OT:Wire Labeling

[Tim Ganz]

About to install a new control panel we built and out wire numbers are 4-6 digits. We use the Brady heat shrink type labels for our wires but when pulling field wiring through conduit we need to label the wires in some way as there are many the same color but I don't want to put the expensive brady heat shrink labels on as the wires will have to be trimmed.

Is there a best method for temporary labeling and numbering or do I just bite the bullet and buy more Brady cartridges than I need.

I wanted to see what others do.

 

[curlyandshemp]

About to install a new control panel we built and out wire numbers are 4-6 digits. We use the Brady heat shrink type labels for our wires but when pulling field wiring through conduit we need to label the wires in some way as there are many the same color but I don't want to put the expensive brady heat shrink labels on as the wires will have to be trimmed.

Is there a best method for temporary labeling and numbering or do I just bite the bullet and buy more Brady cartridges than I need.

I wanted to see what others do.

Our sparkies use the number tapes ( those rolls about 1/8" thick numbered 0 - 99) on each wire , then wrap electrical tape around the ends to cover up the number tapes. Once bundle is pulled through conduit, electrical tape is removed, and the number tapes always survive.

Then the controls guy makes a list :

0 = I:0.0/0
1 = I:0.0/1

etc

Only issue is when same #s are not placed on the same wire at either end.

 

[cjd1965]

when I was an apprentice I was taught a trick of cutting marks into the cables... start with 1 then 2 and so on

The end of the cable will have a series of lines

This may waste cable but proved to work

It maybe faster to simply 'bell' them out

 

[James Mcquade]

I agree,

placing a nick or using wire strippers to cut a ring works well.

james

 

[OkiePC]

http://www.vetco.net/catalog/images/3M-SPB-02-1.jpg

 

[iant]

If i use a marker I usually mark each end twice the second mark approximately 500mm back can come in usefull.

I had a client do their own wiring. fitted the PE/Prox. switches and nicely bundling the cable - no numbering at all and 10 sensors.
then whinge about the time taken to match the sensor to the Input.

 

[strantor]

I've got an "octopus" for ringing out conductors. I came up with it while commissioning machines by myself. 20+ same-colored wires go into a pipe on one end, and come out on the other. Most people I've seen use a two man team; one guy grounds a wire and the guy at the other end checks continuity to ground on all the wires at the other end until he finds the grounded one, then once they confirm they have 2 ends of the same wire, they label and terminate. Or they use time consuming temporary labels like you're talking about. I was working solo and walking back and forth was getting old, so grabbed 20-something resistors of different values and soldered them all together on one end in a big wad with an alligator clip. Soldered wire leads to the other free ends. So then I would just go to one end of the pipe, label all my wires, and connect them to my grounded octopus and write down the value of the resistor for each wire number. Go to the other end and check resistance to ground; each wire you test, you get a "hit" the first time. No more fishing through the mess of them, looking for that ONE wire that has continuity, and no more re-work labeling the same wire twice. I could do it alone as fast or faster than two guys.

 

[shooter]

Example:
three wire power cable.
strip nothing for cable 0
strip the brown of cable 1
strip the blue of cable 2
and strip the yellow/green of cable 3
strip brown and blue for cable 4
strip blue and yellow for 5
strip brown yellow cable 6
strip all cable 7
if you have numbered cable even easier.
you do not waste any cable if done proper.
to get it all in pipe use a nylon sock from the wife, or buy one of those special cable pull nets, i use the shield from the cable and run it thru my pulling wire.

 

[The Plc Kid]

We don't label them when we pull but when we terminate we I.D them with this http://www.etcon.com/ws144.htm and then trim and give them their label.

 

[The Plc Kid]

Off subject but another Etcon product I love if you do a lot of wire and conduit work. Still waiting on the Milwaukee model to come out. http://www.etcon.com/files/Etcon_sellsheet_procut1.pdf

 

[Mark Timm]

I use this to trace the wires after they are pulled. http://www.extech.com/instruments/product.asp?catid=2&prodid=548