Taped Wirenuts

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kkwong

Senior Member
Location
Sac, CA (I think)
I was taught to tape my receptacles in commercial work and to tape my wire nuts for exposed work. Should have I not been taught this?

Next question: what do you do for an underground (christi) splice?
 
brian john

brian john

Senior Member
Location
Leesburg, VA
kkwong said:
I was taught to tape my receptacles in commercial work and to tape my wire nuts for exposed work. Should have I not been taught this?

Next question: what do you do for an underground (christi) splice?
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Taping receptacles for me is a case by case like in an old work box for sure, taping wire nuts for me is not an issue, as explained over numerous pages this is a personal thing (and in some cases REAL PERSONAL), under ground splices I utilized a 3-M under ground splice kit.
 
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petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
I am involved mostly in industrial work. having seen a fair number of wire nuts break loose, probably from vibration, I am inclined towards the no wire nut rule for splicing where vibration is an issue. I like the crimp on wire nuts though. They don't come off.

I have seen a fair number of wire nutted splices with black tape on them where the tape was harder to get off than the wire nut.

I know of some electricians who routinely tape wire nutted splices, and then put a wire tie over it when using wire nuts in high vibration areas.

I don't like splices at all. I have spent way too much time hunting them down when they fail. But a lot of my experience is on machines where vibration can be an issue.
 
L

lpelectric

Senior Member
Fire Alarm said:
So an inspector is the next evolutionary step up from contractor?
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I think if you look at post #16, you'll see that the rest of wbalsam1's post was about running out of tape. A joke. Out of tape....out of work.....don't need tape to be an inspector....ha ha....a joke...:grin:
 
K

kkwong

Senior Member
Location
Sac, CA (I think)
Thanks, Brian. Personally, I've never liked taping my wire nuts unless there are mitigating circumstances. The recep's made a little sense but not much. Could it be that (with the exception of the NEC) most of electrical is personnal preference?
 
brian john

brian john

Senior Member
Location
Leesburg, VA
AS has been stated we are beating a dead horse here, but I have worked a long time in many environments and I would think (but I could be proved wrong). If a wire nut vibrates off, tape would be of little help. Unless the wirenut was not installed properly or a wirenut was the wrong choice for the application.
 
John Valdes

John Valdes

Senior Member
Location
SC.
Occupation
Retired Electrician
I thought wire nuts were designed to eliminate tape and solder. I never tape them. I don't even twist the wires. If installed correctly they don't come off.
 
L

lpelectric

Senior Member
dlhoule said:
But according to the instructions posted for Marc's light fixture, you are supposed to start taping 1 foot from the connection.:grin: :D
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Starting the taping so far from the connection is a wonderfully clever way for the tape companies to meet their projected profits while needlessly consuming the earth's natural resources. :grin:
 
wbalsam1

wbalsam1

Senior Member
Location
Upper Jay, NY
wirebender said:
Just to keep the fire ants out.:D
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That's a great idea. Fire-ant red-colored tape for those superhot connections. And of course, black for those low smoldering ones. :smile:

Maybe the 2014 code will address it like this:

Taped Wirenut Connection. A taped wirenut connection shall have AFCI and GFCI protection and shall be made with listed and labeled materials.
Exception: when the connection is performed by a unqualified installer who hasn't received training and inspected by an unqualified inspector who has received payola. :grin:
 
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