The correct orientation for these outlets is with the ground (round) prong down. The shape of the plug and the fact the the ground prong is the biggest and strongest add support to the plug to help prevent it from coming out by itself if pressure is applied.
Drill hole 1mm less than plug size, then place plug into hole, poke the screw into the plug and gently hammer it home flush to the wall, wind out the imbedded screw place item to be hung on the wall and reinsert the screw, job jobbed.
Press the outlet's mounting strap (the metal strip at the top and bottom) against the box, and secure it with mounting screws on the top and bottom of the box. The receptacle can be oriented with the ground slot (the D-shaped holes) facing up or down, but it's considered safer to have the ground slot on top.
Ask an electrician which way a receptacle, aka outlet, should be installed: “Ground up or down?” Typically, the answer is “both are fine,” though most of us have a preference.
According to the NEC, outlets should be installed so that no point along the wall is more than 6 feet from an outlet. This means that outlets should be spaced no more than 12 feet apart on any wall. However, there are some exceptions and variations depending on the type and function of the room or zone.
Pros And Cons Of Horizontal Outlets
This orientation also gives a seamless look to the kitchen. Horizontal outlets are also more commonly installed in newer homes with a kitchen island and charging station drawers. If you are used to vertical outlets, using horizontal outlets can take time to get used to.
A wallplug holds the screw securely into the wall. The screw, and hole, should be longer than the plug! The screw should go all the way through the wallplug and split it open to force the tightest possible fit with the wall.
Because we use A/C current, prongs don't have have a positive and negative. Instead, the two prongs have a 'hot' and 'neutral' side. The wider prong connects to the neutral wire and the smaller prong smaller prong is the hot side of the circuit.
Push the wall plug into the hole
The wall plug should be a tight fit, but you only need finger pressure to put it in. Lightly tap the plug with a hammer to level it with the wall if you need to.
It Doesn't 'Really Matter'
The same is true for the three-prong outlets, whether it is on top or bottom, the outlet still functions perfectly fine.
With the ground up, if the plug should work its way loose you have the ground prong on top to protect an object from falling across the hot and neutral prong.
Many devices only care about the relative potential (i.e. voltage) between the two wires, in that case the polarity (i.e. direction it's plugged in) doesn't matter, since flipping the polarity has only one effect of the relative voltage: it flips the sign, but AC has a type of symmetry that means that flipping the sign ...
20-Amp, 125-Volt Outlets
These are especially common for refrigerators and laundry machines. They are similar to the three-prong, 15-amp outlets but have a horizontal or T-shaped pin on the left. This helps prevent people from plugging items into the wrong type of outlet.
They do it so that if a metal object falls on to a plug that's not all the way in, it will land on the ground and not the live terminals preventing a short circuit and a fire.
A normal electrical outlet that is not grounded is not able to handle excess electricity when it is consumed. Therefore, it will shoot the electricity back out in certain scenarios which can result in electrocution, fire, or simply blowing out your appliance or electronic.
Your first thought may be that the electrician just accidentally did that. But there is a specific reason this was done. While there is no requirement within the standard electrical building code for the orientation of electrical outlets, it is a best practice to install them with the grounding pin on the bottom.
The 2′, 6′, and 12′ rule is a guideline from the National Electrical Code (NEC) for the spacing of electrical receptacles in residential dwellings. This rule is designed to ensure that electrical outlets are conveniently located and minimize the need for extension cords, which can be a safety hazard.
Rex Cauldwell, a master electrician in Rocky Mount, Va., replies: There is no official right or wrong way to orient a receptacle—the National Electrical Code doesn't specify—but you can decide by using logic and common sense.
Living areas require wall receptacles no farther than 12 feet apart. Any section of a wall wider than 2 feet requires a receptacle. Dining rooms usually require a separate 20-amp circuit for an outlet that can be used for microwaves, window air conditioners or other appliances.
Receptacles should be oriented with the ground pin down because a person grabbing the outlet will have their index finger at the bottom side of the plug and the index finger sticks out further than the thumb. Having the ground down will keep a person's index finger from touching the live pins.