# Why don't they make side-by-side outlets in the US?



## dirtyblueshirt (Dec 7, 2008)

So here's a random thought I've been pondering for some time...

In North America, and any other country using the "Type B" outlet, the outlets are always stacked on top of each other. In other countries that use more than one plug per socket (such as Australia's "Type I" and the UK's "Type G") they are always places side-by-side, as shown:










Anyone who has ever had to do the wall brick or 'wall-flat' plug battle knows that you usually cant put more than one into a Type B socket set. If we had side-by-side sockets, this wouldn't be an issue. So why don't they make sockets side-by-side in North America, even as an option?

There. I got that out. I feel better... until I try to plug in another power strip again.


----------



## photostudent (Nov 8, 2007)

Here is my wild guess: When electrification came along the homes were a lot older and likely masonary in Europe. Therefore outlets were ran along the baseboard as in your photo. American homes were likely "stick" construction making a vertical outlet more stable attached to a stud. Anyway I don't see it ever changing.


----------



## houskamp (Sep 14, 2006)

in a box that big you could put 2 standard plugs..


----------



## dirtyblueshirt (Dec 7, 2008)

houskamp said:


> in a box that big you could put 2 standard plugs..


I'm just saying, take the standard US outlet, turn it on it's side, rotate the outlets 90°... problem solved... Why can't this be done?


----------



## houskamp (Sep 14, 2006)

in most standard walls that would be a weak mount for the box..

oh, by the way I have 4 (8plugs) just in my bathroom :lol:


----------



## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

http://cableorganizer.com/360-electrical-rotating-outlet/

mount it sideways


----------



## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

Also they have them at Lowe's if you are thinking of getting one.


----------



## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)

Because what we really need is this:


----------



## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

Is that a USB port?


----------



## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)

matt1124 said:


> Is that a USB port?


No, thats _two_ USB ports.


----------



## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

What for?!


----------



## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

Charging your gadgets, duhh 

Similar: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/05/10-usb-power-outlet-leaves-no-plug-behind/


----------



## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

matt1124 said:


> http://cableorganizer.com/360-electrical-rotating-outlet/
> 
> mount it sideways

















Thanks for that link. It looks good to me.


----------



## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

http://www.lowes.com/pd_314706-9300...tk=i_products&ddkey=http:SearchCatalogDisplay


----------



## Glen_D (Oct 21, 2006)

A lot of pre-1960 homes in the US that still have the original electrical systems only have two prong outlets. Having the prongs stacked instead of side-by-side generally wasn't a problem back then. You didn't have "wall wart" power supplies, and right angle plugs were also rare. In many cases, even if there was a problem, most plugs on the end of cords weren't polarized, so you could just flip the plug.

I guess the standard layout of duplex receptacles just hasn't kept pace with the needs of modern electrical devices.


----------



## houskamp (Sep 14, 2006)

come to think of it it's also cheaper to mak a plug the way they do.. common leads are closer..


----------



## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

Glen_D said:


> A lot of pre-1960 homes in the US that still have the original electrical systems only have two prong outlets. Having the prongs stacked instead of side-by-side generally wasn't a problem back then. You didn't have "wall wart" power supplies, and right angle plugs were also rare. In many cases, even if there was a problem, most plugs on the end of cords weren't polarized, so you could just flip the plug.
> 
> I guess the standard layout of duplex receptacles just hasn't kept pace with the needs of modern electrical devices.


LOL mine didn't even have 2 places to plug in, it was a single non grounded set of slots screwed into the lathe. Didn't even have a box around it! I have redone everything, but it was funny to think about having 1 single outlet in every room. One of the old breakers was actually labeled "record player".


----------



## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

I always thought outlets should be in the floor. On stages, they have hainged covers for sound connectors and power plugs. Why not do that in a home?


----------



## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

dmspen said:


> I always thought outlets should be in the floor. On stages, they have hinged covers for sound connectors and power plugs. Why not do that in a home?


Heh heh because people will do the same thing that happens with those stage pockets... sneak a dimmer or moving light into it and screw with the audio guy for making snide remarks :grin:

Actually though, a friend of mine's house has a floor outlet in front of the couch. Unscrew the cap with a coin and plug in your laptop charger. Super handy!

When I move out of this rent house, if the house I buy has a crawl space and not a slab I am putting some of those in. I will probably put in some stage pin outlets and convert my power strips and UPSs over just for fun, it's a superior connection anyway...


----------



## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

dmspen said:


> I always thought outlets should be in the floor. On stages, they have hainged covers for sound connectors and power plugs. Why not do that in a home?


Stages are designed by and for men, while homes are designed for women. Women aren't practical (plugs in the floor), they are much more concerned about appearances.


----------



## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

Care to make any more blanket misogynistic statements, Battlezone? 

For as young and innovative a country as we are, the United States is very traditional. Since many of us can't trace roots here that go back hundreds of years, like people can in Europe or the Far East, we are especially hung up on what traditions we do have. God help you if you want to change one. Santa Claus is always a fat, balding man in a red suit. We vote on Tuesdays, even though Saturday voting would make more sense for our active culture. And yet, when a tradition is changed, we tend to like the new way better. Try getting rid of the designated hitter rule in the American League. Just try. I dare you.

If stacked outlets were good enough for our grandfathers, they are good enough for us, although, all it would take is a very innovative design, combining low and high voltage elements in a single box that would better serve the devices were are now using around our house, for this all to change.


----------



## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

Carl Spock said:


> Care to make any more blanket misogynistic statements, Battlezone?


I didn't say it was a BAD thing. Men and women are different. Observing those differences is not misogynistic. Most people wouldn't want a home to be like a stage, either.

But, ask any home builder who they are thinking about when they make design decisions about a home design, and they will immediately say "women." Ask any realtor who makes the buying decisions among most couples. It's no secret that women make decisions like "which house to buy" the majority of the time, nor that they tend to make those decisions more on asthetics than on pure practicality.

If men made those decisons, then "model homes" would be empty of furniture and decorations, and builders would spend their time showing off the number of power outlets, the horsepower of the garbage disposal, and the paint-stripping power of the showerhead. Houses would all have 4-car garages and detached workshops. And they'd probably have outlets in the floor in the middle of the living room. But that's not the world we live in.


----------



## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

I'm not saying there is no difference between the way men and women view the world. As the French say, vive la difference! 

But to make blanket statements like "women aren't practical" and that if men designed houses, they'd all have four car garages is to pigeon-hole people. You're not celebrating the difference but limiting them. Where does a woman friend of mine who jokes she plays hockey just to drink beer and is technically sophisticated fit into your stereotypes? Or what about me, a guy who has found out late in his life he has an strong artistic side and an incredible sense of design?

Yes, there are differences between men and women. For one, little girls don't collect action figures. Boys do. But no matter how you cut it, an action figure is still a doll.


----------



## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

The townhouse I used to live in had floor outlets in the living room and in each of the spare bedrooms. Although there were also wall outlets in those rooms. The place they were located, was right up in front of the shared wall with the neighboring unit. In order to make the houses wider inside, the drywall for that wall was actually the firewall, so you couldn't install anything into that wall. If they wanted to use wall outlets, they would have had to put another wall up in front it, thus losing out on about 6 inches.

In my current house, I have one floor outlet in my living room. It is near the side where the stairs come up into the living room as there is no wall there.

- Merg


----------



## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

I lived in a house that had floor outlets - innovative at the time it was built in the mid 1970s - and I grew to dislike them. They'd short out because of crud. The metal covers were either up and in the way or down and tough to unlock. The only one I liked was one under the couch. It meant we could have a table lamp next to the sofa in the middle of the living room. That was good.


----------



## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Carl Spock said:


> I lived in a house that had floor outlets - innovative at the time it was built in the mid 1970s - and I grew to dislike them. They'd short out because of crud. The metal covers were either up and in the way or down and tough to unlock. The only one I liked was one under the couch. It meant we could have a table lamp next to the sofa in the middle of the living room. That was good.


We have three in our house which also was built in the '70s. They are a pain to maintain, but they are handy.


----------



## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)

phrelin said:


> We have three in our house which also was built in the '70s. They are a pain to maintain, but they are handy.


I finally removed mine after last years carpet install. Why?

Two reasons:

1) they seemed to fill up with dirt no matter how well I put on the cover. It was a screw in type, but fine dust would make its way in over the years... and that sort of made me a bit nervous.

2) I like to not have one way to set up our furniture. Perhaps when the house was originally built they could have had better placement.


----------



## dave29 (Feb 18, 2007)

dirtyblueshirt said:


> So here's a random thought I've been pondering for some time...
> 
> In North America, and any other country using the "Type B" outlet, the outlets are always stacked on top of each other. In other countries that use more than one plug per socket (such as Australia's "Type I" and the UK's "Type G") they are always places side-by-side, as shown:
> 
> ...


Those outlets look sad, and kinda like the guy from "Scream".


----------



## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)

dave29 said:


> Those outlets look sad, and kinda like the guy from "Scream".


:lol:

We can't have any sad outlets.


----------



## dave29 (Feb 18, 2007)

barryb said:


> :lol:
> 
> We can't have any sad outlets.


Heck no


----------



## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

So are these guys in pain due to an eye problem?


----------



## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

220 volts will make you a grower, not a shower.


----------



## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)

phrelin said:


> So are these guys in pain due to an eye problem?


I have some of those too. :lol:


----------



## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)




----------



## dave29 (Feb 18, 2007)

phrelin said:


> So are these guys in pain due to an eye problem?


Nah, they're fine.


----------



## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Generally speaking, I think floor outlets in the home are more dangerous. If they are not covered by furniture, people can trip on them and or cause dangerous shorts.

Now, in huge open spaces, they are very helpful--again when they can be covered by furniture.

Cheers,
Tom


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

phrelin said:


> So are these guys in pain due to an eye problem?


No... they just have those eyelid-ring piercings


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

dmspen said:


> I always thought outlets should be in the floor. On stages, they have hainged covers for sound connectors and power plugs. Why not do that in a home?


Can't do it in some houses... Mine is a single-story home on a "slab" of concrete... so there is no "under" the home to run power like that and put outlets in the floor.


----------



## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

Carl Spock said:


> Try getting rid of the designated hitter rule in the American League. Just try. I dare you.


Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.

There, I said it in Latin. :lol:


----------



## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

phrelin said:


> So are these guys in pain due to an eye problem?


That would be a 20 Amp outlet.


----------



## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

Stewart Vernon said:


> Can't do it in some houses... Mine is a single-story home on a "slab" of concrete... so there is no "under" the home to run power like that and put outlets in the floor.


Ever seen them pour a stage? :lol: Many are made out of concrete!


----------



## Karen (Oct 4, 2007)

BattleZone said:


> But, ask any home builder who they are thinking about when they make design decisions about a home design, and they will immediately say "women."


They make decisions on what they THINK women will like, not necessarily what women would like...

I'm a woman, and an elderly one at that. I would LOVE to have outlets in the floor. I have faith that men can design them so they won't be ugly, can be kept clean and can be safe too. <g> There is nothing I hate more than cords going from a table to an outlet across an open space. They're just calling for someone like me to trip over them. Or, even worse, my dog to chew on them...


----------



## houskamp (Sep 14, 2006)

Ever price a floor outlet? those things are expensive.. think the one I put under my kitchen table cost me 40+$..


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

matt1124 said:


> Ever seen them pour a stage? :lol: Many are made out of concrete!


Maybe I should have provided more details.

My house = Concrete slab, padding, carpet. That's it. In order to run floor outlets they would have to build a floor on top of the slab so that the cables could be ran safely underneath and have somewhere to mount those outlets.

Doing that would officially circumvent the whole point of building the house on a "slab" rather than having a crawlspace... So a house built like my neighborhood would not be compatible with floor outlets without completely redesigning the house from the ground up, literally.


----------



## drpjr (Nov 23, 2007)

Stewart Vernon said:


> Maybe I should have provided more details.
> 
> My house = Concrete slab, padding, carpet. That's it. In order to run floor outlets they would have to build a floor on top of the slab so that the cables could be ran safely underneath and have somewhere to mount those outlets.
> 
> Doing that would officially circumvent the whole point of building the house on a "slab" rather than having a crawlspace... So a house built like my neighborhood would not be compatible with floor outlets without completely redesigning the house from the ground up, literally.


Not so fast. We electricians can do anything.:sure: Check out under carpet flatwire. Code legal and everything. http://www.ampnetconnect.com/documents/ENG/114-6008-Application_Specification-RevD.pdf


----------



## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

drpjr said:


> Not so fast. We electricians can do anything.:sure: Check out under carpet flatwire. Code legal and everything. http://www.ampnetconnect.com/documents/ENG/114-6008-Application_Specification-RevD.pdf


That is very cool! I will keep that in mind for future projects.

Thanks,
Tom


----------



## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

Having spent some time in the Middle East many years ago, I have a very negative opinion about the many types of outlets one encounters both there and in Europe. Thos horizontal outlets are BIG. The plugs used to connect to them are also BIG. I'm very happy with our vertical standard thankyouverymuch!:lol:


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

drpjr said:


> Not so fast. We electricians can do anything.:sure: Check out under carpet flatwire. Code legal and everything. http://www.ampnetconnect.com/documents/ENG/114-6008-Application_Specification-RevD.pdf


As Johnny Carson would have said...

I did not know that. That is some weird, wild stuff.


----------



## dsw2112 (Jun 13, 2009)

dmspen said:


> I always thought outlets should be in the floor. On stages, they have hainged covers for sound connectors and power plugs. Why not do that in a home?


A home with all floor outlets? Don't overflow the bathroom toilet :lol:


----------

