wilkes

The correct way is with the ground prong on top !, What have you been smoking?

The old school wall transformers/power supplies with polarized plugs were designed for the wide or neutral side of the 120 volt receptacle to be on the left with ground down when facing the outlet. With this configuration there is the possibilty (and it has happened) that an improperly fastened metal cover plate could fall down across the two prongs causing a fire. If you place your toilet paper on the roll with it rolling off from the back/bottom then the ground should be on top with the only exception being the back to front wipers who sit the toilet paper on the floor beside the toilet.

I was wondering if it was a chicken or egg argument.... Power supplies could have just as easily been made with the ground prong up and the weight at the bottom.....or they could have been made with the weight at the top which would make the two prongs on the bottom as more acceptable for keeping the plug in the outlet...but the commonly accepted aesthetic of the hot and neutral on top has caused manufacturers to make their power supplies be oriented in this manner which often blocks the bottom plug from being used but i guess there are advantages and disadvantages to either way. That makes a lot of sense though Bruce.....never thought of it that way

new codes are requiring it to be that way, well in developed counties and states anyway... also if you have the hot and neutral on top, and it pulls away from the receptacle, you can have something ground out by just falling on the two leads/prongs. If the ground prong is up.. it will roll of the plug and the chance of grounding out is much less... but codes will change...

have them come back and reverse it...simple solution to problem....

external power supplies (some times called wall warts) are cheaper for manufacturers than internal supplies. Some aren't polarized and don't care. But most are and don't like being plugged in upside down. Just because the code book has never addressed this doesn't mean it's no big deal.

You two have at it while I go switch my outlet around to the correct position.

You must have bought something that doesn't have a plug but plugs directly into the outlet.... For the record not even the electrical codebook specifies a correct way.... It is purely aesthetics but products have been made based on the "ground plug on the bottom" assumption..... Most products like plug in air fresheners are made so that you can flip them to accommodate your setup.

It does matter. The right way is with the ground lug towards the bottom. The reason this is the proper way is because of large power supplies and chargers that are heavy. Even if they don't have ground prongs, they are polarized. And with the ground plug at the bottom, it puts the polarized blades in the correct position so that the weight of a heavy plug holds it into the wall instead of causing it to fall out of the outlet.

That's true but if they were installed correctly to begin with I wouldn't be having this issue.

Take the cover plate off......remove the 2 screws holding the receptacle and if there's enough wire you can just flip it over without even unwiring it.....just try not to hit the terminals with your screwdriver.....or just kill the circuit breaker to be on the safe side

I see.....its pretty easy to fix....you shouldn't even to unwire it

It's just frustrating we've bought a couple things lately that you can't use with the outlets upside down.

There is no top or bottom to a plug.....it doesn't matter.....one way is just as safe as the other as long as its it's wired correctly......what you're talking about is purely aesthetic..... I can think of many things in this world that are "inexcusable"...... That would not be on my list. I can also think of a thousand reasons I might call someone an " idiot" ....once again that's not a reason

On high plugs ( near the ceiling) for hd tv's and some primary electronics plugs or GFI plugs it can be common. The ground facing up can help to prevent accidental unplugs and resist gravity.
So I am told

Also sometimes if you are replacing a dead plug the original installer my not have left enough slack in the source wire to install a new receptacle.

It happens a lot in (mid 70s to mid 80s) mobile homes with out plastic boxes in the wall. On those homes the wire just install directly in to the back of the switch/receptacle. These type switches have been regulated out of existence.

Actually, a lot do. I had one give me an explanation once for why he did it that way. I don't remember now what it was, but it made sense. But I pointed out he was still wrong.

What idiot installs a receptacle upside down with the ground prong on top? Inexcusable!