Electrical Insulating tape

[Licklieder]

Having spent some time viewing via professional electrician the many horrors that can be hidden by electrical insulating tape and having got the sense from reading various posts on various forums that the use of electrical insulating tape is frowned on; I got to wondering - are there any legitimate uses for it ?

 

[EFLImpudence]

None that I can think of as far as electrics is concerned.

Use self-amalgamating tape.

 

[JohnD]

It makes quite good labels. Preferably white tape. If you write on it with a medium, permanent marker pen like a Stabilo, and cut into a neat rectangle with scissors, it is durable on switches and CUs.

You can also use it to temporarily identify cables, for example in ceiling roses. And on folders or files, and tool boxes.

 

[seasickstevie]

Handy if you cut yourself, and you've run out of plasters. Can stem the blood flow, although maybe a medic would not approve.

 

[JohnW2]

Handy if you cut yourself, and you've run out of plasters. Can stem the blood flow, although maybe a medic would not approve.

Best to put a little patch of something (ideally a bit of clean cloth - or even tissue if nothing else is available) over the wound and then use the PVC tape to hold it on. If you put the tape directly over the wound, taking it off could be mighty painful, and would stand a fair chance of pulling the wound (if it's a cut) apart again.

Kind Regards, John

 

[seasickstevie]

Best to put a little patch of something (ideally a bit of clean cloth - or even tissue if nothing else is available) over the wound ...

 

[mattylad]

there are lots of uses for it, but you may not get this lot admitting that they use it or have it in their toolbox.

 

[Lectrician]

Every electrician has it in their tool box, and uses it daily.....just not for insulating anything.

 

[crystal ball]

Main use for me is taping cables to draw wires/rods, I use a labelling machine for labels, kitchen roll and tape for first aid

 

[ericmark]

I use it to over mark cables, and to finish off when using harness tape, to pull cables through, and to insulate within an enclosure, where your not ready to connect a circuit turning the wire over on its self and a little insulation tape ensures it does not touch live parts, insulation tape can be removed without a tool, however inside and enclosure which requires a tool there is no problem.

There is even a one inch strip of insulation tape on my car door contacts to stop it auto locking when closed.

Using insulation tape instead of an enclosure is clearly wrong, but wrapping insulation tape around the cable joint to stop it leaking while the epoxy resin cures is no problem. A role of white is great for temporary labels, and green/yellow very good to identify earth's, brown over the blue wire in a lighting circuit is far less likely to fall off than a brown sleeve. I do use sleeving but for over marking I see no problem.

I have used it when I have not got the correct item, round my bikes handle bars so the bike light is firm, there would have been spacers when new.

One problem I find is where used to protect cables, you simply don't know is it there to repair or protect, only way to find out is to remove.

 

[JohnW2]

It makes quite good labels. Preferably white tape. If you write on it with a medium, permanent marker pen like a Stabilo, and cut into a neat rectangle with scissors, it is durable on switches and CUs.

True, and I suspect that many/most of us have been known to do that, probably initially intended as 'temporary'.

One aesthetic problem is that, although it can look reasonable initially (if done neatly), the edges of white tape fairly rapidly get dirty in service, at which point it starts looking a bit skanky!

Kind Regards, John

 

[^woody^]

I have an Electrician's tool bag, and on the side, there is a specific chain and loop for holding several rolls of tape. So that proves that it is required.

 

[Licklieder]

Seems i picked a good question to ask. thanks for all the replies. Not that i used i much anyway, but will defo refrain from its use. apart from as temporary plasters. hadn't considered that.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

brown over the blue wire in a lighting circuit is far less likely to fall off than a brown sleeve.

Not over time.

 

[crystal ball]

I can remember my grandfather had a roll of Scotch tape that came in its own tin, it was kept in his private cupboard and issued sparingly to various family members to repair broom handles and the like