Harbor freight electrical tape

[Elkins45]

Bou Scotch, and store it in the house instead of an unheated/uncooled area.

To expand on this: there are at least three rolls of electrical tape currently resting in the trash pile beside my garage. I keep all my electrical stuff in a storage box in our unheated/uncooled garage and apparently the heat cycling kills the adhesive of even high quality tapes. It’s not uncommon for the adhesive to transfer to the backing side when unrolled, which weakens the adhesive and makes the tape essentially useless.

Since I’ve been storing the tape in a climate controlled area I haven’t lost another roll of tape to this problem. Even the cheap Walmart brand that I bought when I needed tape away from home is still good…or at least no worse than when I bought it. I don’t think I would call it good compared to Scotch or 3M.

 

[factorytuned2012]

I prefer scotch brand but have used HF electrical tape with no ill effects even Lowe’s and Home Depot brand.

 

[dlundblad]

Don’t throw away junk tape. It is great for taping up the slack on ratchet straps.

Before cutting/ breaking the tape, give it 3-5 swirls for an easy access pull tab.

 

[willbur]

To expand on this: there are at least three rolls of electrical tape currently resting in the trash pile beside my garage. I keep all my electrical stuff in a storage box in our unheated/uncooled garage and apparently the heat cycling kills the adhesive of even high quality tapes. It’s not uncommon for the adhesive to transfer to the backing side when unrolled, which weakens the adhesive and makes the tape essentially useless.

Since I’ve been storing the tape in a climate controlled area I haven’t lost another roll of tape to this problem. Even the cheap Walmart brand that I bought when I needed tape away from home is still good…or at least no worse than when I bought it. I don’t think I would call it good compared to Scotch or 3M.

Thanks for the tip, but does this mean it will also fail once its used on connections, too?

 

[dlundblad]

Thanks for the tip, but does this mean it will also fail once its used on connections, too?

Why are you using tape on connections?

 

[BrendanC]

Scotch 33+ or 88 for me. learned my lesson on crappy electrical tape. i also like Tessa tape for automotive use.

 

[RooflessVW]

Thanks for the tip, but does this mean it will also fail once its used on connections, too?

Have you never worked on an old car?

IMO electrical tape is not permanent. It either turns to goop or crumbles away in time.

The cheap stuff is just worse.

 

[willbur]

Have you never worked on an old car?

IMO electrical tape is not permanent. It either turns to goop or crumbles away in time.

The cheap stuff is just worse.

yeah, like 25. Never an issue with tape. You?

 

[willbur]

Why are you using tape on connections?

why? that's what its used for, maybe?

 

[dlundblad]

why? that's what its used for, maybe?

If a wire has exposed copper, it should be repaired with a splice and junction box or be replaced.

I guess maybe if the outer jacket of Romex is damaged? (If an inspector sees this, they’ll likely fail the inspection though even though you had the best intentions.)

 

[Elkins45]

Thanks for the tip, but does this mean it will also fail once its used on connections, too?

Typically it hardens and loses flexibility but doesn’t come unstuck. You usually can’t unpeel an old connection and have to cut it off.

 

[willbur]

If a wire has exposed copper, it should be repaired with a splice and junction box or be replaced.

I guess maybe if the outer jacket of Romex is damaged? (If an inspector sees this, they’ll likely fail the inspection though even though you had the best intentions.)

Thanks. On a car, junction box and romex is impractical. After all, this is a car forum, not electrical contractorville

 

[ElectroMechanoMan]

Scotch 33+ my entire 47 year career. I used it for a submerged 3 layer splice, cambric, rubber, and 33+ on top for a CO2 mixer to control Ph in a mill sewage neutralizing box and it did not leak or unravel. It didn’t crack either. It is definitely worth it. I absolutely won’t use anything else.