What is a good temporary coating for extension cord joints

[jw]

I have outdoor livestock tanks. It's been below freezing, so I have to run tank heaters to keep the water from freezing. I run extension cords from nearly sheds. All outlets are GFCI protected, because these heaters can go bad and could kill animals. The problem is that where the heater plugs into the extension cord, it's laying on the ground outside the animal's pen (water tanks are against fence, cord goes to outside of fence). So, the cords get covered with snow, the snow gets into the connection where tank heater and cord connect, and blows the GFCI. Of course then the water freezes, animals have no water, and if it freezes hard enough, a $100 tank ruptures.

Anyhow, I'm looking for a suggestion what to use to seal these connections that is easy to remove and can be put on in cold (and sometimes wet) conditions. Electrical tape gets too stiff in the cold and does not seal well since its too stiff, and dont work at all if the cord is a little wet from snow. Duct tape works a little better but still not real well, and is a pain to remove (Sometimes I have to remove it several times in winter to change heaters accorsing to the temperature, since I have 250W 500W and 1000W heaters. (I try to change them to match the temperature and cut down on excessive electrical use).

Is there some other tape, or anything else that I can use to seal these joints, which can be put on in cold and damp conditions, and is easy to remove? Or do they make something for this use? (This is a rural area, so there is not much specialty things sold in the stores).

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

[The Daring Dufas]

A little searching turned this up:

There are all sorts of water tight connectors available.

TDD

[Paul Franklin]

I wrap the connections on the cords I use for Christmas lights with plastic wrap, the plain old stuff used to cover foods. A couple of wraps of that, and then a zip tie on each cord. Seems to work well and is pretty easy to remove. I doubt it would work if totally submerged in water, but for snow and rain it seems to work fine.

HTH,

Paul F.

[JIMMIE]

I would make up cables with waterproof connectors. Make the cables long enough so the only splice is at the tank where the heaters plug into the cords. Consider installing a permanent outlet at the tanks feed by a buried cable. Place the connections in a weather tight box.

Jimmie

[T. Keating]

Get some double gang code keepers, seal up backside or attach them to double gang aluminum box. Mount them on a stake next to water tank, place heater plug and extension cord socket inside code keeper.

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Or go full blown and build your own specialised extension cord (50 to

100ft) with 4 conductors(2 circuits) cable with two sets of outlets inside a aluminum double gang box w code keeper and other end with switches inside another double box w code keeper.

Make each outlet switchable from remote location. Plug in different size heaters (250, 500, 1000) into their own switchable outlet under the code keeper.

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or go super simple..

Use a foot long section of 1&1/2" grey PVC.. slip it over extension cord and heater plug... Stuff some form in either end.

[willshak]

[e-mail] wrote the following:

[mm]

Your idea sounds good. I was going to suggest wrapping in any kind of a second-hand plastic bag, like from groceries, than putting tape over the bag at each end, so you wouldn't be sticking the tape to the cord, and you could cut it and take it off completely and throw away the bag and the tape easily.

[Ken]

I have used an old bicycle inner tube cut to a length that will cover the ends of the cords and tied with Panduit ties. If you are really in need of a waterproof cover, you can place a rubber caulk over both ends before tying the ends with Panduit ties.

[Jon Danniken]

Is it possible to replace the line cord on the tank heater with one that is long enough to reach the outlet in the nearby shed?

Jon

[aemeijers]

Don't know if the big-boxes carry it, but any real contractor supply house will have purpose-built gasketed plastic boxes for this purpose. Looks sorta like a hot dog bun- put the cords in, and snap shut. Even has strain reliefs to tuck the cords into, so you don't have to tie a knot in the connection, which is usually why the ends come off cords.

(Googles) Here's one, at random:

But having said that, can't you just set the connection up on an old milk crate or something? As long as I kept it out of standing water, I've never had any problems.

[RonB]

Ditto this for both Christmas and some temporary connections for our home construction. Plus I often add a ziploc bag over the connection to shed water. I keep the opening pointed down so any moisture that accumulates can drip out. This is temporary, and might be light- weight for your use, but it works for a month or so.

Rob

[George]

You can buy booted cord connectors and caps that are intended specifically for what you are doing.

Also if you need to use tape for something else in cold weather just buy real tape. The typical tape you find at the big box mart is made from cheap plastic and gets hard in cold weather and also with time.

Real electrical tape:

[The Daring Dufas]

Out side of the sealed plug topic, I came across an interesting site about deicers:

TDD

[dpb]

The Daring Dufas wrote: ...

Indeed; I can't imagine having such a makeshift operation to start with; there's too much else to do to have to take the time not to mention the inconvenience of dealing with it in inclement weather and the conditions otherwise.

While were not large operation by today, feedlots have capacity here for about 500 head in the main feeding lots and the working and holding pens total five watering stations. They're all permanently plumbed/wired and the heaters are thermostatically controlled instead of fixed wattage so takes that away. Can't imagine dealing with anything else.

To get thru the immediate winter I'd follow w/ the recommendation of picking the junctions up off the ground somebody else made on a temporary post and switching to thermostatically-controlled heaters aka the above link or something similar; there are many choices as well as these (should be a stock item at the local farmers co-op or farm supply of choice).

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[clare]

Silicone caulk. It's a bugger to get off later - or silicone grease - (silicone dialectric compund or waterproof silicone-based lubricating grease)

[Steve Barker]

tie 'em up off the ground on a stake or something and cover with a zip lock bag. personally, i won't use a gfci ANYwhere for that matter, but if you insist....

[DerbyDad03]

For both my Halloween and Christmas decorations I wrap my cord connections in stretch wrap like this product:

I use in it all sorts of ways to secure items, seal items, waterproof items, etc.

Many things that I used to use duct tape for now get wrapped with stretch wrap. It's cheaper and much easier/cleaner to remove.

[Dean Hoffman]

But the current code requires GFCI in wet locations. There used to be some exceptions but I think they're largely gone. The GFCI does serve a purpose for livestock. Critters are really sensitive to current leakage. There have been a lot of stories over the years of dairy cattle not producing due to current leakage. Other animals might not drink if there is current leakage around around water tanks. They'll actually get a small shock while you and I wouldn't feel a thing. The code for livestock buildings is more stringent also now.

[The Henchman]

I wrap the connections on the cords I use for Christmas lights with plastic wrap, the plain old stuff used to cover foods. A couple of wraps of that, and then a zip tie on each cord. Seems to work well and is pretty easy to remove. I doubt it would work if totally submerged in water, but for snow and rain it seems to work fine.

HTH,

Paul F.

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I'm in Canada and that's what I do. Saran Wrap stays flexible in the cold and I use CSA or UL electrical tap to hold the wrap in place but zip-ties is a good idea. Got it on the Xmas lights around my house roof and front yard trees and there is about 10 cm or 3 inches of snow sitting on top of the connections. Snow can stay on top of the connections for months before melting some years.

Don't use old electrical cords. you'll want the insulation to be flexible and uncrackabl and most importantly you'll want the prongs not to unplug themselves due to freeze thaw cycles. Worn prongs and plugs don't stay in place as well.

[Steve Barker]

code schmode, when on a farm you do what works. and gfci's don't work outside. BTDT, many times.