Best electrical tape?

[claymont]

Heck yeah cuz I own the company.

You win...until you don't

 

[Jim greengo]

Heck yeah cuz I own the company.

What he said,I dont have employees anymore.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

Why not?

No reason to spend 1/2 hour or more to change a GFCI receptacle when you have many other work orders to do as well.

 

[alfredeneuman]

No reason to spend 1/2 hour or more to change a GFCI receptacle when you have many other work orders to do as well.

That's a pretty poor excuse. Do your "higher ups" know and approve? I know for sure that any governing agency would not.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

That's a pretty poor excuse. Do your "higher ups" know and approve? I know for sure that any governing agency would not.

They do. They've done it themselves in our positions, and they wouldn't be too keen of wasting more time than is necessary for a simple task.

 

[sparky 1971]

That's a pretty poor excuse. Do your "higher ups" know and approve? I know for sure that any governing agency would not.

I change 120 volt devices out hot 95% of the time. About the only time I shut it off is when the box is packed and I have to remake the joints or I am going to have to do most of the work left handed.

 

[alfredeneuman]

I change 120 volt devices out hot 95% of the time.

It appears to me you're on borrowed time.
I've done it myself (only under extreme circumstances).

 

[Meursault74]

I change 120 volt devices out hot 95% of the time. About the only time I shut it off is when the box is packed and I have to remake the joints or I am going to have to do most of the work left handed.

so which electrical tape do you use to wrap your fingers?

I assume you use some insulating gloves. I'd imagine they're fairly thick. Which ones do you use?

 

[sparky 1971]

I don't use anything. Gloves would probably make it more than likely I would short something out. I take the hot off, cap it with a wire nut and move it out of the way. Take off the neutral, then the ground. Install the ground, then the neutral. Take the cap off the hot, put it back on. If it's going into a metal box I might wrap some 33 around it before installing. If it's a plastic or fiberglass box, it gets nothing. It's really not hard. If I'm in a kitchen or bathroom and it's a receptacle jammed into a corner to my left, I might turn the breaker off just because I'm not very good left handed and since I'm fat, I can't always get my right hand to where it needs to be.

 

[like2wheel]

I don't use anything. Gloves would probably make it more than likely I would short something out. I take the hot off, cap it with a wire nut and move it out of the way. Take off the neutral, then the ground. Install the ground, then the neutral. Take the cap off the hot, put it back on. If it's going into a metal box I might wrap some 33 around it before installing. If it's a plastic or fiberglass box, it gets nothing. It's really not hard. If I'm in a kitchen or bathroom and it's a receptacle jammed into a corner to my left, I might turn the breaker off just because I'm not very good left handed and since I'm fat, I can't always get my right hand to where it needs to be.

Many years ago my grandfather (who was a plumber) called me a ***** when I turned off the electric to change a switch. Then showed me something similar to your technique. He lived to a ripe old age.

 

[dchawk81]

Many years ago my grandfather (who was a plumber) called me a ***** when I turned off the electric to change a switch. Then showed me something similar to your technique. He lived to a ripe old age.

I would just meow at him and flip the switch.

 

[rburke65]

You would be hard pressed to beat scotch 33

 

[nadogail]

Many years ago my grandfather (who was a plumber) called me a ***** when I turned off the electric to change a switch. Then showed me something similar to your technique. He lived to a ripe old age.

There are Bold Electricians and there are Old Electricians; but there are Very Few Old Bold Electricians.

 

[dchawk81]

There are Bold Electricians and there are Old Electricians; but there are Very Few Old Bold Electricians.

Misread that as bald first couple times.

 

[mrVanagon]

Always interesting to see trade pros voicing their opinions on a controversial topic. I'm not an electrician and I work with low-voltage landscape wiring. The only 120V work I do might be replacing a photo-eye or maybe the odd failed GFCI. Most of the tape I use is for color-coding wires so super 35 is my go-to. It doesn't fall off later and also comes in a wide variety of colors. The plastic boxes the rolls come in are also pretty handy for storage on the service truck.

 

[cpttuna]

I've seen it done with metal boxes. I suppose it could prevent a short when installing or removing the receptacle.


I keep a few rolls of 3M 33+ when I need "good" tape, and I buy a sleeve or two at a time of the cheap stuff for when I don't need good tape. The 3m stuff is kind of pricey to use it all willy nilly like

I keep both the "good" stuff as well as the average stuff. It depends what I'm using it for.

 

[ecotec]

At most buildings, yes. At a jail, no.

We have to wear the cal suit to work anything hot these days. With the hood and everything.

I use whatever tape that the foreman gives me…

I prefer 33+… but if the foreman gives me Temflex 1700… I’m not going to cry about it.