#37
I watched a YouTube video where the presenter wrapped the electric receptacle (220V, 20A) with electric tape.  He said in some states it is code.  Is this true?  Is it different for 120V vs 220V?  Thanks.
I tried not believing.  That did not work, so now I just believe
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#38
Local inspector here was also a contractor and he did it on each receptacle.

I hate the tape residue it leaves behind when reworking stuff.

But it probably isn’t a terrible idea.
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#39
(03-25-2018, 02:57 PM)Cecil Wrote: I watched a YouTube video where the presenter wrapped the electric receptacle (220V, 20A) with electric tape.  He said in some states it is code.  Is this true?  Is it different for 120V vs 220V?  Thanks.

It may be true in some States, as a State or County or local jurisdiction can add or restrict, but not loosen the requirements if they've adopted the NEC.  But I'm not aware of such a requirement.  Can't hurt, but I don't bother.  But I'm also careful about stuffing the box carefully, with the (usually) bare ground going in first.  And pigtails, so the other conductors can be carefully stuffed without kinks, and just the pigtails alone move with the receptacle, in a serpentine fashion.

240V is no different than 120V in most cases as far as stuff like that goes, as a 240V circuit is just a pair of 120V ungrounded (hot) conductors from opposite poles in the panel (120V - (-120V) = 240V), so each conductor is still 120V to ground (120V - 0V = 120V, where 0V is the neutral).
Tom

“This place smells like that odd combination of flop sweat, hopelessness, aaaand feet"
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#40
The electricians do it here if the box is metal. Some do it as part of their routine, metal or plastic. Pretty common around here. (Long Island , NY)


Al
I turn, therefore I am!
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#41
(03-25-2018, 02:57 PM)Cecil Wrote: I watched a YouTube video where the presenter wrapped the electric receptacle (220V, 20A) with electric tape.  He said in some states it is code.  Is this true?  Is it different for 120V vs 220V?  Thanks.

A receptacle in metal boxes I always wrap it. Everything on a commercial job gets wrapped in tape. It's not uncommon for them to get abused and knocked loose and the tape is a good extra layer of protection especially when it's worked with when hot. (Yes you aren't supposed to however it's done all the time as restaraunts etc can't have you flipping breakers off during work hours...)  

      I don't care if it's code or not it's just good practice. Course commercial is allot easier since you use stranded wire except on lighting where you have to use MC. Everything else is pipe. The hacks run spaghetti MC for everything.
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#42
been doing it for over 43 years. The way I was taught and it does not take that much longer to do a good job.
John T.
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#43
I usually wrap the device unless the device has only one set of conductors in the box.
WoodNET... the new safespace
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#44
Never seen it here but maybe once.

I guess tape is too expensive.
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#45
Completely unnecessary and very messy to work with later down the road. I absolutely hate finding that has been done. The tape becomes gooey and sticky after a couple years. Working in the box later on will get that sticky residue all over you, your tools and everything else in the box. The tape will often shrink over time and slide off anyway, exposing what it was intended to protect in the first place. In most cases the terminals could never touch the sides anyway unless the screws came completely out. Taping around switches or receptacles is taken as a sure sign of hack work around here.

Taping over wire nuts is sometimes done for outdoor, conduit or high vibration commercial installations but completely unnecessary for indoor, residential installations. Finding either of these things done in residential work usually means that someone unqualified has been poking around in there.

Nothing wrong with using 14ga wire, assuming it's correctly fused with a 15 amp breaker. I prefer it for all lighting circuits as it's much easier and much less expensive to work with. This is especially true inside many of the lighting fixtures or crowded multi gang switch boxes where box fill can be an issue. Besides that 14 is almost always more than enough for lighting circuits anyway. I never wire receptacles with anything less than 12 gauge wire and 20 amp breakers.
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#46
I prefer 14 gauge for lighting. it is easier to pull and work with. I detest wire nuts and won't use them, except to connect fixtures such as lights. Crimps or the push-on connectors. My experience dealing with taped receptacles is the same as iamrfixit. It's a PITA to get it off so you can work on something (when not if) it's needed, it prevent you from visually checking connections when troubleshooting and the tape doesn't last.
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Wrap electric receptical screws with tape?


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