irwin@m.cs.uiuc.edu (08/31/90)
/* Written 11:58 am Aug 30, 1990 by phil@brahms.amd.com in m.cs.uiuc.edu:sci.electronics */ /* ---------- "Re: Question about electrical outle" ---------- */ In article <1990Aug30.012428.14541@mthvax.cs.miami.edu> wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (David Lesher) writes: |As for hospital grade-forget it. You CAN price one-it will help |you understand why your last medical bill was so steep. >Speaking of hospitals, there's one around here (Kaiser) that seems >to like to install all their outlets "upside down", with the ground >of the three prong outlet on top. I thought they were just >incompetent (scary thought in a hospital) but they are pretty >consistent about it. >Is there method to this madness? -- >Phil Ngai, phil@amd.com {uunet,decwrl,ucbvax}!amdcad!phil /* End of text from m.cs.uiuc.edu:sci.electronics */ In the above, "upside down" depends on your point of view. I built my own home, and also did plumbing, heating and wiring. We have our outlets with the ground pin on top. My wife and I experimented, and found that it is easier to get the plug into the receptical when installed this way. The round ground pin is longer than the two flat neutral/hot pins, therefore, the round pin must meet the hole first. With outlets low near the floor, it is difficult to see the ground pin through the plug (say X-ray vision). If the round is on top, you can easily see it and get it started in the hole, and as long as you have the plug in an approximate alignment, the two flat pins will then follow suit, as there is a bevel in the receptical to these two holes. We found it easier with the round pin on top, so that is the way I installed all of them. If you put the round on the bottom, it is a two step process to insert the plug. You first tilt the plug pin end up, so you can see to align the round pin to the hole, then you raise the cable end of the plug bringing it square to the wall to start the other two. Al Irwin irwin@m.cs.uiuc.edu