3M tape and other electrical taping products.

[Mike Ramirez]

600 watts distributed fairly equally across 15 receptacles would mean around 40 watts at each receptacle. That would be very noticeable and likely to start something on fire if it hadn't burned itself into "open circuit" condition first.

During that time 1992 the electric tape was very sticky wrap around on receptacles and light switches that the load of the lights was using standard tungsten filaments, long before LED’s or CFL’s was use, back in those days the house was constructed in the late 1970’s or early 1980’s in Sierra Madre area of Los Angeles California. Like I said we use ACME metering device that can read off the main meter that can read current and voltage and give us give us true power and apparent power readings. At that time for myself I do not know the tape was a 3M product but more than likely it was a offbrand electrical tape that can conduct small currents that can not be enough to trip the circuit breaker but enough for the watt hourmeter to read 8 Amps of current at 120/240 voltage of wattage 24/7 a day. The house is a 3 bedroom w/ Central HAC with a swimming pool and it had roughly 25 circuits in that panel active. We dealt with some 80 receptacles and some 20 light switches whether or not it was Singlepole or three way lighting switches that we had to deal with to remove the electrical tape off those devices. Like I said the electrical tape could be a offbrand product that it was produced South of the border or some where overseas in a Asian country that don’t follow production procedures of the electrical tape material.

 

[kwired]

During that time 1992 the electric tape was very sticky wrap around on receptacles and light switches that the load of the lights was using standard tungsten filaments, long before LED’s or CFL’s was use, back in those days the house was constructed in the late 1970’s or early 1980’s in Sierra Madre area of Los Angeles California. Like I said we use ACME metering device that can read off the main meter that can read current and voltage and give us give us true power and apparent power readings. At that time for myself I do not know the tape was a 3M product but more than likely it was a offbrand electrical tape that can conduct small currents that can not be enough to trip the circuit breaker but enough for the watt hourmeter to read 8 Amps of current at 120/240 voltage of wattage 24/7 a day. The house is a 3 bedroom w/ Central HAC with a swimming pool and it had roughly 25 circuits in that panel active. We dealt with some 80 receptacles and some 20 light switches whether or not it was Singlepole or three way lighting switches that we had to deal with to remove the electrical tape off those devices. Like I said the electrical tape could be a offbrand product that it was produced South of the border or some where overseas in a Asian country that don’t follow production procedures of the electrical tape material.

I would expect any leakages if it were happening to only be in the milliamp ranges on each device.

Divide equally across ~100 devices and that is .08 amps per device which would be 9.6 watts @ 120 volts. Should put out similar heat to a small soldering iron or curling iron. Won't be as concentrated in a small area like a soldering iron is, but will definitely heat up the interior of the device box to an easily noticeable level.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

During that time 1992 the electric tape was very sticky wrap around on receptacles and light switches that the load of the lights was using standard tungsten filaments, long before LED’s or CFL’s was use, back in those days the house was constructed in the late 1970’s or early 1980’s in Sierra Madre area of Los Angeles California. Like I said we use ACME metering device that can read off the main meter that can read current and voltage and give us give us true power and apparent power readings. At that time for myself I do not know the tape was a 3M product but more than likely it was a offbrand electrical tape that can conduct small currents that can not be enough to trip the circuit breaker but enough for the watt hourmeter to read 8 Amps of current at 120/240 voltage of wattage 24/7 a day. The house is a 3 bedroom w/ Central HAC with a swimming pool and it had roughly 25 circuits in that panel active. We dealt with some 80 receptacles and some 20 light switches whether or not it was Singlepole or three way lighting switches that we had to deal with to remove the electrical tape off those devices. Like I said the electrical tape could be a offbrand product that it was produced South of the border or some where overseas in a Asian country that don’t follow production procedures of the electrical tape material.

Did you test the tape itself with any type of meter? I am still not buying the idea that the tape caused that load.

As others have said, that would have resulted in noticeable heat at the wiring devices. Over time, as a result of pryophoric carbonization, that would likely resulted in a fire.

 

[zbang]

Yep, still not buying tape as the cause unless someone tested a few samples of the tape with a megger and got a low reading.

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck but it needs 120v power, it's probably not a real duck.

 

[hbiss]

As others have said, that would have resulted in noticeable heat at the wiring devices. Over time, as a result of pryophoric carbonization, that would likely resulted in a fire.

Not to mention considerable deterioration and brittleness of the tape itself from the heat. I expect that there would be nothing left but dried up remains after awhile. If it was even possible that this was happening...

-Hal

 

[kwired]

Yep, still not buying tape as the cause unless someone tested a few samples of the tape with a megger and got a low reading.

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck but it needs 120v power, it's probably not a real duck.

I've got an old neon sign transformer with output of 12kV in the shop. Maybe should try putting cheapest tape I can find across the output and see if I can get any interesting actions? Something tells me it won't be that interesting to watch. Maybe given enough time it could be though.

 

[LarryFine]

I've got an old neon sign transformer with output of 12kV in the shop. Maybe should try putting cheapest tape I can find across the output and see if I can get any interesting actions? Something tells me it won't be that interesting to watch. Maybe given enough time it could be though.

Be sure to hold one end of the tape firmly against its terminal with each hand.

 

[kwired]

Be sure to hold one end of the tape firmly against its terminal with each hand.

No thanks, you can come over and try it though.

Was thinking maybe even running leads to a receptacle and wrapping tape around it. I have plenty of used receptacles that really should be thrown out, don't know why I keep some of them. Bet receptacle itself holds up, but for how long IDK.