[ARC5] AC Receptacles

[Roy Morgan]

On May 13, 2014, at 12:21 PM, Robert Eleazer <releazer at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Back in the late 70's while in California I was told by an electrician that the proper way to install receptacles is with the ground at the top.  He said that this had two benefits:
> 
> 1.  In the event the cord was jerked hard, the ground pin would tend to pull out rather than break off.
> 2.  With the ground pin at the top the outlet does not look like a human face, and thus is less attractive to a child to play with.

There is another, somewhat obscure reason:  If perchance anything metallic should fall upon a partly withdrawn plug, it is likely to contact the ground pin, and not start a fire by contacting the live pin or the live pin and the neutral one.

Roy

Roy Morgan
RoyMorgan at alum.mit.edu
K1LKY Since 1958