tape wire nuts?

[royalton10]

I have been running several new circuits in my shop. It means new junction boxes in the attic and putting wirenuts on them.

Simple question - do I tape the wirenuts or leave the tape off? Any input from electricans who wire everyday?

Thanks!!

 

[rockwithjason]

no tape is needed. the bare wire should be completely covered by the skirt of the wire nut. if there is exposed wire you are stripping too much or you are trying to put too many wires under the wire nut.

 

[Red Green]

I think would be OK to tape then if you want to. But if you are using them correctly tape is not required.


Warning: I am not an electrician. I am not up to date on the code. I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

 

[Ggg]

In other forums this is a very hotly contended issue. It seems old school guys will tape them, and the young bucks do not. I personally tape mine, if you do make sure you tape them in the right direction. I also tape my receptacles and devices before inserting them into a box.

 

[Red Green]

In other forums this is a very hotly contended issue. It seems old school guys will tape them, and the young bucks do not. I personally tape mine, if you do make sure you tape them in the right direction.

Would the right direction be clockwise when looking at the closed end of the wire nut? Same as when you are tightening it?

 

[bry@n]

I only tape off when the box is corwded, otherwise I see no need. 6 or 1/2 dozen to me.

 

[Ggg]

Yes so the tape keeps the nut tight not the other way.

 

[tfi racing]

Tape may have some value in a humid or wet location to help cut down on potential corrosion,but I doubt it.If you are relying on the tape to hold your connections together,you need a lesson or two and a lot more practice splicing.If it makes you feel better,go ahead,but IMHO it is a waste of time and tape.

 

[oleguy]

taping is mostly up to the guy doing the wiring.

 

[supertooljunkie]

I only tape if it is a damp location, like a j-box in the ground.

 

[porschedude996TT]

No requirment for tape in the NEC. I believe it is only an old wives tale thing. I always twist the wires before the wire nut goes on and then wrist the heck out of the wire nut and it will not come off. What is this thin 10 mil tape going to do???

 

[Ggg]

See what I mean by it can get a little hot.
tfi- Look son, there is no need for you to attack anybodies character or quality of their work. I did nothing to offend you or to piss you off. Simply stating you do not do it would have been sufficient. The rest of your comments were totally uncalled for.
I agree with oleguy it is up to the guy doing the work, or the inspector.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I tape mine.

 

[NAYLOR]

I work for a company that's produces commercial electronic equipment. We use a TON of wire nuts. There is no need to tape them. As someone said above, make sure there are no exposed wires. It would be a good idea to add some sort of strain relief so that the wires cannot be pulled out of the wire nuts..i.e. tie wrap.

 

[tfi racing]

tfi- Look son, there is no need for you to attack anybodies character or quality of their work. .

I'm sorry if you took offense,but if you re-read my post,I'm not attacking anyone but those who are doing inferior and substandard work,I'm quite certain that you and almost all of the members of this forum are not likely in that group.The "you" in my reply that may have caused you to be upset was not directed towards you personally whatsover,I apologize for a poor choice of words and will try to avoid such confusion in the future.

 

[LoneGunman]

Ggg, unless somethings been deleted where did TFI say ANYTHING about you? If anything you calling him "son" is an insult directed at him.

Anyway, In every place I have worked the consensus was that taped wirenuts usually indicates a handyman or a home owner. I'll tape a receptacle if it's a tight box.

Disclaimer for the thinned skinned: My reply is not directed at anyone here, the OP asked a question, my answer is based on working in the field as an electrician working with other electricians.

Maybe it's a regional thing? I have never seen an electrician in NJ or FL tape wirenuts. As TFI said, tape shouldn't be used to keep a splice together and it's a pain in the **** to untape if you need to tie something else in or troubleshoot, I'm not seeing a benefit. If it's a splice in a Brooks Box (open bottom box in the ground) we use the wirenuts with the white stuff in them.

 

[Costner]

I don't see the benefit, I've never known any pros to do so, and it isn't required by the NEC, so my answer is skip the tape and just use the wire nut by itself.

Now if you really want to get a heated debate started, just ask people if you should twist the wires together before you apply the wire nut itself!

 

[rasit]

Ggg, unless somethings been deleted where did TFI say ANYTHING about you? If anything you calling him "son" is an insult directed at him.

I agree. I hate when I find myself at a tupperware party.
And just to keep the thread alive, If anybody wants to tape up their nuts, have at it, just realize it's not required.

 

[Big N8]

I tape mine.

 

[1Garageman]

Hey a "sub" question off of this. How many of you guys twist the wires together before you put the wire nut on there? I never use to, but I read in one book where you are supposed to twist the wires together before you put the wire nut on there. So I've been doing that lateley with tweezers.
Whats the word on that???

 

[LoneGunman]

LOL Garageman, now you did it, you just had to open that can of worms again. I think the last time the thread got locked.

I twist solids and stranded, by twisting solids I'm not relying on the wirenut to maintain a good connection, I splice stranded so when the next sparky comes along and he needs to open the splice hot, he don't have 5 wires coming apart and going in different directions. There are also reasons not to twist, like the apprentice who tries to strip wires with his linesman pliers, he nicks the wire, I've seen quite a few nicked wires break when undoing a splice.

 

[NAYLOR]

Hey a "sub" question off of this. How many of you guys twist the wires together before you put the wire nut on there? I never use to, but I read in one book where you are supposed to twist the wires together before you put the wire nut on there. So I've been doing that lateley with tweezers.
Whats the word on that???

Solid core wire should be twisted before using wire nuts. Stranded wire should not be twisted.

Either way, the wire nut should have a firm connection. If you are able to continually spin the nut, you need to use another nut.

 

[tonydanzah]

the same people that love scotch locks are the same ones that using put silicon inside a wire nut

 

[walrus]

Solid core wire should be twisted before using wire nuts. .

Ideal doesn't say that in their instructions?

 

[coyote66]

Hello. If you are making connections in a J box and are using the correct wire nuts for the wire size "no tape". I have seen where some guy used the wrong size wire nuts and thinking to make it safer they tape it. This is unsafe. Wire nuts are great connectors used properly. If you use the right nut. Check the wires numbers indicated on quality wire nuts,Then you are good to go. I have always twisted my stranded wire on solid. On solid like three # 12 just put them to gether all the same striped lenth and twist. Just check to see if all wires are well into the wire nut skirt. Have fun with your wiring job.

 

[LoneGunman]

the same people that love scotch locks are the same ones that using put silicon inside a wire nut

What does your post mean? Nobody mentioned ScotchLocks or putting silicone in wirenuts.

 

[Coach James]

One of the things that makes this site so much fun is that we can debate whether or not to twist wires with the same seriousness and intensity as debating amending the Constitution. And people that don't share our love of mechanical things would never understand.

One of my electrical books says nothing about twisting wires, another says to twist stranded but don't twist solid.

I don't tape up wire nuts but will sometimes tape together the wires going into the nut to make them more manageable.

I was replacing some receptacles last Summer and the person that installed the originals had wrapped a bunch of tape around the wire nuts. It was such a sticky mess taking it off that I finally cut off the ends of the wire including the nuts and used the remaining lengths to connect the new receptacles.

Coach

 

[Snappy]

I was taught in electrical construction class many yrs ago, to tape wirenuts. I still do it today.

Edit: When I say tape them I mean tape the skirt onto the wires,not the whole wirenut.

 

[antolod]

Almost every time I've taken apart a splice where the wire nut is taped, the tape was the only thing holding the wire nut in place. The guy who put them on did not install them properly.

On the other hand, back in the mid '70s, I soldered every splice in my sister's new house when I wired it. Those joints I taped.

 

[1Garageman]

LOL Garageman, now you did it, you just had to open that can of worms again. I think the last time the thread got locked.

I twist solids and stranded, by twisting solids I'm not relying on the wirenut to maintain a good connection, I splice stranded so when the next sparky comes along and he needs to open the splice hot, he don't have 5 wires coming apart and going in different directions. There are also reasons not to twist, like the apprentice who tries to strip wires with his linesman pliers, he nicks the wire, I've seen quite a few nicked wires break when undoing a splice.

Solid core wire should be twisted before using wire nuts. Stranded wire should not be twisted.

Either way, the wire nut should have a firm connection. If you are able to continually spin the nut, you need to use another nut.

Thanks for answering my question guys! I will do that from now on and feel better about it!