Originally Posted By: dbrown This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I recently had the misfortune of being in a local hospital here in Florida. While there, I noticed the electric receptacles were installed upside down (ground receptacle up). Can someone tell me why this is. The nurse didn’t know and neither did the maintainance man. My only guess is that the equipment they use is made in Canada.
But really, I think the reason is if the plug comes loose and them something falls on it, it won't become energized. It will hit the ground prong instead of the hot prong.
Originally Posted By: aslimack This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
David,
I believe thats for safety. If the outlet is accidentally pushed downward and partially unplugged, you'd rather have the ground exposed than the hot. Especially with kids. Alot of newer homes are being wired like this.
Originally Posted By: jbehling This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
aslimack wrote:
David,
I believe thats for safety. If the outlet is accidentally pushed downward and partially unplugged, you'd rather have the ground exposed than the hot. Especially with kids. Alot of newer homes are being wired like this.
Originally Posted By: dbrown This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I wasn’t trying to be a smart a$% about Canada.lol Iv’e bought a lot of appliances from there,and the plugs are reversed.It just bothered me so much that I didnt know the answer.Thanks guys!
Originally Posted By: phinsperger This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I asked the same question a couple of months ago as I noticed the same thing in three different Canadian hospitals. Now the interesting thing is that today I was back in one of those hospitals and in a newly renovated Cardiac Care Unit the grounds were what we would consider right side up (ground down). In the newly renovated Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit the grounds are up.
I guess they figure the patients get shocks from the falling metal objects onto the outlets they won't have to use the defibrillators as much. 
Although it may not be a defect, if I saw a receptacle in a residence that had the ground up I tend to think that it was a DIY job and look more closely at that circuit for wiring mistakes.
Originally Posted By: bbadger This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
phinsperger wrote:
I guess they figure the patients get shocks from the falling metal objects onto the outlets they won't have to use the defibrillators as much. 
Gotta keep the health care costs down ya know. 
That is odd that part of the hospital is up while the rest is down.
Even though the company has a grounds up policy when we do additions we will match the original if it is left up to us.
There is a rule somewhere in the NEC that requires an angle plug to hang the right direction. However how do I know which direction that will be after I am gone.
-- Bob Badger
Electrical Construction & Maintenance
Moderator at ECN
Originally Posted By: phinsperger This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
argument for installing receptacles with ground up:
As a plug may be partially falling out of a socket the first conductor to disconnect is the ground. Thus a device could be fully energized with no equipment ground protection. [/b]
Originally Posted By: bbadger This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
phinsperger wrote:
A con argument for installing receptacles with ground up:
As a plug may be partially falling out of a socket the first conductor to disconnect is the ground. Thus a device could be fully energized with no equipment ground protection. [/b]
I have heard that argument before, however I suggest trying to make that happen.
The ground prong is always longer and I bet the ground terminal in the receptacle is out further than the hot and neutrals.
It is a UL requirement for the ground to 'make' first and break last.
Bob
-- Bob Badger
Electrical Construction & Maintenance
Moderator at ECN
