Magic Markers For Cables Are A Revolution?

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Brian Rhodes
•Jul 19, 2017
IPVMU Certified

U-Phase Markers claim they are causing a revolution for marking cables:

Granted, while low-voltage work lacks the life/death urgency that high-voltage work does, marking cables/ labeling them is still a fundamental thing.  (Noted in our Cabling Best Practices Guide)

A U-Phase marker costs about about $4 a piece, comes in 11 different colors, and the manufacturer claims it costs less than $0.01 per foot to apply, compared to 9X more using tape.

So do you think cable markers are better than tape?  Would you try them out?

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Undisclosed #1
•Jul 19, 2017

I can see the noob tech that decides to paint over a splice because this is more practical than tape!

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Brian Rhodes
•Jul 19, 2017
IPVMU Certified
In reply to Undisclosed #1

I can see that being a big negative.  Hiding splices with paint.

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Michael Miller
•Jul 19, 2017
In reply to Brian Rhodes

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Undisclosed #2
•Jul 19, 2017
IPVMU Certified

Let me know when its like this:

(2)
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #3
•Jul 19, 2017

I prefer to a combination of number tags and writing on the cable with a Sharpie.  The adhesive on electrical tape, as well as the number tags, melts or loses it's adhesion eventually and the identifier drops off.  But, the Sharpie identifier remains.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #4
•Jul 19, 2017

As a former electrician, I can see the value of these, but I'd like to see the electrical inspectors take on it.  When you are terminating 1/0 service wiring, phase is important and so is marking.  It all comes in black, so this makes sense.  

However, tape has been the accepted and published method.

As for writing on cable with a sharpie, I remember Dottie, a tech that could write a novel on the end of a 22/2 jacketed cable in perfect typeface.  That was talent.

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Jon Dillabaugh
•Jul 20, 2017
Pro Focus LLC

Who writes on tape? Don't most wire manufacturers have an identifying legend printed on the cable that you simply cross off with a sharpie? Windy City has it on all of their cable, AFAIK. Super efficient. After finished pulling, use a proper, permanent label.

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Undisclosed Integrator #4
•Jul 20, 2017
In reply to Jon Dillabaugh

I believe they are referring to high voltage service entry wire which can come in multi-conductor but is usually pulled as several single conductor, black cables in #1/0 or #2/0 and the phases are marked by wrapping the end of the cable in colored tape.   I haven't personally seen someone write on those, yet.

However, it's been a lot of years since I pulled one in. 

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