Electrical tape inside a panel

[hbeery10]

I had a fellow electrician tell me yesterday that I couldn’t bundle hot and neutral branch circuit pairs coming into a panel with tape, I had to use zip ties. He claimed the only time I could use tape in a panel was for using phase tape. I’m extremely skeptical of his claim but can anyone confirm his claim?


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[Buck Parrish]

I too am skeptical . Probably the way his employer told him. A lot of guys think the way they learned how or how not to do something is code.

 

[Ragin Cajun]

Ask him to prove it, chapter and verse.

 

[drcampbell]

Ask him to prove it ...

Good advice for all aspects of life, not just the electrical code. You're under no obligation to disprove an unsubstantiated assertion.

 

[Dsg319]

I too am skeptical . Probably the way his employer told him. A lot of guys think the way they learned how or how not to do something is code.

Like the mythical “can’t use no wire nut in a panel”.

 

[roger]

I know where this came from, it came from wire tie manufacturers.

Roger

 

[Rock86]

Well.. Not to agree with the guy giving you a hard time, but wouldn't it be a pain to trace or remove a circuit if it is bundled with tape? if you zip-tie, you could at least still pull the conductor out.

 

[K8MHZ]

Maybe it's company policy and not a code thing at all. Which is fine, because the code book isn't a design manual.

 

[tom baker]

What is the code requirement?

 

[texie]

I had a fellow electrician tell me yesterday that I couldn’t bundle hot and neutral branch circuit pairs coming into a panel with tape, I had to use zip ties. He claimed the only time I could use tape in a panel was for using phase tape. I’m extremely skeptical of his claim but can anyone confirm his claim?


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Not only can you use tape you could even not bundle them with anything as just identifying with wire markers is also acceptable. I think most of us use tape or zip ties as it is fast and easy. See 200.4(B).

 

[480sparky]

Like the mythical “can’t use no wire nut in a panel”.

Yet another reference to the Urban Legend Electrical Code.

 

[James L]

Like the mythical “can’t use no wire nut in a panel”.

I had somebody try to run that one on me.

I told him I read that, but I'm doing it anyway.
He couldn't believe I would blatantly break rules

 

[LarryFine]

I think most of us use tape or zip ties as it is fast and easy.

I actually don't. I rarely ever bundle in panels.

 

[Eddie702]

@LarryFine

Beet me to it. Far as I know there is no requirement to bundle, with or without tape or wire ty's or to mark any wires other than for phasing

 

[texie]

@LarryFine

Beet me to it. Far as I know there is no requirement to bundle, with or without tape or wire ty's or to mark any wires other than for phasing

See 200.4(B)

 

[James L]

I had a fellow electrician tell me yesterday that I couldn’t bundle hot and neutral branch circuit pairs coming into a panel with tape, I had to use zip ties. He claimed the only time I could use tape in a panel was for using phase tape. I’m extremely skeptical of his claim but can anyone confirm his claim?

I bundle circuit conductors by loosely twisting them together.

No tape, no zip ties

 

[ritelec]

I just love tracing out a circuit, opening a panel, and seeing tie wraps bundling wires on both sides of the panel and top spaced every two inches.

 

[James L]

I just love tracing out a circuit, opening a panel, and seeing tie wraps bundling wires on both sides of the panel and top spaced every two inches.

What's best is when there are a half dozen very small bundles, then all those bundles are bundled with a whole bunch of single conductors to make one enormous bundle. I've cut out as many as 300 zip ties from one panel.

 

[LarryFine]

@LarryFine

Beet me to it. Far as I know there is no requirement to bundle, with or without tape or wire ty's or to mark any wires other than for phasing

I think there is when you have multiple MWBCs sharing a raceway.

 

[paulengr]

Not only can you use tape you could even not bundle them with anything as just identifying with wire markers is also acceptable. I think most of us use tape or zip ties as it is fast and easy. See 200.4(B).

That’s IF you can pass the neat and workmanlike requirement. That is Code but often not followed.