35 years of industrial electrical experience - I tape all duplexes, as well as wire nuts. If you use quality 3M tape, there is no gooey mess, after 20 years in my 118 year old Victorian home. There isn't any "code" but it's just good practice. I've found that those that do it, think it should be done, and those that don't, think it's a waste of time. Personally, I've seen it save some sparks a time or two, plus, the amount of tape and time involved is minimal. Do I think I will ever talk someone who doesn't do it, into doing it? No. Will I talk a "rookie" into it? Probably. Will anyone convince me it SHOULDN'T be done?? Not in this lifetime.

R

 

When I did commercial electrical work long time ago in NJ, NY and NYC taping was mandatory to pass inspection - period.

Taping does in fact prevent wire nuts from unwinding. There are instances where even the best electrician will install a wire nut "not quite right". This is more likely to happen when splicing stranded wire to solid wire - as in the case of installing a permanently wired lighting fixture, or an exit sign, or fire/sprinkler systems. Generally speaking solid to solid connections with a wire nut won't back out - they are twisted very tightly with electrician's pliers - but code usually assumes the worst in all cases for liability reasons.

The purpose of wrapping (taping) outlets and switches has to do with job safety. Even though all electricians are trained to cut the power to service outlets and switches often times this does not happen - or the power's cut and someone accidentally turns it back on. While unlikely in a home-owner situation it's not all that uncommon in 20 story office buildings or large industrial warehouses - an electrical panel might have 100 breakers and there may be 10 panels side by side. It's very easy for another electrician, instructed to work on "panel 5" to accidentally flip a breaker on "panel 1", making the circuit for the first electrician instantly live.

If wires break inside outlet boxes often times the repair is just to hack off the last inch, strip the insulation back, then reattach the wires to the switch or outlet. Since the wires are now shorter, getting the outlet or switch in and out of the box becomes more difficult. I've had electricians working for me pry at these things using screwdrivers to get them forward because they couldn't do so with their gloved hands. Metal screwdriver, potentially live circuit, metal box.... you get the idea. If one uses plastic boxes you might think the hazard is not there, but your screwdriver touching "hot" while your feet are grounded (or your other hand brushing on the ground screw/plate/cover/metal tab) results in the current having a path through your chest - and your heart won't be very happy with this.

Another potential problem is in ganged electrical boxes. While you don't see such things at your local home center, there are 10-gang duplex boxes out there often used in audio/video/theatre applications - where you'll find 10 15A or 20A circuits in one huge electrical box. Working on these can be very dangerous if any of the outlets are live, as rarely are the wires neatly laid inside the box. More often than not they're tangled, twisted, kinked, wrapped around any grounding bars, etc. So electricians often pry at these as well. If the're live, well, the end result can be more than unpleasant. Especially since it's the common place in these larger electrical boxes to run half the outlets off one phase, and the other half on the other. So there's a potential for 220V instead of 120V.

One could argue that if one is careful, and does the job correctly the first time, taping would be unnecessary. Logically you would be correct, however it's part of most electrical codes because of the human factor. If a guy can find a way to stick his nose into a live metal outlet box he absolutely will. And that's why the code often insists on taping.

If you use cheap electrical tape - Radio Shack, Lowes, Ace Hardware, Home Depot, it's going to be a gooey mess in short order. Instead, use a quality tape like 3M and it will come right off when you peel it, and not leave 1/2 of the sticky glue all over the outlet, wirenut, switch or your fingers.

Anyway, that's the general history behind why taping became part of most electrical codes.

 

Well said, Frederic! I may be wrong, BUT perhaps YOU can convince someone it's worth the extra few seconds, and inches of tape. We can only hope...

"I don't know what electricity is, but if it gets on you, it HURTS!!"

r

 

I always tape wire nuts- I just don't trust 'em.
Not to hijack the thread- but I have a related question- what do you think of of the 'plug-in' wire connection to a fixture versus screws? I've had a number of these fail when corrosion made for a bad connection, but a wire under a screw seems to stay clean.

 

Dem dere screws are dere fer a reason - use um!

When you plug a wire into that hole on the back only a thin knife edge contact is made - break an old outlet apart and see what I mean. That small area of contact has to carry the whole current the plug may be subject to. 15 amp steady and perhaps 20-30 amps instantaneous can cause a lot of heat and eventual arcing. They provide two nice heavy duty screws on each outlet, why not use them? JMHO, as usual!

 

[QUOTE=tewferford]I only tape in a metal box app, also

Thats what I do metal boxs only and the hot wire if I need a wire nut on it.

 

I also do it when working on the electric in the old part of my home as it has switched neutral wires and I am slowly changing the service over.

 

Whoa, THAT'S scarry stuff! Too many homeowners have shut the power off with the wall switch, just to find that it's still hot, just doesn't have the return, and THEY become the return! My 1891 built house started out 2-wire, **** and tube. Slowly redoing it myself, so I know your pain. Just hope I can get it done BEFORE the fire!!

R

 

Even as a Union electrician the contractor is only looking at time and money wanting the fastest installation be it without tape on metal plaster rings. Too slow your the first one on layoff here in the S.F. bay area. Our union conditions went down the drain. What did it get me, a battle with SSD for this crippled up body i'm retiring this coming January.
Plug in recepts / switches suck, only steel boxes and rings in my rental houses with screw connections and tape, call it old school. Hell the real old timers solder dipped splices then friction taped.

One house I have still has gas pipe for lighting in the attic, with switched neutral lighting which is a surprise should you crawl in the attic and get across a hot and old gas line.
Complete upgrade and remodel done three years ago, 200 amp service and wiring with metal boxes and rings, copper plumbing, central heat no more coal fireplace.
Working hot most the time including working with 12KV yes trained for 12KV and splicing. Worked commercial and industrial, hate residential.
Quality work takes time.
In the future UL will be from a hut in China.
Soon to be retired (retarded) I.B.E.W. 595 member.

 

Well said, Beemer! Yet, the one thing I saw while a contractor in Calfornia, was that when you did the contractor's house, he would do everything 120% - redundant supplies, cat 5 throughout, everything according to Hoyle. It's funny, most made their money "cutting corners", then demand the very best for THEIR house!
And yes, all my **** and tube was dipped and taped! Still together after probably 80 or 90 years. Plumbing came in 1914, not sure when the electric came in. But was as good as the day they put it in, when I pulled it out. I think houses today are built to last 20 years, instead of 100. And when we are all owned by China, we'll be using bamboo for building, and oil lamps for illumination...

Union solidarity all the way,
R

 

Your state has something we in California has few of that is those old Hit N Miss and throttle governed motors I enjoy. Yup a strange other hobby of mine with only two motors to date. A FairBanks 2 hp dishpan and a International Harvester Tom Thumb 1 1/2 hp air cooled. Someday a 5 or 6 hp in the 1,500 pound size will be added. Shipping is the killer.
Great looking truck project, i've always wanted a 48 F1.

Lineman113 is another IBEW member on this forum that bad health forced him out of the trade he is young with a family.

 

Some fixtures are plug-in only- I had a guy give me a whole box of 'em. I chucked 'em.
Wandering off topic- I have a few hit 'n miss myself- A Fairbanks-Morse 'Z', an International LB (not technically hit 'n miss) and my favorite, a running model I built. At 20 lbs., a lot easier to haul around!

 

Quick question. Is there a standard length of wire that terminates in a box, before the outlet is tied in. (hope this makes sense)

 

I just cut them about 6 inches long, and "z" fold them into the box after attaching the receptacle.(If the wires enter the top of the box for example, bring them to the bottom of the box, u-turn back up and then out to the receptacle). Makes it easy to pull the receptacle out later. Nothing worse than pulling a receptacle, breaking a wire at the screw, and having just an inch and a half to strip and reattach.

 

Thanks, I always seem to cut them too short. So it's double the height of the box.