Recently, people have increasingly begun to independently produce electrical installation in apartments and private houses. It is clear that it is cheaper and often more reliable than contacting “specialists” (in quotation marks), of which there are a great many. But often home craftsmen do not know or doubt what is the best way to isolate certain connections in distribution boxes, which means it's time to shed light on this issue. Today we will consider the main materials that are used to isolate joints.
Read in the article
- 1 Basic materials used for insulating joints
- 2 PVC insulation tape: the pros and cons of the material
- 3 Cotton tape and its properties
- 4 Heat shrink tubing: what is it
- 5 Other insulating tapes used in everyday life
- 5.1 Epoxy tape
- 5.2 Mica tape
- 5.3 Glass cloth tape
- 6 Connection of wires in a box without additional insulation
- 7 Finally
Basic materials used for insulating joints
To begin with, no matter how high-quality the insulation is, a weak connection will negate all its advantages. Therefore, special attention should be paid precisely to the density of the twisting of the wires. It is best if they are also soldered or welded. With a low load on the line, you can use special terminal blocks type Wago. Also, screw caps have proven themselves well, which add density to the connection and do not require additional insulation.
The connection can be insulated with PVC or HB tape, as well as with heat shrink tubing. The features of each of the isolation options will be discussed below.
PVC insulation tape: the pros and cons of the material
This tape can rightfully be called the most popular. Modern electrical tape can vary in density or elasticity. PVC insulating tape does its job perfectly, but again it is worth returning to the density of the joints. You especially need to pay attention to the connections of neutral wires. It is they who are subject to greater heating, as a result of which the PVC electrical tape can melt.
Another disadvantage of not too high-quality PVC tape can be the drying out of the adhesive layer. This can happen within a year after its acquisition. Once the adhesive is dry, the only thing to do with the insulating material is to throw it in the trash can.
One of the important advantages of PVC insulating tape is the color range of products. Thanks to it, the installer will not get confused in the color coding of the cables, which is very important.
Cotton tape and its properties
HB-insulating tape is good because it does not melt when heated. At the same time, a weak contact leads to the appearance of an unpleasant odor, which makes it possible to detect a malfunction in the wiring in time. Of the minuses, it is worth noting a large amount of illiquid goods on Russian counters. Often, a negligent manufacturer regrets the glue, which leads to the impossibility of working with the material. Over time, HB-tape can dry out and crumble.
For insulation, HB tape is used in electrical installations up to 1000 V. It can also be used in connections with voltages above 1000 V, but only over the main insulation - to give strength or frost resistance.
Heat shrink tubing: what is it
The peculiarity of such a tube is that it is capable of contracting when exposed to high temperatures. This makes the material denser and the bond stronger. Such a tube fits the twist very tightly, which increases its quality.
There are various types of heat shrinks, it is rather problematic to list all of them due to the constant expansion of the range. The most popular are conventional (2 times shrinkage), oil-resistant (for use in cars), tubes with glue on the inner surface (more durable fixation) and high-temperature, capable of withstanding up to +260 ° C.
Other insulating tapes used in everyday life
There are various insulating tapes that are used much less often, however, they are worth talking about. They are created for specific parameters and operating conditions. Let's consider the main ones by defining the parameters of use.
Epoxy tape
In addition to elasticity and durability, epoxy tape has an undeniable advantage over PVC. It easily tolerates an increase in temperature up to +155 ° C, which can be useful in electrical installations with heating elements.
Mica tape
This tape can already be called not heat-resistant, but refractory. It easily withstands an open flame, however, as for the junction boxes, it is useless here. After all, there is absolutely no point in refractory tape that protects the connections of wires with melting insulation.
Glass cloth tape
This material can easily withstand heating up to +200 ° С. As useless for junction boxes as the previous insulation material.
Connection of wires in a box without additional insulation
Today, the use of Wago terminal blocks has become a fairly common way of connecting wires in a junction box. They can be either self-clamping or with paws. From the point of view of installation, they are very convenient, but you should not expect any special endurance from them. If the load is too heavy, they can melt.
Another option for connecting the cores is special plastic caps, inside which there is a metal spiral. Such products simultaneously stretch, seal and insulate the joints.
The downside of the terminal blocks and caps is their dimensions. There is often too little space in the junction boxes. As for the connection of wires using crimping, then here you can insulate with any tape or heat shrink tube.
Finally
Everyone chooses an insulating material that is convenient for him to work with. Almost all insulating tapes and heat shrink tubes that the manufacturer offers on the shelves of Russian stores have a high-quality basis. The main thing is not to pursue obvious cheapness, so as not to buy counterfeit products. Also, do not forget about the quality of the connection itself. After all, no matter how good the electrical tape is, bad twisting will negate all its positive qualities. One more thing. If the home craftsman is not sure that he will be able to perform all the work with high quality, it is best to seek help from a reputable company that has been on the market for more than one year and has good reviews.
We really hope that today's review will be useful for novice home craftsmen. The HouseChief editorial team will be happy to answer any questions on the topic, if any, have arisen in the process of reviewing the information provided. You just need to state their essence in the comments below. There you can also discuss the reliability of this or that method of isolating connections, express your personal opinion about what you read. If you liked the article, do not forget to rate it. Every opinion matters to us. And finally, we bring to your attention a short video that will help you to more fully reveal today's topic. Take care of yourself, your loved ones and be healthy!