Rubber tape is something of an umbrella term, which covers a fairly wide range of subtypes. Often referred to as ‘Teflon tape’, it’s highly insoluble even in harsh solvents at temperatures lower than 300 Celsius, and offers good thermal stability without becoming brittle at very low or high temperatures. It also displays excellent dielectric properties, meaning it conducts practically no electricity when in contact with a current. PTFE tape (polytetrafluoroethylene, a synthetic fluoropolymer) is prized for its extremely robust chemical resistance, due to it being almost universally inert. For this reason, it’s often favoured for outdoor wiring applications where ruggedness is likely to be a bonus. PVC tape is also more robust at dealing with other environmentally challenging factors such as adverse weather conditions, metal corrosion and abrasion. Both vinyl and PVC are viewed as ‘balanced’ plastic tapes, suitable for a broad range of uses - both have similar high-temperature properties, but PVC copes much better when the temperature drops. However, PVC is generally favoured in scenarios where it’s likely to be exposed to very low temperatures. PVC tape (polyvinyl chloride) is one of several types of plastic electrical tape and is widely used in many similar scenarios to the standard vinyl electrical tape. While all tapes will eventually shift or degrade in especially challenging environments, proper electrical insulating tape from a reputable brand ( such as 3M) tends to perform far better in the long-run against adverse weather conditions, changing temperatures, moisture ingress and chemical corrosion The main aim of duct tape is to provide a flexible high-tack layer that will adhere reasonably well to a very wide range of surfaces, and provide a degree of moisture resistance (although it is not technically ‘waterproof’ to any significant degree)Īlthough it may technically offer slightly more protection against exposed wires than no covering at all, duct tape is NOT an electrical insulating material and is entirely unsuitable for proper protection against live currentĭuct tape is flammable if allowed to heat up to any significant extentĭuct tape is not especially durable and will degrade relatively quickly in adverse conditions (ironically, it’s not especially suitable for duct work for this reason) when compared to most specialist electrical tapesĮlectrical tape is generally made of a stretchy vinyl/PVC material designed to offer better insulation against current It’s very important, when dealing with electrical circuitry, to acknowledge and understand the key differences between an electrical tape and duct tape:ĭuct tape is a widely available pressure-sensitive hybrid sticky tape, generally made from a cloth backing coated with a thin layer of polyethylene or similar flexible plastic Given enough voltage and current, a short enough path to ground and in the right/wrong environmental conditions, even the most specialised electrical tape types could potentially conduct enough current to cause serious harm.īe vigilant of the potential limitations of insulating tapes when used incorrectly or unsafely, and always shut down all circuits to the fullest extent possible before commencing any kind of repair or maintenance work on them.

Wire nuts are often required in addition to insulating tape for achieving a fully code-compliant setup, so always check any regulations that might apply to the job in question.įurthermore, always be aware that despite the impressive dielectric performance of many purpose-manufactured electrical tapes, very few materials are always 100% non-conductive under the right combination of circumstances. However, it’s worth noting that in many applications, simply twisting wires together and sealing with electrical tape alone is deemed an unsuitable splicing method for meeting stringent safety standards. One of the main purposes and most common uses of electrical tape worldwide is to insulate and protect wires and other connections. Can you use electrical tape to insulate wire?

Electrical tape