# receptacle ground up or down?



## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

Cool... This hasn't been done in a while!

What about sideways?


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

Pass and Seymour has a little "up" printed on the yoke, (ground up) this could be interpreted as a manufacture specification . Other than that its the wild wild west.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

drsparky said:


> Pass and Seymour has a little "up" printed on the yoke, (ground up) this could be interpreted as a manufacture specification . Other than that its the wild wild west.


What happens when you install it on a ceiling? :whistling2:


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

Switched said:


> What happens when you install it on a ceiling? :whistling2:


Ceilings are up, I would sign off on that.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

How about floor receptacles?


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## JoeSparky (Mar 25, 2010)

Coke or Pepsi?


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## John M. (Oct 29, 2016)

Sorry, for all you non-electricians, I'll put it in your language...we're are talking about wall receptacles


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

John M. said:


> Is there any code requirement for duplex receptacles in a commercial building. A friend claims the code says ground must be up, but I cant find anything on it. Which is right?


Majorty of the time no there is no specfic codes it have be specfic postion.

unless there is a device that marked " up " or " top " that about it and anything else .,, that pretty much wide open shot.,, 


but it pretty common for most commercals have ground pin location is up but few are other way around ( useally clue of switched receptales )


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Chevy or Ford?




frenchelectrican said:


> Majorty of the time no there is no specfic codes it have be specfic postion.
> 
> unless there is a device that marked " up " or " top " that about it and anything else .,, that pretty much wide open shot.,,
> 
> ...


Not on my jobs! This is America, grounds go down. If it isn't code, it should be!


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

backstay said:


> Chevy or Ford?


Car, truck or van?.... makes a difference...


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## trentonmakes (Mar 21, 2017)

backstay said:


> Chevy or Ford?
> 
> 
> 
> ...






Chevys come with vortec engines, made from real tornados!

Lol!






Seen As A Tiny Blip From Space


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

I haven't seen one of these threads closed in ages.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Switched said:


> Cool... This hasn't been done in a while!
> 
> What about sideways?


 This isn't the Canadian forum!:whistling2:


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

RePhase277 said:


> I haven't seen one of these threads closed in ages.


One never knows!


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Not an issue with 2-wire receptacles. :thumbsup:


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

John M. said:


> Sorry, for all you non-electricians, I'll put it in your language...we're are talking about wall receptacles


Favorite comment in 3 weeks. I may be in love with you.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

drsparky said:


> Ceilings are up, I would sign off on that.


The ceiling is up, but isn't the receptacle facing down? 

We should all go to Mike Holt to discuss this, they will have the answer!


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## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

IBTL!!!:jester:


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

What does the detail sheet say? You do have a detail sheet, don't you? How about the spec. sheet?


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

John M. said:


> Sorry, for all you non-electricians, I'll put it in your language...we're are talking about wall receptacles


Duh.
New guy doesn't know what search means.:no:

Welcome to the forum


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## Roger (Jul 7, 2007)

Switched said:


> What about sideways?


That wouldn't change anything, it could still be up or down.










Roger


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Then there is this


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## FaultCurrent (May 13, 2014)

How will the electricity know? If the ground is up is the sky below or did I leave the damn cap off the PVC glue again? Damn it where's my megger?


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

dont rmember just when but there was a requirement for grounds to be up in commercial and mostly in medical facilities. anyone have more detail on that?


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## drspec (Sep 29, 2012)

really? this again?


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## John M. (Oct 29, 2016)

papaotis said:


> dont rmember just when but there was a requirement for grounds to be up in commercial and mostly in medical facilities. anyone have more detail on that?


Any code number on that?


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## Jarp Habib (May 18, 2014)

Dennis Alwon said:


> Then there is this


Normally recs look like mildly surprised faces. That looks like the screaming of an Akira abomination

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## oliquir (Jan 13, 2011)

ground down is better


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## Max C. (Sep 29, 2016)

Hmm, up or down...tough choice!



MechanicalDVR said:


> Ouch


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

papaotis said:


> dont rmember just when but there was a requirement for grounds to be up in commercial and mostly in medical facilities. anyone have more detail on that?


Sounds much more like a job spec.


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## Garygood (Feb 18, 2015)

Since I had to repair where a coin fell behind a table across the spades 
Dead short
The safes way is ground pin up
Neutral up when receptacle is horizontal 


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Garygood said:


> Since I had to repair where a coin fell behind a table across the spades
> Dead short
> The safes way is ground pin up
> Neutral up when receptacle is horizontal
> ...


In your opinion.


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## drspec (Sep 29, 2012)

Garygood said:


> Since I had to repair where a coin fell behind a table across the spades
> Dead short
> The safes way is ground pin up
> Neutral up when receptacle is horizontal
> ...


so 1 fluke occurrence settles your mind on that?


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

The only time I see ground up is when some dumb engineer includes it as a job spec.


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## drspec (Sep 29, 2012)

MTW said:


> The only time I see ground up is when some dumb engineer includes it as a job spec.


normally the only time I see a ground up or install ground up myself is for switched receptacles


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

drspec said:


> normally the only time I see a ground up or install ground up myself is for switched receptacles


Turned many around in medical offices due to the cord ends on their equipment being designed that way.


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## readydave8 (Sep 20, 2009)

Garygood said:


> Since I had to repair where a coin fell behind a table across the spades
> Dead short
> The safes way is ground pin up
> Neutral up when receptacle is horizontal
> ...


saw one shorted by clock pendulum, hot to ground

it was installed ground pin up

so quit worrying, we're all gonna die anyway:whistling2:


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## Garygood (Feb 18, 2015)

drspec said:


> so 1 fluke occurrence settles your mind on that?




I have a fluke multi meter 


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## catsparky1 (Sep 24, 2013)

I do not care how you want . You are still paying me the same to put it in YO .


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## drspec (Sep 29, 2012)

Garygood said:


> I have a fluke multi meter
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



congratulations I will pin a gold star on your shirt


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## Garygood (Feb 18, 2015)

drspec said:


> congratulations I will pin a gold star on your shirt




Tough crew 


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## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

MTW said:


> The only time I see ground up is when some dumb engineer includes it as a job spec.


Did you mean Inguineer?


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

I haven't worked in a hospital in a long time but when I did, at least around here, in order to receive hospital certification, the ground pin had to be up in patient care rooms. Further, the grounding (ground) conductor had to be one size larger than the ungrounded conductor for branch circuits in patient care rooms. The grounded (neutral) could be the same as the ungrounded though. A lot of #10 green.......lol.

The rest of the building could be either way but we installed them ground up so they'd look the same.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Garygood said:


> Tough crew
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Welcome to ET.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Chris1971 said:


> Did you mean Inguineer?


:whistling2:


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## Max C. (Sep 29, 2016)

drsparky said:


> Pass and Seymour has a little "up" printed on the yoke, (ground up) this could be interpreted as a manufacture specification . Other than that its the wild wild west.


Last year, I installed a Pass & Seymour USB receptacle in my living room. Sure enough, it was strategically marked "up," so that the ground pin should face the ceiling. Obviously, that intended purpose went completely over-my-head, although (since) the device was installed on an upper lever, no inspector could ever complain :thumbsup: :jester:

On a more serious note, does anybody else here cringe whenever a receptacle's face is marked in such a way that the manufacturer's logo and/or "TR" symbol is only legible when oriented ground pin-up?


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Garygood said:


> Tough crew
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Not really just a good old dose of reality for those with lofty thoughts of superiority in their electrical based thinking.:thumbsup:


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Max C. said:


> Last year, I installed a Pass & Seymour USB receptacle in my living room. Sure enough, it was strategically marked "up," so that the ground pin should face the ceiling. Obviously, that intended purpose went completely over-my-head, although (since) the device was installed on an upper lever, no inspector could ever complain :thumbsup: :jester:
> 
> On a more serious note, does anybody else here cringe whenever a receptacle's face is marked in such a way that the manufacturer's logo and/or "TR" symbol is only legible when oriented ground pin-up?


Doesn't bother me in the least, I install ground down unless it's an existing location with them the opposite or it's an office that has equipment cords oriented the opposite way.

Much like factory cord ends on refrigerators, to hang properly the ground needs to be down.


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