I finally stopped using duct tape for everything around the house

My porch light started flickering last week and I taped the wire down like I always do. Then my neighbor, who's an electrician, saw it and just laughed. He said duct tape degrades fast and leaves sticky goo that makes future fixes harder. He showed me how to use wire nuts and electrical tape properly instead, and the whole fix took maybe 10 minutes for $4 worth of parts. Has anyone else been guilty of overusing duct tape on things that need a real repair?

3 comments

3 Comments

holly_sanchez7516d ago

Laughing at your neighbor saving you from the duct tape inferno your porch light was about to become. I once used duct tape to patch a garden hose, thought I was MacGyver for about 10 minutes until the water pressure blew the tape off and soaked my entire basement. The sticky goo left behind was so nasty I had to replace the whole hose section anyway. Nothing like a little electrical fire hazard and a flooded floor to teach you real repair skills.

oliver214d ago

Clockwise is right, but only if you're looking at the end of the wire.

pat_schmidt6016d ago

Did your buddy show you the trick with the wire nuts where you twist them clockwise so they grab tight? My buddy tried fixing his garage light with duct tape once and it caught fire after three days, lucky he was home to see the smoke.