Marking Underground Cable

[Divemaster]

My utility uses tape for phasing primary URD and we also use the zip tie type tags (east, west, to riser, to padmt, etc.). Our problem lies with secondary feeds to residences. The majority of our secondary peds sweat so bad that using markers or paint markers either fade out or just plain fall off. We've thought about using colored zip ties and corresponding them with the residence with zip ties in the meter box. Any suggestions to what other companies do would be greatly appreciated.

[MI-Lineman]

My utility uses tape for phasing primary URD and we also use the zip tie type tags (east, west, to riser, to padmt, etc.). Our problem lies with secondary feeds to residences. The majority of our secondary peds sweat so bad that using markers or paint markers either fade out or just plain fall off. We've thought about using colored zip ties and corresponding them with the residence with zip ties in the meter box. Any suggestions to what other companies do would be greatly appreciated.

They make tags that have a protective clear film on them that you stick over your markings? Ours sweat but I've never seen the permanent marker fade off of the regular tags?

Oh, and if you have a problem with the zip ties breakin they make ones with a metal tooth in it instead of plastic!

[Resto-master]

Mark the address or splicebox/voltage with one of those zip ty tags your talking about. Same as you would primary.

[Liledgy]

A much better product is a vinyl 1/2" wide white tape that has a black number printed on it all the way down the length of it. It's about 3"-4" inches long and the number will be printed on it 7 or 8 times. You wrap it around the cable. You can read it looking upside down, sideways, behind other cables etc. Very simple, never fads, don't have to worry about the penmanship( none involved) of the tags the other poster is talking about. Or your pen not working in the winter. You could easily read them from 10 feet. Just put a different set of numbers on each service or bus in the trans and pedestals. The same corresponding number goes on the other end of cable, we also would put numbers on the outside of the raceway. They have lasted over 35 years with no problems.

[joe b]

I know this sounds stupid but if you want to keep your tape marking from fading mark your wire were ever you want and take a small piece of guy guard cut three small strips slide it over the cable and whenever you need to find out which is which just slide them I know this don't help on trouble but may help years down the road just my 2 cents

Or take ur black tape and make one round over your colors it just sucks you may have to climb or use your bucket to identify them!!!

Like I said just my 2 cents just thought that may help especially on new construction if you can get everyone to follow it will help

We have went to the tags Like liledgy was talking about!!!!

[freshjive]

we use individual yellow/black numbers and letters that slide into little tag holders that have slits to zip tie them to the cable or whatever your ziptieing them to.

[lewy]

For all of our new u.g. we have the tags made & then laminated. Also if we know we are going to disconnect an old service we will have one made for us, other than that we use plastic tags with a permanent marker.

[justhoofit]

we use metal tags and have letter punches and number punches so we hammer the adress in them along with a colored tape that corresponds in the meter box. works great and with stamping youll never lose the impression in the tags. best way to do it in my opinion.

[LEAFMAN]

We have white rubber type markers, that are permanently stamped with a number. They fit right over the conductor, we use 3/0 and 250 for U/G residential. We also write with black permanent marker on the inside of the lid of the padmount transformer, listing the municipal lot number and address.

[hotwiretamer]

They make aluminum tags that you can write on with a pen, pencil, nail, paper clip. I like the idea of the tags printed with numbers all over them though!

[Divemaster]

We write on the inside of all of our enclosures also. We haven't had a problem with any of our steel enclosures (padmounts, or switchgears) they seem to breathe better than the Kearney fiberglass enclosures we use. We can open one of these Kearney enclosures when it's warm out and they are literally drenched inside. We've thought about making laminated tags with our office's laminator but we didn't know how well they would hold up.