[GreenKeys] Switch polarity

[Ralph Mowery]

Unless the code has been changed in the  US in the last few years, there is no requirement either way.  

 

Checking the couple of things in the house and they are made so the ground pin should be down if the cord is to hang down.  As luck would have it, the receptacles are ground pin up, so the cord goes up and has to bend back down.   I even have one small ups on a computer and the plug is so the wire is at a 45 deg angle, but should be plugged into a socket with the ground pin down.

 

There are 2 thoughts in the way the pin is best at.  Up it protects the other wires from shorting out if something falls on a plug that is part of the way out of the socket.  The other is that if the cord is pulled down the ground pin comes out last and protects someone from a hot to ground short.

 

 

 

From: GreenKeys [mailto:greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of PJ Bennett
Sent: Monday, May 29, 2017 8:24 PM
To: 'Michael O'Day'; greenkeys at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] Switch polarity

 

I do my fair share of home wiring and always wondered what the proper orientation of the wall outlet was supposed to be.  I just followed the other outlets originally in the house (ground pin down).  But, this is interesting that the ground should be up. 

 

I just checked our Kenmore washer and the power cord is indeed a right angle cord, but with the ground pin down (for the cord wire to properly route down to the washer).  I guess Sears decided for all of us that ground should be down.

 

Of course, all my 33’s have straight cords so no issues there!  

 

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