use of electrical tape to repair nick in wiring

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I had a new dishwasher installed and the installer "nicked" the 15 amp electrical supply line that comes from under the floor when pushing the dishwasher back in to place. One of the feet on the dishwasher nicked or cut into the supply wiring. When the breaker was turned on it sparked and arced so he had to have gone through the wiring insulation and touched the hot wire. He fixed this by wrapping the nicked/cut spot with electrical tape and assured me this was safe. Is this a safe fix or should the entire wire be replaced?

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Type: Question • Score: 3 • Views: 387 • Replies: 14

[+3] - moser - 09/13/2016Thanks to all for the responses. My first inclination is that the wire should be replaced. Supervisor from the company that installed the dishwasher is coming tomorrow to take a look at it. It...

Personally I would have the whole wire replaced. You should check your local electrical code in the country (or state) you live in, whatever that is, to see if this "repair" complies with code.

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@moser,

Moser Con is right of course but I'm wondering whether your installer didn't do more in the way of repair when you weren't watching

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It can get wet around a dishwasher and i would want continuous insulation. Tape can come off or get loose.

1 Reply

@contrex,

Replacement of the wire is the best option. Why take a chance?

1 Reply

@cicerone imposter,

cicerone imposter wrote:

Replacement of the wire is the best option. Why take a chance?

This is what I am saying. Using tape is poor workmanship.

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@moser,

Tape is iffy in a possibly wet environment. Replacing the wire would be labor intensive and overkill. I'd fix it with marine grade heat shrink tubing.

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@Leadfoot,

Good work Foot

Incidentally curious to learn whether the splice was twisted and/or soldered

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@Leadfoot,

Quote:

Marine grade heat shrink tubing

is a darn good idea that I have never thought of doing. However, after I retired, I quit doing handyman work, and hired the 'experts.' Had the whole house rewired, because this house was built in 1955, and the electrician replaced the fuse box. Besides that, we now have solar.

1 Reply

@cicerone imposter,

Cis of course the problem with shrink tubing is that you hafta cut the wire

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@dalehileman,

But if you cut one end of the wire, and rewire it to a plug, it should be safe. Even I have done that!

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@dalehileman,

dalehileman wrote:

Cis of course the problem with shrink tubing is that you hafta cut the wire

Not necessarily. You can disconnect the wire at one end and pass the as yet unshrunk tubing along the wire to position it over the nick in the insulation, then apply hot air. However if you were doing that you may as well disconnect it at both ends and substitute a fresh length.

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@contrex,

Cis, Con yes of course

The one thing you probly don't wanna do is leave the nick

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Thanks to all for the responses. My first inclination is that the wire should be replaced. Supervisor from the company that installed the dishwasher is coming tomorrow to take a look at it. It is labor intensive as the wire comes up from the crawl space and through floor tile at the grout joint. Will see what the company in willing to do but am going to insist on a new wire. We all know that will not be their first option but they are the one who did the damage.

use of electrical tape to repair nick in wiring

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