The electrician said there was nothing better than blue duct tape. What are the differences hidden in electrical tape besides color

Everyone knows this self-adhesive material. Insulation tape is mainly used to insulate wires. It provides a high-quality, tight connection and protects against contamination.

An electrician I know recently told me that the most correct tape for insulation is blue. But this is not the case. Why? The answer is at the end of the article. The most important selection criterion is not in color, but in the quality of the material. There are two differences between electrical tape: the material from which it is made and the manufacturer.

Rubberized cotton insulating tape is characterized by high frost resistance and tolerance to temperature extremes. May catch fire if overheated. There are fire resistant fiberglass and fiberglass tapes.

Cotton tape comes with one or two adhesive surfaces.

Minuses: poor elasticity, poor sealing properties. Used to insulate wires only in dry rooms. On the street, such a tape is not recommended to be wound. It will already be difficult to unwind it.

PVC tapes are made with adhesive. Such a tape is more elastic, durable, but does not tolerate temperature extremes. With strong heating, it loses its properties. If the temperature is above 80 degrees, then the tape begins to melt.

However, PVC tapes can vary in color and softness. A hard tape breaks in the cold, and a soft one sticks well. At the same time, the soft melts faster when heated, and the hard, on the contrary, becomes stronger (like a stone).

PVC insulating tape is resistant to moisture and dampness. When stored for a long time, the tapes lose their adhesiveness. It can be restored by putting the roll in the microwave for defrosting (10 sec.).

The color of the PVC tape does not matter. Electricians know that there are different colors of wires. Therefore, they use electrical tape of a specific color (for neat installation). Previously, they used white electrical tape to mask open twists. Blue and red were signal, and the ground was marked with two-color electrical tape. Color does not affect the property of the ribbon. The different shade is only for marking. And for insulation, instead of electrical tape, they now use a heat-shrinkable tube.