functioning properly.
And notice something interesting:
A GFCI can be installed ground-up or ground-down.
The safety mechanism isn’t dependent on which direction the face of the receptacle is pointing.
What About Child Safety?
The orientation of a receptacle shouldn’t be confused with child protection.
If you’re concerned about children and electrical outlets, the more relevant feature is a tamper-resistant receptacle, commonly abbreviated TRR.
Tamper-resistant receptacles
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contain internal shutters that help prevent objects from being inserted into the slots unless appropriate pressure is applied simultaneously, such as when a proper plug is inserted.
So turning an ordinary outlet upside down isn’t a substitute for a tamper-resistant receptacle.
That’s an important distinction.
Why Do Some Houses Have Both Orientations?
This is probably the part that makes people scratch their heads.
You might walk into a house and see:
Outlet 1: Ground down
Outlet 2: Ground up
Outlet 3: Ground down
Outlet 4: Ground up
What happened?
There
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are several possibilities.
Different electricians may have installed or replaced different receptacles over the years.
