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Tape or no tape?

B

Bkpigs

Member
How many of you guys tape your wire nuts? I was taught to always tape them just as a cheap line of insurance, but after reading on the Internet (you know, the place where everyone is an expert) I have noticed a good number of people sayin that it is wrong to tape them. Just curious.
 
If they're installed correctly there's no need to tape them. Always give the individual wires a tug after putting the wire nut on.
 
My BIL who is a journeyman electrician tapes them. I'm just a 'bubba' electrician, but I figure if you strip just the right amount of insulation off and pre-twist the wires together with a pliers and don't twist the nut on so hard you break something, there should be no need for taping. I suppose a bare ground wire could somehow get poked up under the nut when it's stuffed in the box but an electrician who's been at it awhile should be able to avoid that by properly positioning the wires in the box. Jim
 
I always tape them as you said, for insurance. I always worry that for some reason one may work loose. Lack of self confidence maybe, but it makes me feel better and I don't see that it hurts anything.
 
At the Boeing Co, the electricians used blsck rubber, wire nut caps, pulled on over the nuts, and I supposed, that it was mostly on elect motor J boxes, where vibration might be expected. I have trouble with mason bees filling up the air nipples, on my air tools, with their mud nests. I brought home a dozen of those wire nut boots, and cap the nipples, when I disconnect the tools. It solved the plugged up nipple problem!
 
As a State of Ohio licensed Electrical Contractor......I do not tape wire nuts, unless a odd circumstance....like expected moisture, or vibration, etc.

When I open a box, and find taped wirenuts, to me it is a sign that someone who didn't really know what they were doing was working there.

Most people say the tape is to hold all the wires in the wirenut. If you are using tape to hold the joint together......something is wrong!
 
And there you have it! It is a definitely, positively, absolutely..... maybe.

Interesting how many things we do around our farms and machinery that are like that.
 
When we install submersible pumps in wells, some of us tape the connections under the cap at the top of the well, most of us don't. We face the open side down so moisture will leak out.
 
I'll tape if it's an outdoor circuit - probably a waste of time, but it feels right.

Also do the same around the body of switches and plugs to cover the screws on the sides... but to be honest I don't really know why I do that

I was just told to once by an electrician, so that's what I do. I suppose if somebody was stupid enough to pull a wall plate off an stick a finger in, it might save them - but perhaps I should let Darwinism work.
 
I think tape is just a holdover from when the wires were soldered in the box and there was no way else of insulating them. And that is a bear to repair especially if they only left 2" of wire in the box.
 
No tape . Make a good splice and pull each conductor to ensure it is tight. I remember Ideal made a battery drill adapter for wire nuts . People wanted to kill anyone that tightened with that thing. By the time you got it off with your linemans the wires where all reverse twisted in a mess.Best wirenut ever 3M ranger 512. reds get tight on small ballast wires like an orange. Also covered yellow .
If you made a good splice you are wasting tape.
 
Hey BP.

I tape wire nuts not for the insulation but to keep the wirenut from loosening from vibration or thermal cycling.

Just a short piece that connects the nut to the wires.

Brad
 
I agree, in areas of vibration. I have seen several instances where a wirenut shook off and the joined wires touched the inside of the motor junction box, shorting. which can even urn the motor out of it"s one of the winding taps/voltage change connections that shorts to ground.

I can see no reason NOT to use a short length of tape to prevent any chance of the the wirenut from shaking off.
 
same dissent on outside AV wires--some like to keep moisture out by taping and some say no so the junction can dry out.
 
For inside buildings I just use wire nuts, unless the connections could be exposed to moisture.

For machinery or anything mobile I prefer soldered or crimped connections, and then add shrink wrap or tape to keep the connection more secure and weather tight.
 
There is no need for tape.
You first twist your wires together with a linemans pliers cutting off if too long then put on your wirenut and tighten with linemans.
always stand your wirenuts upright shedding any moisture.
Never have had a problem in 32 years of doing elec work
 
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