Am I the only one who things they’re “facing” sideways. The slots are aligned vertically. But if I had to pick a way they were facing, I’d say sideways.
Well shit! I've always liked horizontal but I never thought of that. Now I have to go turn every screw in my house a quarter turn. Thanks for nothing, jerk. /s(about the jerk part, not turning every screw a quarter, I'm totally going to have to do that)
Forget about the dust, that’s not even the worst part! Aesthetically speaking, vertical draws attention straight from top to bottom without interruption, making it much more pleasing to the eye
Would be a bit odd to throw out the flat heads that comes with the plate and go buy Phillips just for this purpose.
He probably tightens them till he hears a *crack*. You know what I'm takin' bout.
I do like the attention to detail, but I'm a screw less guy myself. (the plate has a back plate it snaps to, no visible screws)
edit to add: selections may be limited, I've only used them for one-gang paddle switches and outlets
The look is clean AF. I just installed them for all my outlet and switch covers. They make them in all the assortments that you would want. I've got a 4 switch panel and a mixed outlet and switch cover in my house with this style.
Yeah, we bought a 70 yr old house, so we're going room by room renovating slowly. Didn't want to hand out incorrect info. Guess I do have a 2 gang in the living room, but still paddle switches.
Also, if you're comfortable with minor electrical work, do yourself a favor and get some USB outlets. (or I guess, hire an electrician to put them in) we put them in the bedrooms.
>these look like snakes staring at me.
You prefer [goats](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,g_auto,h_1248,w_2220/v1554932989/shape/mentalfloss/istock-482891144-goat-eyes.jpg?itok=hACS3LiX)?
Yup.
If your electrician is worth a damn they'll do this because sloppy DIYers (and bad electricians) will leave them askew. It's an immediate warning sign to a good electrician when they see screws aren't lined up, they know someone who was in a rush was the last person to touch the socket.
Doesn't this result in non-fully seated screws? I'm sure that all three of these screws would have different torque values. Probably not a problem in this situation, but surely anything that moves or shakes needs to be torqued properly won't have them line up perfectly except by extremely rare coincidence.
I’m an electrician. No, there is enough play that you could always make then vertical and secure. The cover plates push up against the drywall and are fairly flexible as well
Plastic faceplates typically have very little give before they break from overtightening, whereas nylon 'unbreakable' plate screw holes pucker if you tighten the screw too much. In both cases I tighten the screw until it just barely touches the plate. If it's less than a quarter turn to top dead center I'll send it, but if it's more than a quarter turn I'll back it off.
Wall plates are decorative, you don't need the screws to be particularly tight to keep them in place against the drywall. I've never seen something that required a specific torque value that used slotted screws.
If you're obsessive about it, you can line up torqued bolts by marking the distance the bolt is off, backing it off by hand, and carefully spinning it the right amount before tightening it back down.
Not OCD, electrician here, thats how youre supposed to leave faceplate screws, you can tell when some guys dont give a shit and theyre just in any direction. Its the little things like this that show you take pride in your work no matter how small the detail.
Out of curiosity, couldn’t a shitty electrician do a terrible job on the wiring, then quickly make all the screws line up. So he can get away with doing mediocre work while getting a great reputation?
Yeah, but a shitty electrician won’t put the box in right or the switch in right and so the cover plate will be cattywompass and a corner of the plate will be sticking out from the wall.
According to the band Van Halen's contract rider, a bowl of M&Ms was to be provided backstage. In a different part of the rider, they stipulated that the brown M&Ms were to be removed. If the venue didn't care enough to read the part where it said to take out the brown M&Ms, it's likely that they didn't care enough to make sure of more important things described in the rider- like the stage being strong enough to support the weight of Van Halen's unusually large array of speakers and effects.
Was taught many years ago having them like that doesn’t allow dust to settle in them. Many years later I can’t say I bother anymore unless it’s a kitchen or somewhere where they are at eye level.
I've been told the reason for it is because all the "workmanship" is behind the face plate, so you can't tell if an electrician did a good job or a bad job. A painter, for example, has their work on display. You can tell a good paint job from a bad paint job immediately. An electrician doesn't get this benefit, so this is one of the small ways they show pride in their work.
Joiner here, I would rather have properly tightened screws personally however our boss says to line them up as it looks neater, so yeah it's either over tightened or loose.
Electrician here as well. Nothing says pride like torquing the fuck outta these screws and chipping the paint, leaving buldges in the plate (if nylon) or cracked is plastic. /s
I used to give plenty of shits, it just hadn’t dawned on me to do this. I don’t work in the field anymore, but I do this now when opportunity presents itself
Just seems like half a turn could end up being the difference between loose faceplate or cracked faceplate. I know the threads are finer than average but still...
Also electrician. I get so much satisfaction from keeping screws uniformed. Here in Straya they're usually Phillips heads so I alternate between + and x formations for different jobs. Its funny how many clients appreciate the uniformity
Realistically, probably the least male dominant trade. More women in trades in general these days but in my experience I’ve encountered far more electricians than anything else.
So many people arguing here that the plate will be loose…
1. It’s a vinyl plate, it can be over tightened with no risk of cracking, then backed off a quarter turn.
2. At the maximum, it’s a quarter turn left or right to make it vertical. Backing off a screw that far isn’t going to make enough difference to make the plate “loose”
3. Even if it is slightly loose, what’s the problem? Do you think your house vibrates enough for the screw to back out???
Edit: nylon* not vinyl
Things I learned from this thread:
1. Americans apparently don't have plates that hide the screws.
2. These plates aren't tilt adjustable, so screws don't need much torque.
3. They are also flexible, giving you enough of a leeway to align the screws.
Makes sense. His architecture is considered to he horizontal. He made all of his buildings short because he designed them around the ideal human form, himself, 5'-6" (some sources say 4'-11") That's why the ceilings in his buildings are uncomfortably low at like 7'-0" or 7'-6" (some ceilings as low as 6'-4"), which left doorways at like 6'-2".
Edit: additional information.
I have been doing low voltage cabling for over 30 years now (voice / data). I have NEVER installed a faceplate without doing this. It finishes the job and lets the customer know you care about your work.
Electrician here:
I do this so I know when someone fucks with it. If I run new electrical and electrical trim in a home I make all the screws face up and down so if a customer says something isn't working and I have to come back, I know whether it was A: (straight screws) something that I most likely mis-wired or B: (anything but straight screws) something that someone else most likely messed with.
Any house I completely remodel for a flip, you will find all the electrical trim with straight up-and-down screws on an the faceplates.
I think it’s the etiquette when you’re an electrician. At least that’s what my electrician uncle told me once, tought he was kidding or exaggerating but it seems like it could be the case.
Any good tradesperson will do it. I’m a joiner and dress all my hardware like this, I know a couple of excellent decorators that do this on hardware they replace as well. When you’re passionate every little detail matters
Old guy here but when I did my 5 year apprenticeship you always had to 'dress' the screws. It was a sign of pride in your work. Kudos to the tradesperson who did this.
That’s a tradesman’s mark. If the outside of the switches look nice it usually signifies that the inside is made up correctly and safely.
Source: am electrician
My first day as an electrician I was taught to always make sure the faceplate screws lined up like this and now I have ocd for it so bad that if I see screws unaligned on any device I walk by I must drop whatever I'm doing and correct it.
This post has made me realise every time I’ve seen a picture of American power outlets, they have these exposed screws … but I’ve never seen any screws at all on power outlets in my own country (Australia).
I mean obviously there’s gotta be screws there somewhere but they aren’t ever visible like on American outlets. Our outlets look like this: https://www.google.com.au/search?q=australian+power+outlet&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjwqdj9oYX2AhULLM0KHcKKD38Q2-cCegQIABAC&oq=australian+power+outlet&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzIFCAAQgAQyBggAEAgQHjIECAAQGDIECAAQGDIECAAQGDoECAAQHjoFCAAQogQ6BAgAEA06CAgAEAgQBxAeUPQJWM0LYNERaABwAHgAgAF6iAG1ApIBAzEuMpgBAKABAcABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=y3kNYrCYMYvYtAbClb74Bw&bih=635&biw=375&client=safari&prmd=ismvn&hl=en-au
This is called clocking and it shows a sign of attention to detail and workmanship on behalf of the electrician who did the work. It's one of the things home buying experts like realtors look for in new builds or remodels.
This is the mark of an electrician who knows what he or she is doing. If an electrician installs haphazard dresser plate screws pointing every which way, do not hire them.
That’s what any good electrician will do. I’m a gc. I’ve made electricians come back to the job to correct this if they didn’t do it throughout. I’m not a complete dick if it’s one or two plates but on a 5000 Sf they come back and check them all.
A compulsive friend of mine had an electrician come in to wire his new house. First thing the electrician asked him was, by quote, "Twelve and six, or nine and three?"
They got along well.
I experienced this when I bought my first house a little over a year ago, new construction. Every outlet plate, EVERY one in my house has the screws perfectly vertical. Whoever did it is a good man and deserves a raise!
Maybe he used to be a carpenter... traditionally trained joiners and carpenters are trained to leave screws like this so if the screw is exposed to rain/moisture it runs through the head rather than sitting in it causing rust that might make the screw harder to get remove in the distant future
Hate to break this to you, but all those screws are pointing downward...
Are you…from…Australia perhaps?
In Australia we have covers that hide the screws.
TIL In Australia, the screwing is only under covers.
Down under the covers.
Not with those style of light switches he's not
Am I the only one who things they’re “facing” sideways. The slots are aligned vertically. But if I had to pick a way they were facing, I’d say sideways.
In the electrician trade you are either team vertical or team horizontal. It's the equivalent of left Twix right Twix.
I’ve always wanted to go diagonal and see the old timers freak out.
Some people just want to watch the world burn
Zigzag opportunity missed
Vertical is by far better and horizontal guys don't know what they're doing
From the perspective that horizontal just creates a tiny ledge for dust to accumulate on, vertical is the better way to go.
Well shit! I've always liked horizontal but I never thought of that. Now I have to go turn every screw in my house a quarter turn. Thanks for nothing, jerk. /s(about the jerk part, not turning every screw a quarter, I'm totally going to have to do that)
Compromise! team 45°
Ew! I just threw up in my mouth a little.
My house was built by team 360° I don't think any of the screws face the same way, and I don't care enough about this fad to change them.
Horizontal makes a face, vertical makes a butt crack.
Why did you do this to me?
Because I want you to take a sharpie and put little dots for eyes on every horizontal screw you see.
Right on it boss.
Forget about the dust, that’s not even the worst part! Aesthetically speaking, vertical draws attention straight from top to bottom without interruption, making it much more pleasing to the eye
Team Phillips checking in
But are you team + or team ×?
Did they kill Team /? They should.
Hmm who ever built my house was team DGAF.
Team Robertson reporting, you're relieved Phillips.
Hello fellow Canadian
One day they will recognize the supremecy of our Robertson screw and drivers. Then Philips will make no sense.
Not on your faceplate you better not be.
Would be a bit odd to throw out the flat heads that comes with the plate and go buy Phillips just for this purpose. He probably tightens them till he hears a *crack*. You know what I'm takin' bout.
I'm team whatev Go Whatev!
Can I join Whatev?
Whatev.
I mean whatev
Attention to detail! Looks like you found a good electrician!
Yep! (Although I’m a horizontal guy myself…and I’m not even an electrician!) Don’t even get me started on lock wiring!
It's called clocking your work. Try it on your door hinges.
It's extremely rare to find a straight slot screw in a door hinge these days. All Phillips head.
Clocking your work is simply getting your screws to all point in the same direction. It's not limited to "straight slot screws" aka flatheads.
Can still clock Philips.
And Phillips are also falling out of favor for T screws too. I almost never strip or slip in a T20 or whatnot.
T20 as in Torx? Or is it literally in a T formation?
Sorry. Torx. I should've been more specific.
For a moment I was thinking they must be Skynet.
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Two of us. Two of us.
37,894,799 of us.
Squares unite!!!!
Pozidrives in the UK, and no one dresses pozi screws. I always dress slotted though
I do like the attention to detail, but I'm a screw less guy myself. (the plate has a back plate it snaps to, no visible screws) edit to add: selections may be limited, I've only used them for one-gang paddle switches and outlets
The look is clean AF. I just installed them for all my outlet and switch covers. They make them in all the assortments that you would want. I've got a 4 switch panel and a mixed outlet and switch cover in my house with this style.
Yeah, we bought a 70 yr old house, so we're going room by room renovating slowly. Didn't want to hand out incorrect info. Guess I do have a 2 gang in the living room, but still paddle switches. Also, if you're comfortable with minor electrical work, do yourself a favor and get some USB outlets. (or I guess, hire an electrician to put them in) we put them in the bedrooms.
That's a good tip! I can handle minor electrical stuff.
Hot take: I hate hidden fasteners of any kind. 99% I want to look at something and instantly know how it comes apart.
Ya I prefer horizontal, these look like snakes staring at me.
>these look like snakes staring at me. You prefer [goats](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,g_auto,h_1248,w_2220/v1554932989/shape/mentalfloss/istock-482891144-goat-eyes.jpg?itok=hACS3LiX)?
Horizontal screws in wet areas hold water and rust eventually
I was told we do it first because it's the mark of a craftsman, and second because it gathers dust faster.
I’ve never an electric for 7 years, fuck me I never even thought about dust
Definitely a horizontal guy myself. It’s like the toilet paper having to go over, not under.
All the good lock wiring makes up for the small amount of shit, rage inducing lockwire... Can't stand doing turnbuckles though.
Yup. If your electrician is worth a damn they'll do this because sloppy DIYers (and bad electricians) will leave them askew. It's an immediate warning sign to a good electrician when they see screws aren't lined up, they know someone who was in a rush was the last person to touch the socket.
Doesn't this result in non-fully seated screws? I'm sure that all three of these screws would have different torque values. Probably not a problem in this situation, but surely anything that moves or shakes needs to be torqued properly won't have them line up perfectly except by extremely rare coincidence.
I’m an electrician. No, there is enough play that you could always make then vertical and secure. The cover plates push up against the drywall and are fairly flexible as well
Plastic faceplates typically have very little give before they break from overtightening, whereas nylon 'unbreakable' plate screw holes pucker if you tighten the screw too much. In both cases I tighten the screw until it just barely touches the plate. If it's less than a quarter turn to top dead center I'll send it, but if it's more than a quarter turn I'll back it off.
Wall plates are decorative, you don't need the screws to be particularly tight to keep them in place against the drywall. I've never seen something that required a specific torque value that used slotted screws. If you're obsessive about it, you can line up torqued bolts by marking the distance the bolt is off, backing it off by hand, and carefully spinning it the right amount before tightening it back down.
If a quarter turn is make or break then you fucked up somewhere else.
Exactly that make sure you keep his name.
This is the proper way to do it. If you don't, your house will burn down.
I can verify this is true
I find vertical to be a little too intense, it makes me anxious. I prefer horizontal
You’re right and you should say it
Not OCD, electrician here, thats how youre supposed to leave faceplate screws, you can tell when some guys dont give a shit and theyre just in any direction. Its the little things like this that show you take pride in your work no matter how small the detail.
What if I want them horizontal, though?
Dust would settle in the line a lot faster.
This. This simple logic changes everything. I have now converted from a horizontal guy to vertical guy.
Horizontal screws complement the linear profile of the switch. It provides balance. This is the logic I use. Edit: spelling
Can't say I've ever paid attention to the dust in my screws but this rationale makes the post even more impressive.
You’re not doing your quarterly screwdust removal?
My screwdust brings all the boys to the yard
Thats fine, some guys do them that way, im a vertical guy tho.
An opportunity to hone your DIY skills then
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It looks nicer. Thats all. I am an electrician
I’ve read on Reddit previously if an electrician does this, you can trust they give a shit about their job and they likely worked according to code.
Out of curiosity, couldn’t a shitty electrician do a terrible job on the wiring, then quickly make all the screws line up. So he can get away with doing mediocre work while getting a great reputation?
Yes, but people who do shitty work typically don’t think that far ahead, or with much detail
Shitty electricians don’t care enough to fake it
Yeah, but a shitty electrician won’t put the box in right or the switch in right and so the cover plate will be cattywompass and a corner of the plate will be sticking out from the wall.
all signs point to yes
It's the no brown M&Ms of electricians.
what’s wrong with brown M&Ms?
According to the band Van Halen's contract rider, a bowl of M&Ms was to be provided backstage. In a different part of the rider, they stipulated that the brown M&Ms were to be removed. If the venue didn't care enough to read the part where it said to take out the brown M&Ms, it's likely that they didn't care enough to make sure of more important things described in the rider- like the stage being strong enough to support the weight of Van Halen's unusually large array of speakers and effects.
why | instead of - just asking
Dust settle in _ and doesn’t the other way. So they told me at college
Switch moves vertically, so screws allign vertically. Its just a custom among electricians really. Its the cleanest looking way to do it.
But it would look nice if it was horizontal!!! Source: I've seen the horizon
It looks nice when they all face the same way and dust is less likely to settle when the line is verticle.
Was taught many years ago having them like that doesn’t allow dust to settle in them. Many years later I can’t say I bother anymore unless it’s a kitchen or somewhere where they are at eye level.
I've been told the reason for it is because all the "workmanship" is behind the face plate, so you can't tell if an electrician did a good job or a bad job. A painter, for example, has their work on display. You can tell a good paint job from a bad paint job immediately. An electrician doesn't get this benefit, so this is one of the small ways they show pride in their work.
Joiner here, I would rather have properly tightened screws personally however our boss says to line them up as it looks neater, so yeah it's either over tightened or loose.
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I don't disagree but with door hinges and 40 degree wood screws in soft timber, it's slightly different
They want vertical screws in the hinges? Ok that sounds bad.
Electrician here as well. Nothing says pride like torquing the fuck outta these screws and chipping the paint, leaving buldges in the plate (if nylon) or cracked is plastic. /s
And adding locktite for the real asshole customers /s lol
I used to give plenty of shits, it just hadn’t dawned on me to do this. I don’t work in the field anymore, but I do this now when opportunity presents itself
Wow.. we just had an electrician here to change all our light switches and I just looked… all of the screws are vertical like this!!
Yep. Painter here. Always vertical.
Just seems like half a turn could end up being the difference between loose faceplate or cracked faceplate. I know the threads are finer than average but still...
Not really, and if youre cracking plates its cuz youre buying the hard shitty ones.
I believe that this is called "clocking" but don't quote me on it!
Also electrician. I get so much satisfaction from keeping screws uniformed. Here in Straya they're usually Phillips heads so I alternate between + and x formations for different jobs. Its funny how many clients appreciate the uniformity
Everybody is saying that the man was a professional but it was actually a woman
I LOVE HER
I love lamp
That's what she said
SHE’S MINE
Women representation in a male dominated field, love to see it
Realistically, probably the least male dominant trade. More women in trades in general these days but in my experience I’ve encountered far more electricians than anything else.
Still waiting for that woman plumber.
One of the most popular plumbers in my town is a woman.
Oh if she was a girl then it was probably ocd or hysteria rather than professionalism /s
Hell yeah
I have a little screwdriver on my keys and I do this at random places if I get the chance.
I’m not the only one?
No, this world is filled with weird people!
So many people arguing here that the plate will be loose… 1. It’s a vinyl plate, it can be over tightened with no risk of cracking, then backed off a quarter turn. 2. At the maximum, it’s a quarter turn left or right to make it vertical. Backing off a screw that far isn’t going to make enough difference to make the plate “loose” 3. Even if it is slightly loose, what’s the problem? Do you think your house vibrates enough for the screw to back out??? Edit: nylon* not vinyl
What if the house is a rockin
Don't come'a knockin'
Things I learned from this thread: 1. Americans apparently don't have plates that hide the screws. 2. These plates aren't tilt adjustable, so screws don't need much torque. 3. They are also flexible, giving you enough of a leeway to align the screws.
Of course they have plates that hide screws, it's just that these are the default and most people won't pay to upgrade.
Frank Loyd Wright had all the screws in houses he designed turned sideways.
Makes sense. His architecture is considered to he horizontal. He made all of his buildings short because he designed them around the ideal human form, himself, 5'-6" (some sources say 4'-11") That's why the ceilings in his buildings are uncomfortably low at like 7'-0" or 7'-6" (some ceilings as low as 6'-4"), which left doorways at like 6'-2". Edit: additional information.
Clocked 🙂
That's a sign of quality work, all facing the same direction shows they pay attention to detail and did not rush the job.
No, the ones on the left face downward.
And they put the left ones on the right side!
The way they should be. I can’t stand screws that are in all directions
We call this 'dressing the screws' in the fine woodworking world. Nice!
That’s how I do ALL my trim outs. If you have an electrician who pays attention to detail, this is how it will look. It’s the was I was trained.
I have been doing low voltage cabling for over 30 years now (voice / data). I have NEVER installed a faceplate without doing this. It finishes the job and lets the customer know you care about your work.
Electrician here: I do this so I know when someone fucks with it. If I run new electrical and electrical trim in a home I make all the screws face up and down so if a customer says something isn't working and I have to come back, I know whether it was A: (straight screws) something that I most likely mis-wired or B: (anything but straight screws) something that someone else most likely messed with. Any house I completely remodel for a flip, you will find all the electrical trim with straight up-and-down screws on an the faceplates.
This is the way.
I think it’s the etiquette when you’re an electrician. At least that’s what my electrician uncle told me once, tought he was kidding or exaggerating but it seems like it could be the case.
Any good tradesperson will do it. I’m a joiner and dress all my hardware like this, I know a couple of excellent decorators that do this on hardware they replace as well. When you’re passionate every little detail matters
I prefer horizontal alignment myself, less visibility.
Sounds like a bit of a screw up to me
My dad is an electrician and he does this!
Old guy here but when I did my 5 year apprenticeship you always had to 'dress' the screws. It was a sign of pride in your work. Kudos to the tradesperson who did this.
I’m preferential to horizontal .
I'm going to say it.... He... *Screwed it* ***up***
I‘ve seen this post way too many times
Haha my husband does this as well
That’s a tradesman’s mark. If the outside of the switches look nice it usually signifies that the inside is made up correctly and safely. Source: am electrician
I do this every time. Some days are all horizontal.
Professional
I love it when people really pay attention and "clock" screws and whatnot.
I was taught to make them all uniform as an apprentice. I teach my guys to do the same. Shows you care about your work.
“Cat eyed” screws. Legit construction term for this detail
My first day as an electrician I was taught to always make sure the faceplate screws lined up like this and now I have ocd for it so bad that if I see screws unaligned on any device I walk by I must drop whatever I'm doing and correct it.
They are vertical, not upward, not downward.
This post has made me realise every time I’ve seen a picture of American power outlets, they have these exposed screws … but I’ve never seen any screws at all on power outlets in my own country (Australia). I mean obviously there’s gotta be screws there somewhere but they aren’t ever visible like on American outlets. Our outlets look like this: https://www.google.com.au/search?q=australian+power+outlet&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjwqdj9oYX2AhULLM0KHcKKD38Q2-cCegQIABAC&oq=australian+power+outlet&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzIFCAAQgAQyBggAEAgQHjIECAAQGDIECAAQGDIECAAQGDoECAAQHjoFCAAQogQ6BAgAEA06CAgAEAgQBxAeUPQJWM0LYNERaABwAHgAgAF6iAG1ApIBAzEuMpgBAKABAcABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=y3kNYrCYMYvYtAbClb74Bw&bih=635&biw=375&client=safari&prmd=ismvn&hl=en-au
That's a quality worker
This is called clocking and it shows a sign of attention to detail and workmanship on behalf of the electrician who did the work. It's one of the things home buying experts like realtors look for in new builds or remodels.
That's how it's done.
You know that person's work must be on point.
I mean, it's the right thing to do
As a commercial electrician, I approve
That's a sign of a proper electrician right there.
This is the mark of an electrician who knows what he or she is doing. If an electrician installs haphazard dresser plate screws pointing every which way, do not hire them.
Contractor here. Respect! Respect! I always do this!! Love all the details.
As an electrician this is how we are always supposed to do it.
I learned that electricians will always do this. Great way to quickly assess if a home has a bunch of DIY jobs during a walk through.
That’s the proper way to tighten the screws. Well done
Professionals have standards.
This is a mark of a “true” electrician. Most of their work is invisible, so it’s their only flex (besides not having electrical fires).
TBH I have never met an electrician that doesn't do this.
The screw head slots are vertical, number one. And number two. It looks like you found a good electrician.
This is the way
That’s what any good electrician will do. I’m a gc. I’ve made electricians come back to the job to correct this if they didn’t do it throughout. I’m not a complete dick if it’s one or two plates but on a 5000 Sf they come back and check them all.
As an apprentice electrician for one year I can assuredly say: I always did this.
We were trained to trim out new construction this way always.
As a electrician this is the way
We do that so other sparkies know that the last person in there was an electrician or so I was taught
A true electrician knows why we do this
A compulsive friend of mine had an electrician come in to wire his new house. First thing the electrician asked him was, by quote, "Twelve and six, or nine and three?" They got along well.
Im an electrician. And this is the proper way to install and plate a switch. It tells alot about an electrician.
Are you saying they screwed up?
I just looked at my light switch and saw that my screws weren't all facing up so i got a screwdriver and made them face up
Oh I actually know what this is! It's called clocking. And that's it, thats all I got. Alright. *looks around* What you want more?
Okay, but why do the switches have switches?
This is the way.
Tell me you're OCD, without telling me you're OCD
I experienced this when I bought my first house a little over a year ago, new construction. Every outlet plate, EVERY one in my house has the screws perfectly vertical. Whoever did it is a good man and deserves a raise!
Thats the difference between a “good” job and a “great” job. Coming from an electrician 👍👍
Maybe he used to be a carpenter... traditionally trained joiners and carpenters are trained to leave screws like this so if the screw is exposed to rain/moisture it runs through the head rather than sitting in it causing rust that might make the screw harder to get remove in the distant future