Back in the day we'd just twist and tape splices in a junction box, but after seeing a melted mess from a 20 amp kitchen circuit, I'll only use wire nuts now.

The old tape job on that circuit failed after about 15 years, but the wire nut connections in the same box from the same era are still solid, so what's the oldest sketchy splice you've had to fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_oscar5d ago

Used to think tape was fine until I found a spliced neutral that had almost started a fire.

ericb665d ago

Remember my grandpa's old workshop had wiring held together with cloth tape and prayers. Honestly it worked for years until a mouse chewed through it and sparked a small fire behind the lathe. Makes you realize even a good looking splice can fail if something unexpected happens. Tbh that attic splice holding up is just pure luck.

chen.fiona5d ago

Is it always that bad though? I've seen some old taped splices that held up fine for decades in a dry attic. It seems like the real problem is when people use the wrong tape or don't wrap it tight enough.