Why Are Hospitals Outlets Upside Down as Compared to the Residential Receptacles
Most of you guys may have noticed the inverted electrical outlets installed in the hospitals while the same receptacles are fixed the right side up in the residential and home applications. General questions arise here: is it the best practice to do so or is it a code and finally, which direction should electrical receptacles be installed? Well, we will discuss one by one as follows.
Why are Hospital’s Electrical Outlets Upside Down Instead of Right Side Up?
As we know that in a three prong plug and outlet (also known as socket), the narrow blade is for Hot (live), the wide blade is for Neutral, and the longer Pin is for ground as a safety purpose. The newer 3-prong outlets are installed upside down in hospitals because a partially plugged-in right side up outlet may create chaos in case a fork or any other metallic tool falls down on the upper two terminals (Hot & Neutral) which leads to a short circuit and hazardous fire. This is the reason why they install the receptacles in hospitals in an upside down position instead of right side up.
In case of an upside down outlet, dropping something metallic on the exposed part of the plug, it will first touch the ground pin and may trip the circuit breaker which is supposed to do so for better protection.
Is it OK to Install the Outlet in Upside Down Position?
Well, It is not a code to install the outlet in a specific position e.g. you can install in any direction either the ground prong is top or bottom. The debate still continues between the trade and union electricians but the vote is for Upside down outlets in case of hospitals and patients. In addition, some commercial locations are required to install the receptions in opposite directions (upside down position) in case of metallic faceplate. Nowadays, plastic faceplates are common in home applications, so it does not make sense to install the inverted positioned outlets.
Should the Ground Prong be on Top or Bottom?
In case of the right side up (Ground at bottom), the ground is the last pin to disconnect when you pull out the three pin plug. On the other hand (Ground at Top), the Hot and Neutral wires are still energized when you pull out the plug. This way, you may reduce the risk of electric shock and possible electrocution hazard in case of accidental pulled out plugs.
Right Side Up or Upside Down? Which Direction should Outlets be Installed?
As mentioned above, you can install an electrical outlet in any direction as the standard position is not mentioned in the code yet. It will still work the same without affecting the operation either in upside down, right side up or sideway etc. So it is up to you which side you select but most electricians install them in the right side up position.
Why are Red Color Outlets installed in the Hospitals?
The red color outlets in a hospital indicate that the receptacles are on emergency backup power. The different color of outlets are identical to the doctors, nurses and paramedic staff and they quickly connect the medical equipment to the desired receptacles and outlets in case of emergency.
FAQ
What are inverted outlets?
These inverted plugs allow you to use an extension cord off the filter or surge protector on the ground to run clean power up to the TV
Why are outlets installed with the ground up?
At any rate, with the ground up, if an attachment plug becomes partially dislodged and an item should be dropped or slide down the wall, a better chance of that item bouncing off, due to the triangular configuration of the prongs may present a safer installation
Why are power supplies installed upside down?
The answer is an easy one, should you have enough room between the intake and the floor (and your case has a grill on the bottom for a PSU fan to draw air) you’ll want to have your PSU facing downwards. This will aid in the unit drawing in much-needed cool air when under load
Does outlet direction matter?
The National Electrical Code (NEC) doesn’t require a certain direction. The NEC allows outlets to be installed with the ground plug hole facing up, down or sideways. It’s up to you, there is no standard electric outlet orientation. So that means there really is no such thing as upside down outlets
What is a reversed outlet?
Reverse polarity is when the hot and neutral wires on a receptacle/outlet are wired “backwards.” In other words, the hot (black) wire is where the neutral wire should be, and the neutral (white) wire is where the hot wire should be. This results in a shock/electrocution hazard
Why do outlets have a face?
You’ve noticed that electrical outlets have faces, right? Two eyes and a mouth, so to speak. The “left eye” is considered neutral. This is where the electrical current will make a full circle to and from the breaker
Why do some electrical outlets have a horizontal?
20-amp receptacles have a horizontal slot branching off one of the vertical slots. Appliances, such as microwaves, often have 20-amp plugs and must be plugged into a 20-amp outlet. Electrical plugs designated as 20-amp will not fit into 15-amp outlets
Can outlets be mounted sideways?
In general, the governing electrical code does not specify receptacle orientation (i.e. ground pin up or ground pin down for vertically mounted receptacles)
