Electrical tape on the sheathing is fine, electrical tape as the conductor insulation is not fine.
Even if the electrical tape is rated as such?
Same scenario, different situation. You're pulling a 4 wire 500 kcm service to a distribution panel 200 feet and you nick the insulation on one of the wires during the pull.
Do you just tape the nick, or do you pull out the whole run, replace the damaged wire, and then repull? :?
Well not just tape. You gotta use some Scotch Kote and maybe some rubber splicing tape along with the vinyl tape.....Do you just tape the nick, or do you pull out the whole run, replace the damaged wire, and then repull? :?
Hand-wrapped tape repair
A very basic jacket repair method is to hand-wrap the cable with a flexible, self-bonding rubber tape, then a vinyl insulating tape. A typical application consists of two layers of rubber tape, overlapping half the width of the tape. Cover the repair with one layer of vinyl insulating tape, again overlapping half the width of the tape.
Well not just tape. You gotta use some Scotch Kote and maybe some rubber splicing tape along with the vinyl tape.
Scotch Kote always man. Just because you don't need doesn't make it less magnificent.Three wraps of 3M tape is all that is needed.
Now as an inspector, I would probably make them megger it out. If you nicked it once there's a good chance you nicked it again.
Three wraps of 3M tape is all that is needed
Says who? It's always been my understanding that it must be equal too or better than the original insulation, but who is to say what that is? I doubt if 10 wraps would be sufficient for most inspectors, not to mention engineers. But I guess technically the determination would have to be from the manufacturer, which you will almost never have. Or is there documentation or guidelines from wire manufacturers about this?
Cowboy is an inspector!:slaphead:
I have seen repaired skinned insulation like you say, although probably due to paranoia it was more like 6 to 10 wraps of 33, and it always megged out more than fine. But I've always wondered about the long term reliability of tape as compared to solid uniform insulation, especially if it's wire that's subsequently going to be pulled through conduit. If you are going to do such a thing at the very least use good quality brand name tape.
Says who? It's always been my understanding that it must be equal too or better than the original insulation, but who is to say what that is? I doubt if 10 wraps would be sufficient for most inspectors, not to mention engineers. But I guess technically the determination would have to be from the manufacturer, which you will almost never have. Or is there documentation or guidelines from wire manufacturers about this?
I have seen repaired skinned insulation like you say, although probably due to paranoia it was more like 6 to 10 wraps of 33, and it always megged out more than fine. But I've always wondered about the long term reliability of tape as compared to solid uniform insulation, especially if it's wire that's subsequently going to be pulled through conduit. If you are going to do such a thing at the very least use good quality brand name tape.
If you can butt splice a conductor and tape it you should be able to do the same with a nick in the conductor.