Important Precautions When Setting Up PTFE Heat-Shrink Tubing Around Wiring

23 February 2022
 Categories: Industrial & Manufacturing, Blog


If you have electrical wiring that will be exposed to harmful elements like moisture or chemicals, you can better protect it via PTFE heat-shrink tubing. Once heated, this tubing will form a protective barrier that prevents wires from getting damaged. You can be successful setting this tubing material up if you follow a couple of important rules.

Get Used to the Rate of Shrinking

There are different rates of shrinkage for heat-shrink tubing. If you can get used to this shrinkage rate, then it's going to be easier to work with this material when applying it around wires that are exposed and thus need additional protection. 

What you can do is cut off a small amount of heat-shrink tubing made out of PTFE, and then see how it behaves when heat is applied to it. Then you'll know what to do with your heat source once this tubing is properly wrapped around wiring. 

Utilize the Right Heating Techniques

An important part of getting PTFE heat-shrink tubing around wiring is heating it up. That's going to cause the tubing to shrink and then be more secure around wiring that needs extra protection. Just make sure you understand what heating techniques you need to follow from start to finish. 

That will keep your wiring from getting damaged and keep you safe throughout the duration of heating. Start by getting a strong enough heat gun and moving it up and down sections of the heat-shrink tubing. Don't forget to rotate the tubing too so that you get even shrinkage the entire time. 

Allow for Proper Cooling Before Making Wire Adjustments

After you get heat-shrink tubing around wiring, you may want to adjust it. For instance, you may want to change the way it's angled to make it easier to set up. Before doing this, make sure you give the heat-shrink tubing enough time to properly cool down.

You should be able to find out this cooling period by looking at instructions that came with the heat-shrink tubing. Trying to manipulate wires before this optimal cooling period is reached could cause some of the tubing to shift or come off completely. 

PTFE heat-shrink tubing is often used to protect wires that are exposed to things like moisture and chemicals. If you purchased some to protect some wiring around your property, do your best to review this tubing's characteristics before applying heat. Then you can refine your application methods for more success. Look into a company like Tef-Cap Industries for more information.


Share