Had a veteran installer tell me to stop using friction tape on aerial drops

Old timer named Dave from the local union hall in Columbus noticed I was wrapping every aerial drop with friction tape at the connection point and told me to stop. He showed me how it actually traps moisture and rots the jacket faster, especially in humid weather like we get here. Switched over to heat shrink with silicone gel inside and my trouble calls dropped from about 4 per month to just 1 in the last quarter. Any of you guys still using friction tape or did I just miss the memo?

3 comments

3 Comments

tyler_wilson2mo ago

Old timer named Dave from the local union hall" sounds like the kind of guy who's been saving people from themselves for 30 years lol. I totally did the same thing with friction tape for way too long, probably because I'm stubborn and hate admitting I'm wrong. Now I'm sitting here like, "great, I've been wrapping my drops in moisture sponges this whole time.

vera3082mo ago

That line about "moisture sponges" really got me @tyler_wilson. Its the same thing I noticed with those fabric phone cases everyone used to buy, they looked fine but just soaked up water and made things worse.

felix14728d ago

Same thing happens with those cheap rubber grips on tools. They feel nice at first but trap sweat and grime, eventually turning into a sticky mess. @tyler_wilson that old Dave guy probably has a dozen more tricks like that up his sleeve. It's wild how many common products are just ticking time bombs for moisture damage once you really look at them.