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Does a wire nut connection need to be wrapped with electrical tape?
Saturday, June 30, 2018
They are called wire nuts in the electrical trade, but the official name is “twist-on wire connector.” Wire connections were soldered together before they were invented and needed to be wrapped with tape to insulate the connection, but that era is long gone. No tape wrap is now necessary.
Taped-up wire nuts are an indication of homeowner or handyman wiring work, since professional electricians don’t do it. Taping might make sense if the insulation on the wires was stripped back too far before twisting them into the wire nut, to cover the bare wire, but it would be better to trim the insulation correctly before insertion into the wire nut.
Tape is also not a substitute for a wire nut, as in the photo below, and splices should not be in the open.
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Here’s links to a collection of our other blog posts about ELECTRICAL WIRING:
• Which house appliances need a dedicated electrical circuit?
• Can a short circuit cause a high electric bill?
• What is the maximum spacing requirement for securing NM-cable (nonmetallic-sheathed cable)?
• Is it alright to just put wire nuts on the end of unused or abandoned NM-cable or wiring?
• What causes copper wires to turn green or black in an electric panel?
• What are typical aluminum service entrance wire/cable sizes for the electrical service to a house?
• Why is it unsafe to bond neutral and ground wiring at subpanels?
• Should I get a lightning rod system to protect my house?
• Why is a strain relief clamp necessary for the cord connection to some electric appliances?
• Does a wire nut connection need to be wrapped with electrical tape?
• What is the minimum clearance of overhead electric service drop wires above a house roof?
• What are the requirements for NM-cables entering an electric panel box?
• What is an open electrical splice?
• What are the most common electrical defects found in a home inspection?
• What is the life expectancy of electrical wiring in a house?
• What is an "open junction box"?
• How dangerous is old electrical wiring?
• I heard that aluminum wiring is bad. How do you check for aluminum wiring?
• What is "knob and tube" wiring?
• What is the code requirement for receptacle outlets in a closet?
Visit our ELECTRICAL page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.
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