Why are Electrical Outlets sometimes Upside Down?

Have you ever noticed anything peculiar in your home or office? Are the electrical outlets ‘upside down’ in your building? You might think some of the outlet configuration wrong or weird and you probably think that the correct position of an electrical outlet receptacle is with the two vertical slots located at the top and the round ground hole directly below.Correct Position of the Electrical OutletTo everybody’s surprise there is no ‘correct’ way to install an electrical outlet. There are four configurations of outlets they are ground up, left, right or down, it depends upon the application and it is quite common to see such configuration. The ‘sideways’ outlets are found above the counter-tops in many kitchens. It is recommend  by outlet manufacturers to installing the electrical outlet in the position that so many consider ‘upside down’. Electricians working on commercial buildings will place the outlet in different configuration but rest assured because no matter what position the electrical outlet is installed it will still function the same.

Understanding Why Electrical Outlets are Upside Down

Each type of outlet configuration serves it own purpose know as to why electricians install electrical outlets counter to the traditional way:Easier to Identify Switched OutletsIn residential building like condo or homes, it is common to have large rooms with a switched outlet, these receptacles is actually operated by a switch hence electricians installs these outlets in an upside-down manner so that you can quickly identify the switch-controlled receptacle as it stands out visually to most people right away and provides convenience to the occupants to easily remember which outlet is switch controlled.Improved Electrical SafetyOutlets installed upside-down help to reduce the risk of electrical shock in some applications. For example, in the ground pin down configuration, if a metal object were to fall on a loose plug, the object will more easily contact the positive and negative pins causing a short and possible fire. Consider a scenario where a loose plug sticking partially out of the electrical socket behind a cabinet and a metallic item fell behind the cabinet, it could easily land across both pins and shorts and If the outlet is configured with the ground pin up(upside down) then the item is more likely to deflect off and not make contact with an energized pin.Another issue along these lines is from metal faceplates. Most homes and offices have plastic outlet covers and do not have this concern, however, metal faceplates remain common in other applications. Imagine that ground down outlet has a metal faceplate and a loose plug. If the faceplate were to become loose or the screw otherwise fails, the faceplate could fall out and land directly on the plugs. If the ground pin were up, there is less of a chance of creating such a condition.Better Gripping AbilityAn electrical outlet installed by the Electrical Installation Services team upside down will have a better gripping ability but this is not the only reason for such outlets configuration. A ground pin down is actually safer or better since many appliances, such as refrigerators, have the cord extend towards the ground pin. Such applications are safer when the cord is not stressed in the opposite direction of gravity.Electricians at Inlightech adhere strictly to electrical safety acts and Western Australia’s electrical requirements and they make sure to cross-check each Electrical Installation Service. Now, it’s time for you to make an appointment with your nearby Inlightech Electrician to run an Electrical Safety Inspection and Upgrade outdated Outlets

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