Cleaning after electrical tape


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Old 09-29-11, 11:56 AM
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Cleaning after electrical tape

In removing old electrical tapes from switches and outlets and end up getting the residue adhesive on all my fingers and then the smudges and smear on the white switches and cover plates, what is the best way to clean them?

I know mineral spirit will work, just not sure it's a good idea to wipe flammable solvents near electrical components.
 
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Old 09-29-11, 12:05 PM
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I have good luck with that citrus hand cleaner stuff -- comes in wipes or soap form. It is an oil solvent, but not so nasty as mineral spirits or other thinners.
 
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Old 09-29-11, 01:09 PM
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If they still make it, Goo Gone is another good cleaner for adhesive residue.
 
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Old 09-29-11, 01:09 PM
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WD40 makes a decent adhesive remover - no idea whether or how flammable it is, though.
 
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Old 09-29-11, 03:14 PM
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WD40 makes a great flamethrower!
 
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Old 09-29-11, 04:05 PM
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Miami, you know I gotta ask.......why do you have electrical tape on your switches and stuff???
 
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Old 09-29-11, 05:29 PM
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A new piece of super 33+ works to stick to the old adhesive and rip it off.
 
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Old 09-30-11, 11:44 AM
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Just turn off the power, use rubbing alcohol, and wait a reasonable amount of time before turning the power back on.

The nice thing about alcohol is that it's low-odor compared to mineral spirits, WD-40 or that orange stuff.

Hint: Turning off the power is important.
 
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Old 09-30-11, 12:07 PM
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Alcohol is definitely a good choice to remove the adhesive, the pirate solved the flammability problem for you.
 
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Old 09-30-11, 07:04 PM
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Originally Posted by chandler
Miami, you know I gotta ask.......why do you have electrical tape on your switches and stuff???
All my switches and outlets have a couple of wraps of electrical tape around them, on all the houses I have owned down here. I supposed it is common practice here?

I supposed by wrapping them makes it less likely to have a short or accidentally touching something when you are working on another device in the same box?

 
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Old 09-30-11, 07:52 PM
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As you have found, tape and its' residue make a mess. It is not needed. The power should be turned off before you do anything in the box. If you were an employee OSHA rules would apply and those rules only allow working hot with very limited circumstances.
 
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Old 10-01-11, 07:08 AM
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Two or three turns of electrical tape provide minimal protection, and is a waste of tape and time. In some small older metal boxes, the tolerances are much closer, and modern receptacles seem to fill the box more fully. In such an instance taping helps keep the screw heads from touching the box. I see you are using plastic boxes, and the tolerances are much wider, and the boxes are non conductive, so using tape is not necessary. Like Jim said, power off, install the receptacle, centered in the box, then power on. The steadfast rule is "No Shock".
 
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Old 10-01-11, 07:17 AM
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I am not using plastic box, but metal boxes and EMT conduits.

The picture was just something I linked.

Since it seem to be done all over, or at least down here in South Florida everyone seem to be doing it, so I figured it couldn't hurt.

There are times I pulled off a switch plate, and not sure of the circuit (it was wired by someone else), and I needed to pull off the outlet or the switch, to get to the wire behind it, to see the wire, sometimes the color of the wire, or sometimes a label on the wire, or the position of the conduit connection, will clue me in the circuit it may be on. If I know the circuit, I always turn power off, if I don't, I may do a bit of poking with a voltage tester. Just seem like with the electrical tape around it is less hazardous, or at least in the mind.
 
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Old 10-01-11, 11:30 AM
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It's not required, nor is it necessary, even with metal boxes. If it makes you feel better, go for it.
 
 

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