Xref: utzoo misc.consumers.house:13651 sci.electronics:14417 Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!fernwood!portal!cup.portal.com!dbell From: dbell@cup.portal.com (David J Bell) Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,sci.electronics Subject: Re: Question about electrical outlets Message-ID: <33967@cup.portal.com> Date: 16 Sep 90 05:01:03 GMT References: <90240.090730MADIF@ROHVM1.BITNET> <842@ecicrl.UUCP> <1990Aug30.012428.14541@mthvax.cs.miami.edu> <1990Aug30.165822.19356@amd.com> <1990Aug30.192503.23235@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> <3157@corpane.U Distribution: na Organization: The Portal System (TM) Lines: 26 John Sparks "answers" the debate over the reason for inverting AC outlets: >By putting the ground at the top, any falling object that cuts through the cor d >will contact the ground wire BEFORE contacting the power conductor. This will >keep you from being electricuted if you happen to be holding onto the cutting >object, by giving the power a shorter distance to ground (the ground wire) tha n >your body. >[I am an electrical designer] ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ If so, then perhaps you could tell the rest of us just WHERE you get the 3-conductor cordage with *absolutely* no twist within the outer sheath? When's the last time you actually looked at the hardware you design?? How's this for a straight-forward possible explanation: When running Romex to a series of outlet boxes, it is not uncommon for the installer to find the wires splice and break out in a sequence that is clumsy for the 'normal', upright, outlet orientation. The lazy way to fix the problem is to invert the outlet... Dave dbell@cup.portal.com