Why Do Electrical Plugs Have Holes ??

[billt]

This guy goes the long way around the barn to explain this. But his answer makes no sense. At 2:45 in the video he states that, "Companies aren't going to make more money by, "filling those holes in". That makes no sense, because it takes an extra step in manufacturing to install them in the first place. (drilling / stamping). You can't "fill in" what's already there.

By eliminating even a small part of the manufacturing process, it is going to save money. Especially over tens of millions of units, over years of manufacturing. It's an extra, unnecessary step, regardless of how you look at it. He did prove they're not needed. (Nothing in the female plug uses them to achieve greater retention.)

So, why are they needed? This guy did do a pretty good job and explaining why they're not needed. But he failed at answering the very question his video was supposed to answer.

 

[golddigger14s]

Also why is OK the only state that I've lived in install the electric outlets upside down.

 

[1911DA]

Maybe the other places you have lived installed their electrical plugs upside down ya ever think of that

 

[MR.T.]

I installed the electric plugs in my parents house sideways. Lol

 

[adamsredlines]

This guy goes the long way around the barn to explain this. But his answer makes no sense. At 2:45 in the video he states that, "Companies aren't going to make more money by, "filling those holes in". That makes no sense, because it takes an extra step in manufacturing to install them in the first place. (drilling / stamping). You can't "fill in" what's already there.

By eliminating even a small part of the manufacturing process, it is going to save money. Especially over tens of millions of units, over years of manufacturing. It's an extra, unnecessary step, regardless of how you look at it. He did prove they're not needed. (Nothing in the female plug uses them to achieve greater retention.)

So, why are they needed? This guy did do a pretty good job and explaining why they're not needed. But he failed at answering the very question his video was supposed to answer.

You're assuming the hole is a separate step. If the hole is added when they stamp the shape of the blades, then its all one step and to remove the hole would require an "engineering change" as well as a change in tooling and possibly more downstream stuff depending if that hole is also utilized in the manufacturing process to orient the unit or hold it in place when attaching the cord or anything else.

 

[GC7]

Also why is OK the only state that I've lived in install the electric outlets upside down.

Ground prong on top or bottom?

 

[2busy]

I installed the electric plugs in my parents house sideways. Lol

I have some sideways my grandpa installed back in the 60's

 

[trekrok]

Also why is OK the only state that I've lived in install the electric outlets upside down.

Yep, seems like ground prong up would be safer for partial unplugs.

 

[cowadle]

it's so you can't call them a "Male Plug" adding the hole makes them non binary.

 

[SoonerP226]

Yep, seems like ground prong up would be safer for partial unplugs.

That's why my dad installed the receptacles in his garage and shop with the ground pin hole up. If a plug came partially unplugged and something fell on it, he'd rather have that something hit the ground pin rather than bridge the current-carrying pins.