For what?
Electrical Insulation Tape
- Thread starter maverickone
- Start date
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I understand that, but my point is that I'm by no means sure that BS7671 explicitly "allows" any particular material or product to be used "for insulating things" - since it's not a Standard about insulating materials.
Being sticky.
There are a number of places where it requires that things be insulated.
Sometimes people think that they can apply "insulating tape" to meet that requirement.
AFAIK this is never compliant.
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Indeed there are, but where are the places where it indicates what would (or would not) satisfy such a requirement?
I don't know, but I do know that people seem to just want to go round in circles.
My position is simple, and straightforward.
My belief is that sticky tape never qualifies as an insulator in BS 7671, and I have a simple and straightforward invitation for anybody to choose a situation where a regulation requires insulation and we can see whether tape would be acceptable.
My position is simple, and straightforward.
My belief is that sticky tape never qualifies as an insulator in BS 7671, and I have a simple and straightforward invitation for anybody to choose a situation where a regulation requires insulation and we can see whether tape would be acceptable.
I know that is the belief. My position is also simple and straightforward - my belief is that (as far as I can see) BS7671 does not explicitly state that any specific material/product 'qualifies as an insulator'. If that is true, no conclusions can be drawn from the fact that it doesn't say that about one particular material/product.
Conclusions can be drawn if requirements are mandated without reference to any specific material and sticky tape does not meet those requirements.
So no more circling.
If someone believes that sticky tape can be used to "insulate" something, let them say what and when, and let's see if BS 7671 agrees.
Until then the position remains that nobody has even tried to show that sticky tape has a role to play as an insulator.
So no more circling.
If someone believes that sticky tape can be used to "insulate" something, let them say what and when, and let's see if BS 7671 agrees.
Until then the position remains that nobody has even tried to show that sticky tape has a role to play as an insulator.
You could possibly, (if you are sad enough), go trawling through the BS codes to try and find it and then see if it describes it as 'insulating' tape.
I know some manufacturers describe it as 'PVC Insulating Tape' but who or where did they get this information from?
I know some manufacturers describe it as 'PVC Insulating Tape' but who or where did they get this information from?
http://psatape.com.tw/ul/ul510.pdf
And
https://webstore.iec.ch/preview/info_iec60454-2{ed3.0}en.pdf
UL510 (US) and IEC60454 Seem to refer to a standard for such tapes. But, as above, I have yet to find anything in Wiring Regulations that mentions its use.
And
https://webstore.iec.ch/preview/info_iec60454-2{ed3.0}en.pdf
UL510 (US) and IEC60454 Seem to refer to a standard for such tapes. But, as above, I have yet to find anything in Wiring Regulations that mentions its use.
Indeed, same here. However, as I've said, I don't think I've yet found any instances of BS7671 'mentioning the use' of any specific 'insulating' material/product - have you?
The regs do make reference to such things as 'adequate insulation', but I presume they leave it to other Standards to define what is 'adequate' for various purposes.
Kind Regards, John
Indeed, BS7671 does not (for example) say that a moulded (extruded) on layer of PVC is insulation - a.k.a. what we normally consider to be an insulated wire. What it DOES say is "Suitable non-conductive material enclosing, surrounding, or supporting a conductor."
Taking that definition at it's word ...
Take a piece of thin copper bar (very long and very thin, lets call it wire) and wind some form of non-conductive material around it - lets say it's some form of thin PVC in long strips described by it's manufacturer as insulation tape. It's non-conductive, and it's certainly enclosing/surrounding the conductor - and according to the definition in section 2 that wire is now insulated.
As a next step, we might take several of such insulated bars, put them together, and wind a layer of insulating material - again for convenience we'll use long thin strips sold as tape - and we have what might otherwise be called a cable. Or we might, for a variety of reasons, use a different technique for providing that second layer - it might be an extruded covering, and it might even be of a conductive material.
The ONLY point of argument is whether for a specific situation that form/method of insulation is "suitable" - and that will very much depend on the situation. I don't think even BAS would try and argue that PVC is not a "non-conductive material" in the context of the BS7671 definition. I hope he wouldn't try and argue that a continuous spiral (and overlapping) wrap didn't "enclose" or "surround" the conductor.
Taking that definition at it's word ...
Take a piece of thin copper bar (very long and very thin, lets call it wire) and wind some form of non-conductive material around it - lets say it's some form of thin PVC in long strips described by it's manufacturer as insulation tape. It's non-conductive, and it's certainly enclosing/surrounding the conductor - and according to the definition in section 2 that wire is now insulated.
As a next step, we might take several of such insulated bars, put them together, and wind a layer of insulating material - again for convenience we'll use long thin strips sold as tape - and we have what might otherwise be called a cable. Or we might, for a variety of reasons, use a different technique for providing that second layer - it might be an extruded covering, and it might even be of a conductive material.
The ONLY point of argument is whether for a specific situation that form/method of insulation is "suitable" - and that will very much depend on the situation. I don't think even BAS would try and argue that PVC is not a "non-conductive material" in the context of the BS7671 definition. I hope he wouldn't try and argue that a continuous spiral (and overlapping) wrap didn't "enclose" or "surround" the conductor.
AFAICT there are none - in no situations where insulation of any sort needs to be applied will tape comply, no matter what standards it conforms to.
But would we have anything which conformed to the appropriate standards for a cable?
The invitation is still open for you to identify a situation where insulation needs to be added and sticky tape would comply.
No, but I would argue that such an assembly would not conform to any standards recognised by BS 7671 for cables.
Quite so - and (probably sensibly) BS7671 does not appear to have even attempted to address any specific 'situations' (of which there is almost an endless possible number).
Kind Regards, John
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