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Old 31-05-2007, 06:58   #1
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Liquid Electrical Tape

Rather than hijack another thread I'll post the question here....

Have always heard from boating types that this stuff is the worst thing you can put on your electrical connections. Hides the inevitable corrosion and you end up with a nice black wire end that's no longer connected to anything.

What's the truth? Use it or not??
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Old 31-05-2007, 07:20   #2
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I was told that the problem is that you seal any moisture in with the liquid tape, so you have to sure that the connection is dry and free of moisture.
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Old 31-05-2007, 08:03   #3
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I used it for about a year before I knew any better. Now I know.
All the original connections either got hard as a rock which isn't good for flex on a boat, or they failed. I have since redone all of them.

Don't use it!

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Old 03-09-2009, 19:34   #4
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Hi Mark
Yep the electrical liquid worked for me and it was on my connections over 3 years and no problem. The down side was that if you retorque your connections its breaks the seal what I have found to be the easiest and safest option is to make sure the connections are clean and then after tightning the connection put a small amount of vasaline on the connection.
Hope this helps
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Old 03-09-2009, 19:51   #5
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it's great for an emergency, quick, easy, but i would not consider it a permanent solution ...if you going to do it, do it right...good electricians use electrical tape for a lot of things but never for a permanent connection ,liquid or not............use shrink boot with adhesive in it,and it wont crack out on you....
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Old 03-09-2009, 20:43   #6
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On the terminals themselves (not the crimps) I use either silicon grease or Tef-gel. Both displace moisture and will never crack allowing moisture in. I use heat shrink crimp connectors for moist areas. You can also coat the wire with Tef-gel or silicon grease over the wire and the crimp before crimping down for non-heatshrink crimp connectors.
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Old 04-09-2009, 05:47   #7
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I agree that the heat shrink connectors are the best ways to normally splice wires. The liquid electrical tape has it's uses though. One example is for a dinghy bailing pump. I've taken cheapo bilge pumps (which always come with about 10" of wire) and used liquid electrical tape over traditional splices to completely waterproof the connections. Then drop the pump in the dinghy and pump it out.
For 100% waterproofness, the liquid electrical tape really works. Like any other splice, you've left enough extra wire to just cut it out if you need to replace it.
Also, for those on a tight budget, the heat shrink connectors are pretty expensive, and a can of liquid electrical tape and standard butt connectors is a much cheaper route. Just doesn't look as professional.
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Old 06-09-2009, 10:36   #8
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I agree--I have been using cheap butt connectors sealed with liquid electrical tape for years in the wet places like my bilge. Never a problem if you get the ends sealed up well.
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