GFCI won't help if the falling object contacts both flat pins, only if it
also happens to contact the safety ground, or otherwise be grounded.
Re: "little yellow plastic polarity testers" : Huh ? Even the ones from HF
are color coded. If you don't get two yellows and no red, something's
wrong.
Another small benefit of "ground on top" : make it safer to plug things in
"by feel". You can safely feel for the ground hole, then use your finger
to guide the ground pin into it.
I've also noticed that right angle cords have started coming in the
opposite orientation (ground up), within about the last 10 years.
Randall
On Wednesday, March 17, 1999 3:18 PM, RodPolentz@aol.com
[SMTP:RodPolentz@aol.com] wrote:
>
> In a message dated 3/17/1999 12:51:56 PM Pacific Standard Time,
> Tim.Mullen@trw.com writes:
>
> >
> > The question is; Is there a standard? Is there a "de-facto"
> > standard because it been the custom for many years? Or is it
> > random, and I never noticed?
> >
>
> this was always a gripe of mine. I thought the ground lug should be at
the
> bottom and it drove me nuts to try and plug in a three-prong when the
outlet
> was "upside down." The argument for having the ground lug at the top
makes
> sense but it makes it a little difficult to use those little yellow
plastic
> polarity testers. Plus, if your circuit is on a GFCI it shouldn't matter
> should it?
>
> Rod Polentz
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