Discuss Cable markers - what do people use? in the Electrical Tools and Products area at ElectriciansForums.net

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Morning all!

Contemplating getting a set of THESE (in both 1.5mm-2.5mm and 4mm-6mm) for marking up circuits inside domestic CUs.

Anyone had any experience using them? Do they stay on? Are they pointless? Can they be found cheaper anywhere (CEF sell them in packs of 3000, at £80 a pack, was hoping to find a smaller pack for cheaper to try out!)

Cheers in advance :)
 
If you have a label printer, you can get print cartridges for most with heat shrink tube in them. Easy to print the label you want.
 
I use partex PA series cable markers, available direct from part3x's online shop
I’m with Davesparks on this one. Partex cable markers on all my DB’s. Looks professional, makes testing easier (identify legs of the ring A & B) and the NICEIC Inspector loves it ?
 
Sorry, I think it's a bit OTT for an average domestic consumer unit, but if that's what you want to do then I'me not going to say its a bad thing.
 
Be careful - spinlondon believed ferrules to be a colour identifier as to the cable core function. There's every chance he would hold a similar view here.

That said no-one else in their right mind would hold such a view...
 
I use partex PA series cable markers, available direct from part3x's online shop
I use something similar, but a set I bought from RS many years ago. One day I'll get an applicator thingy as they are "really fiddly" to fit on cables that are "a bit larger" than they are designed for :rolleyes:
I'm not keen on sticky tape types of labels as I've seen far too many that have unstuck after some length of time - by far the worst have been using Brother laminated tape as flags, they later started doing "flag" tape with a different glue. But, I've used a heck of a lot of Brady's Self Laminating Labels over the years, and with some I've returned many years later and seen no sign of them having unpeeled.
 
I use the heat shirk lable tape, but it can quickly add up, doing a control panel can eat through a few packets, even if you optimise how you print them for efficiency. Not sure how much room you have for cost doing domestic consumer units, but would guess about 3 cm per lable x 16 browns and 16 blues, thats just shy of a meter and its around £20 for 1.5 meter. Plus the cost of the machine and additional installation time. Plus a heatgun or gas torch to shrink them. I don't think I would be keen using a torch in someones house so you would need to use a hot air gun after the power is on.

Im sure it wont send you to the wall but it is another cost at the end of the day.

Cable craft did have a really good offer on a small kit a few weeks ago. Like above I would recommend having a look at what they have.
 
You must have a very steady hand!
I just put single lines as in roman numerals for 1, 11, 111, 1111 etc that normally enough for rings, or italics it works for me and have been back to instalations consumer unit changes years later and the marks still visible, my hands never been that stable lol
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But just loked at your marker looks simple and nice in one colour , may get one of those handy
 
I just put single lines as in roman numerals for 1, 11, 111, 1111 etc that normally enough for rings, or italics it works for me and have been back to instalations consumer unit changes years later and the marks still visible, my hands never been that stable lol
... and there was me visualising you as a calligrapher, delicately scribing circuit numbers onto 2.5mil
[automerge]1568567280[/automerge]
I just put single lines as in roman numerals for 1, 11, 111, 1111 etc that normally enough for rings, or italics it works for me and have been back to instalations consumer unit changes years later and the marks still visible, my hands never been that stable lol
[automerge]1568567077[/automerge]
But just loked at your marker looks simple and nice in one colour , may get one of those handy
They're OK, a bit fiddly to line the numbers up for double digit circuits on thin cores.
I do like the look of the Partex ones Dave linked to, I hadn't seen those before.
 
could be worth having a chat with city salesman to try, prefer no colour/clear background or white.
 
Thanks everyone, some food for thought and various options available! Going to try some Partex ones I think!

Re: the additional cost, I fully intend to be known as the electrician that goes the extra mile, as I know from experience that this is what gets repeat business, not the price the customer pays (up to a limit of course!). It's the same reason I always try and fit an emergency bulkhead light near the board where practical.
 

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