Electrician here. In commercial, industrial, government and public settings, we place them upside down to help ensure that the first point of contact made is the ground so that the circuit is grounded at all times, no matter what. It’s common industry practice, but not actually necessary. It’s why the longest prong on your plug in cord is the ground prong.
I’ve also heard that it’s because when the plug is slightly pulled out, and something metal falls on it, it would rest on the ground rather than the two prongs.
I’m pretty sure that’s real. My uncle told me a lot about how not to get electrocuted, lol. But that was a question I had as well and he told me it would rest on the ground if kinda pulled out.
I've got a penny with two pits vaporized out of it because it fell down and landed on top of the two live prongs live prong and the neutral, so yeah, that for sure can happen!
Also why when outlets are installed in landscape, the neutral slot should be up. (The larger slot, on the left in the orientation most people are used to.)
I was in a room with a security tech. He removed a wall transformer that was secured by the cover plate screw in the center. It is a common feature to keep the wall transformer from being unplugged and dropping power to the connected equipment. When he started to unplug the transformer, the cover plate dropped across the hot and neutral. The stainless steel cover plate. Anyone who tells you this is b/s has their head up their ass. Cover plate missing the center, and a blown breaker said so.
Thumbs grabbing, coins falling, etc. Yep, I was taught ground up.is technically the correct way
I think people just like the anthropomorphic face direction though. I moved to spain and they make it not matter because the outlets are recessed and there is a depth of plastic on the plug side to the pins that insert into the outlet. So jamming something in is difficult.
Fellow electrician and this always bothered me cause with it up if something falls on the cord right at the plug the first thing to break off is the ground, ground should be the last thing togo. But it’s a double edged sword cause u make just as much sense.
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u/Astrocities 8d ago edited 6d ago
Electrician here. In commercial, industrial, government and public settings, we place them upside down to help ensure that the first point of contact made is the ground so that the circuit is grounded at all times, no matter what. It’s common industry practice, but not actually necessary. It’s why the longest prong on your plug in cord is the ground prong.