The answer may surprise you!Here's that follow-up I talked about at the endhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmKL3pgPQhYTechnology Connections on Mastodon:http...
It’s been code in most places to have receptacles installed with the ground connector facing up for years now.
It’s just that most houses were built 60 years ago, and almost no one pays to have their entire homes electrical system inspected and brought up to code.
Technically speaking you’re right. There is no true federal level law on electric code. But there is the NEC which is used by most states and most people would consider that the standard electrical code for the country even if that’s not technically true.
The NEC does not have an article for outlet orientation. Some engineered jobs will spec it one way or another (eg. hospitals) but there’s nothing in the code.
I think the video even mentioned that nec doesn’t have an article on it.
A lot of electrical stuff which isn’t allowed in new installations will still pass inspection in an existing property. Otherwise everybody would need to be rewiring their houses every time electric code changes. No (reasonable) inspector is going to make you swap all your outlets just because they’re upside down. But if you are an electrician wiring new outlets then you would have to put them in the corect way.
Another big example of this is ungrounded outlets. You definitely aren’t allowed to used ungrounded wire for any new instalation but if you own a house where ungrounded wire is being used then in most cases an inspector will not make you replace it as long as all the recepticals on it are swapped over to GFI outlets and none of them are in a kitchen or bathroom.
Funnily enough my house was built in the 50’s or before, and all the outlets…there are a couple that are inexplicably sideways Chicago style but the rest of them are ground lug up.
It’s been code in most places to have receptacles installed with the ground connector facing up for years now.
It’s just that most houses were built 60 years ago, and almost no one pays to have their entire homes electrical system inspected and brought up to code.
There is no such code in the US, so unless you’re talking about the cec idk where you got that idea.
Technically speaking you’re right. There is no true federal level law on electric code. But there is the NEC which is used by most states and most people would consider that the standard electrical code for the country even if that’s not technically true.
The NEC does not have an article for outlet orientation. Some engineered jobs will spec it one way or another (eg. hospitals) but there’s nothing in the code.
I think the video even mentioned that nec doesn’t have an article on it.
Can confirm. I bought a brand new house in 2019. All my outlets were ground down and my house passed the electrical inspection.
A lot of electrical stuff which isn’t allowed in new installations will still pass inspection in an existing property. Otherwise everybody would need to be rewiring their houses every time electric code changes. No (reasonable) inspector is going to make you swap all your outlets just because they’re upside down. But if you are an electrician wiring new outlets then you would have to put them in the corect way.
Another big example of this is ungrounded outlets. You definitely aren’t allowed to used ungrounded wire for any new instalation but if you own a house where ungrounded wire is being used then in most cases an inspector will not make you replace it as long as all the recepticals on it are swapped over to GFI outlets and none of them are in a kitchen or bathroom.
OP stated the house was built in 2019. That’s quite new.
Funnily enough my house was built in the 50’s or before, and all the outlets…there are a couple that are inexplicably sideways Chicago style but the rest of them are ground lug up.
What “code” would that be?