Have you ever noticed a wall outlet with the grounding opening positioned above the two vertical slots? At first glance, it may look like the outlet was installed incorrectly. However, there can be several practical reasons why an electrician or homeowner chooses this orientation.
One possibility is that the outlet has a special wiring arrangement. In some older homes, for example, wall switches were commonly used to control lamps before ceiling lighting became widespread. A single outlet might have one receptacle controlled by a wall switch while the other remains powered continuously.
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