Nicked insulation

[e hilton]

Suppose you saw a house with romex wiring, and inside the panel there was a hot conductor with several nicks in the insulation. Probably made by a sharp knife when the insulation was being stripped. Nicked enough that the copper is visible. Can it be repaired with a couple of wraps of tape, or heat shrink tubing? Is there a code section for this, or is it just something you would not allow.

 

[jar546]

Suppose you saw a house with romex wiring, and inside the panel there was a hot conductor with several nicks in the insulation. Probably made by a sharp knife when the insulation was being stripped. Nicked enough that the copper is visible. Can it be repaired with a couple of wraps of tape, or heat shrink tubing? Is there a code section for this, or is it just something you would not allow.

The EC would have a wire nut in their future

 

[Mr. Inspector]

cut the wire and use a wire nut to add a length.

 

[e hilton]

cut the wire and use a wire nut to add a length.

Don’t need to do that, the nicks are at the end of the insulation, there is enough slack to cut it back and still reach the terminating screw. But my question is ... is there a code item that prohibits nicks in the insulation? And does heat shrink or tape qualify as a fix?

 

[Mr. Inspector]

E3406.5 Individual conductor insulation. Except where otherwise
permitted in Sections E3605.1 and E3908.9, and E4303,
current-carrying conductors shall be insulated. Insulated conductors
shall have insulation types identified as RHH, RHW,
RHW-2, THHN, THHW, THW, THW-2, THWN, THWN-2,
TW, UF, USE, USE-2, XHHW or XHHW-2. Insulation types
shall be approved for the application. [310.106(C), 310.104]