Which way is correct?  I have seen them both ways Ground prong up or ground prong down? Someone told me once that residential was one way and commercial was the other. Then if the box is mounted horizontally  does the ground prong go to the left or to the right?

 

Herb

ground positioned so the cord immediately hangs down on right angled cord caps...

 

I've had that very discussion with numerous electricians (the real ones, journeymen from IBEW) and there is not a specified way to do it. If you look at hospitals, they have the ground pin up...and the electricians claim that's probably safer. If a plug is part way out of the socket, something thin and metal falling between them will hit the ground instead of a hot stab. But most homes ( one I had being a notable exception) have them ground pin up, and that's the way most appliance plugs (the molded ones) are made to work. My house that was the exception had them both ways, and it was not only unsightly but a PITA to plug things in. I had to replace most of those duplexes anyway so I put them in ground pin down. Can't say I've ever considered the horizontal box question.

Jiminy Cricket guys...

I still say it's all about which way the cord hangs from the cap...

gravity rules... cord hangs down to relieve cable stresses...

some caps are cabled to the side of the cap while others are cabled 45° to the blades...

 

 

 

 

22 hours ago, Stick486 said:

Jiminy Cricket guys...

I still say it's all about which way the cord hangs from the cap...

gravity rules... cord hangs down to relieve cable stresses...

some caps are cabled to the side of the cap while others are cabled 45° to the blades...

 

 

 

 

 

The problem I have with this type of plugs is that only one at a time can be used in a duplex box. it has to be mounted on the bottom outlet so as not to interfere with the top outlet. However if you have one of each shown, it would work.

Herb

3 minutes ago, Dadio said:

 

The problem I have with this type of plugs is that only one at a time can be used in a duplex box. it has to be mounted on the bottom outlet so as not to interfere with the top outlet. However if you have one of each shown, it would work.

Herb

that's why you have a mix of ground up/ground down receptacles in the shop...

also helps w/ polarity sensitive device chargers because of the blade configurations in relation to the body of the charger...

look at the receptacle lay up on power strips and how stuff plugs into them.....

Just now, Stick486 said:

However if you have one of each shown, it would work.

sorta...

you don't want the cord coming out of the cap and pointing upward and then rolling over to point down...

you do this and you need to add a strain relief to the cord....

On ‎10‎/‎28‎/‎2016 at 1:10 PM, Dadio said:

 

The problem I have with this type of plugs is that only one at a time can be used in a duplex box. it has to be mounted on the bottom outlet so as not to interfere with the top outlet. However if you have one of each shown, it would work.

Herb

  Herb, they now have these cord caps available were the prongs can be adjusted to 45-90 degrees right and left.

5 hours ago, DuckSoup said:

  Herb, they now have these cord caps available were the prongs can be adjusted to 45-90 degrees right and left.

Wow, that is neato, I have not seen one like that before. RH,and LH ? Thanks for posting thatHerb

I have been an electrician all my life. I never could get an answer to that question.

I always put the ground pin on the bottom. Just the way i like it...