Flexible temp power solution

Rob Keeble

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GTA Ontario Canada
uploadfromtaptalk1469388349015.jpguploadfromtaptalk1469388361983.jpg

So many like 30 years ago i visited what i consider to be an American icon corporation in Concord MA.
the company General Radio or as they were known in modern times was Genrad.
Well i never forgot seeing their temp power points in there general flexible assembly area and thats been my inspiration for the solution to my new temp shop.
i was not going to wire receptacles all over a 2 car plus garage that when i move out is going to be demolished.
But i was also not going to go without the shop for the next two years. So i ran a 6/ 3 cable from the panel 70 feet away in the basement and then on one of my Tom Clark tool draw cabinets i erected a 1.5" thick plywood wall hung my plastic draws on the good side facing my draws and counter top and on rear hung the panel.
at the top there is a wooden roller and you can see the leather hangers holding the cable up. Should i need to which will really on be in say a winter emergency when i may have to do something unexpected on a car and need space i can roll it out the way to the side.
not finished yet but should be by end of day.

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Is it normal in Canada to put your outlets in upside down? :rofl:

Looks very useful. I need to start running some outlets from my sub panel in the garage.
 
Is it normal in Canada to put your outlets in upside down? :rofl:

Looks very useful. I need to start running some outlets from my sub panel in the garage.
Brent thats a me thing. Where i grew up on 220v we had a huge big earth pin on receptacles and similar to UK it was top dead center.

So thats my code. Lol.

Why it should go other way amazes me.

All buttoned up...now tomorrow when nobody is home i will do the final hookup inside.
In my best African accent and grammar the reason.
The madam she is a using the powa so dare not make it go out. If i do the baas is likely to kill me...
 
Brent thats a me thing. Where i grew up on 220v we had a huge big earth pin on receptacles and similar to UK it was top dead center.

So thats my code. Lol.

Unfortunately I think most of us here put them with the spade sides up, which is wrong, but they just look wrong the other way. :) More than once I've seen the metal plates come loose and fall and short out the circuit.
 
Unfortunately I think most of us here put them with the spade sides up, which is wrong, but they just look wrong the other way. :) More than once I've seen the metal plates come loose and fall and short out the circuit.

Just looked it up. What I can tell is that it might be one of those 'which way to hang the toilet paper' type issues. According to code, either way is fine, as long as you are consistent.
 
Just looked it up. What I can tell is that it might be one of those 'which way to hang the toilet paper' type issues. According to code, either way is fine, as long as you are consistent.

Yeah, I can't quote what code or if there is one, but that is the argument I've always heard for doing the ground on the top, keep things from falling down on top of a somewhat loose cord and contacting the spades, but that is assuming that you're using a grounded cord. :)
 
Just looked it up. What I can tell is that it might be one of those 'which way to hang the toilet paper' type issues. According to code, either way is fine, as long as you are consistent.

In my house, all the switch-controlled outlets are ground pin up. The unswitched ones are ground pin down. That's the way they were installed by the builder's electrician.
 
In my house, all the switch-controlled outlets are ground pin up. The unswitched ones are ground pin down. That's the way they were installed by the builder's electrician.

That's actually pretty clever. Only problem I see is that most of my switches only control half of one outlet. Did they follow a standard on whether or not the switched outlet was on the top or the bottom?

I do like that idea. I might have to flip a few outlets around here.

I'm clearly no expert on this, just posted the results of about 15 seconds of googling, LOL.
 
Yeah, I can't quote what code or if there is one, but that is the argument I've always heard for doing the ground on the top, keep things from falling down on top of a somewhat loose cord and contacting the spades, but that is assuming that you're using a grounded cord. :)

The NEC does not specify ground up/down, code committees have refused to touch the issue, and professional electrical forums lock the topic, it's personal preference, or job specs, that dictate how they are mounted, anyone who says one way or the other is best is flat wrong. :D I personally prefer ground prong up.


There are two topics on most professional electrical forums that get a automatic lock, ground up/down, and union topics, 'cause they stir up a hornets nest, as does politics, but there is one that allows union & political discussions but not receptacle orientation discussions .
 
Just looked it up. What I can tell is that it might be one of those 'which way to hang the toilet paper' type issues. According to code, either way is fine, as long as you are consistent.

What code is that? There used to be the southern building code in the U.S. But now an international code is (supposedly) applicable to all houses in the country, maybe world, I dunno. About as enforced and enforceable as putting leashes on cats. I have more than 30' of #10 wire as a 220V extension cord for my lathe and table saw. As I see it, all house wiring is just a bunch of extension cords that are not moved about. This one can be moved.
 
I have seen the result of a falling object land across the prongs 2 times. One was a 4x4 cover plate from the junction box right above. The other was a steel wire strung along the wall to hang work instructions on that sagged onto the terminals. Both damaged the plugs and tripped breakers. I never thought it made a difference to put the round pin on top. But that little gap between the plug and the receptacle is just enough.
 
I was a licensed electrician (Actually EE) Automation Engineer, plant safety, and fire marshal for a 3.8 million sq ft manufacturing and research facility (before 1st retirement) and I always preferred the ground pin up orientation, more because it is longer than the others and easier to see when this pin is up, because it has to be put in first. As the plug comes out of the outlet, it is also the last pin out. This longer pin is to ground the appliance, tool, or whatever before power is applied to it, and to keep it grounded until after the power is removed when the power pins are exiting the receptacle. Kind of a neat idea once you understand why it's longer.

In the USA, there has never been anything requiring the plugs and outlets to be oriented either way, but "The authority Having Jurisdiction", meaning any local inspector, can require it to be the way that he likes best and can fail you if you don't follow "his" rules. Fortunately, most areas of the country adopt the National Electrical Code, which is part of The National Fire Code, and follow that for compliance. Get into the big cities or certain industries, and all bets are off as to what is followed. Some places basically follow the NFPA National Electric Code, and then add to it their own local code. It's best to find out what is required by contacting a local government office and asking. If there is a local inspector or department, that's where you find out what the local requirements are. Most inspectors are friendly and easy to deal with, if you don't try to ruin their day. Cooperate with them and all will be fine. They will tell you what to follow, and even provide help before you buy anything, so no re-wiring is required. In most places, a homeowner is permitted to do their own wiring, if they follow the code requirements. Sometimes a local quiz is required to be certain that you know what you are doing. The inspector will tell you what you need.

BTW, the Sawmillcreek.com forum has the entire 2014 National Electrical Code available on their "Workshops" sub forum, if you should care to look anything up. I don't believe that a newer version is available yet, and purchasing a copy of the latest can be quite expensive anyway. When I need to look something up now, I just go to sawmillcreek, now that I'm retired and nobody pays for a copy for me anymore.

I can see many things in the first photos in this old post, that would definitely fail a code inspection. Learn what is really required, for safety reasons, before doing this. Your life and the lives of your family upstairs might depend on this. Don't take chances when dealing with electrical or fire safety.

Charley
 
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