Terminating unused wires.....

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

chevyx92

Senior Member
Location
VA BCH, VA
Got red tagged for taping the ends of some old wires instead of using wire nuts. What code says that tape alone is not a proper termination?
 
Besoeker

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
ActionDave said:
I use tape all the time.


Where is the code that says you have cover the ends of unused conductors?
Click to expand...
Fair point.
But whether it is a code requirement or not, I would stick them in a terminal strip to make it look neater and to avoid contact with live conductors or components.
 
publicgood

publicgood

Senior Member
Location
WI, USA
110.14(B): ... All splices and joints and the free ends of conductors shall be covered with an insulation equivalent to that of the conductors or with an identified insulating device.

Some amount of tape should satisfy this requirement for small branch circuits. Unused branch circuits...maybe a grey area.

Caution use of terminal blocks that may be considered power distribution blocks (314.28E) - box sizing is different.
 
W

winnie

Senior Member
Location
Springfield, MA, USA
Occupation
Electric motor research
Are you talking about the free end of a wire that is still connected to the electrical system at the other end, or in a box at the other end and potentially useable in the future?

Or are you talking about the end of a wire/cable that is completely disconnected and simply being abandoned in the wall?

-Jon
 
S

Strathead

Senior Member
Location
Ocala, Florida, USA
Occupation
Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
publicgood said:
110.14(B): ... All splices and joints and the free ends of conductors shall be covered with an insulation equivalent to that of the conductors or with an identified insulating device.

Some amount of tape should satisfy this requirement for small branch circuits. Unused branch circuits...maybe a grey area.

Caution use of terminal blocks that may be considered power distribution blocks (314.28E) - box sizing is different.
Click to expand...

Learn something new every day, especially here. However, I don't think there is a grey area. two half lap layers of scotch 33 is equivalent of the conductors all the time. And that would not only apply to small conductors.
 
C

chevyx92

Senior Member
Location
VA BCH, VA
winnie said:
Are you talking about the free end of a wire that is still connected to the electrical system at the other end, or in a box at the other end and potentially useable in the future?

Or are you talking about the end of a wire/cable that is completely disconnected and simply being abandoned in the wall?

-Jon
Click to expand...

Wires from an old panel which is now a junction box. The wires are not connected to any circuit breaker.
 
W

winnie

Senior Member
Location
Springfield, MA, USA
Occupation
Electric motor research
IMHO: If a wire is in a box at both ends, and could potentially be energized (eg. a spare conductor) then it needs to be insulated like an energized wire. While one could argue that tape represents a similar level of insulation to the original wires (hey, what would you use over a 'split bolt') I think that doing a proper taping job on the end of a single conductor is probably more time expensive than just using a wire nut.

There are 'wire nuts' listed for single conductors; take a look at this chart:
https://www.idealind.com/content/pdfs/references/ideal_ul_listed_combinations.pdf

-Jon
 
M

MAC702

Senior Member
Location
Clark County, NV
We have to wire-nut unused (and often energized) single wires all the time on multi-speed motors, dimmer switches that can be optionally wired for 3-way, etc.
 
J

jeremysterling

Senior Member
Location
Austin, TX
How much tape do you put on the green wires? I would not refer to abandoned wires as conductors. Kind of like an EMT sleeve is not a raceway.

In a box: My preference is to bond the green ones and tape or wire-nut the "spares". Ideal Red wirenuts are large enough for me to write "spare" in Sharpie for the sticklers.

Out of a box: My preference is to put them in a box. If I am unable to put them in a box, I leave them as abandoned.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top