it's all good, but if they're every which way, it's gotta be fixed.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

mstrat said:


> Ding! I agree...why vertical? I haven't a clue, but it looks better that way than horizontal. If I do see a house with all of them horizontal, it's all good, but if they're every which way, it's gotta be fixed.


I go horizontal on the receptacle covers, vertical on the switch covers.

Tom


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

tjbnwi said:


> I go horizontal on the receptacle covers, vertical on the switch covers.
> 
> Tom


Madness, vertical collects less dust.


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

Inner10 said:


> Madness, vertical collects less dust.


Too funny...I have heard that reasoning a time or two before.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

Inner10 said:


> Madness, vertical collects less dust.


Wouldn't want someone to clean their house now would we???

Tom


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## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

tjbnwi said:


> Wouldn't want someone to clean their house now would we??? Tom


Or their showers Tom...


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

Xtrememtnbiker said:


> Or their showers Tom...


Yep, that'd be me.

Tom


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## Mikekow80 (Feb 25, 2011)

Does anyone else flip their switched outlets on residential work? Don't know where I got the habit.

Ground down unless spec'd different. Work with a company that does alot of hospitals and they say it's required, so they do it in all their commercial work.


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## SectorSecurity (Nov 26, 2013)

I always like ground down unless its controlled by a switch, then ground up so I can quickly ID the outlets which are controlled by a switch, but thats just me.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

SectorSecurity said:


> I always like ground down unless its controlled by a switch, then ground up so I can quickly ID the outlets which are controlled by a switch, but thats just me.


I like that.


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

My sump pumps (little giant 6cia) have breather tubes in the cord that I don't want getting clogged with dust so I instruct the sparky to ground up.


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## GCTony (Oct 26, 2012)

We've seen ground up in spec books quite often but it's common to have stainless steel plates as well. Until now I never gave much thought to the why's. There may be something to the ground up/metal plate thing.


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## SectorSecurity (Nov 26, 2013)

ElectricRoss said:


> Yes if your plate falls on the hot wire when something is not all the way plugged in, it can shock you when you try touching the plate.


If your metal plate falls off and hits the hot wire and you touch it well I call that a life lesson, hopefully one they don't have to repeat to many times.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

I call BS on the metal plate falling and counter with a sagging wall wort power supply would be a greater danger.


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