Color-coded Shrink Tubing: How to Use Colored Heat Shrink Tubing to Identify Cables

When you are installing multiple cables as part of an electrical system, HVAC system, or as part of your manufactured items, you can make identification of wires and cables easy by using color-coded shrink tubing to label each of the cables.

Create a System

The easiest way to color code your system is by following the color codes that exist on wires.  For instance, if you are wiring a house for video and audio, you want to color code the wires according to the video and audio jack colors.  This will make it easier to identify which wire is which down the line.  In the absence of an existing color coding you can write down your system and tack it to the HVAC unit or inside the cover of your breaker box. You want to have easy access to the color coding in the future so that you can easily make needed changes or repairs.

The Process

Before you install the wiring, you need to decide whether you are going to use small strips placed intermittently along the wire or if you are going to cover the whole wire in the color to provide an extra layer of protection. As you lay out the cables, you need to install the colored heat shrink tubing around each of the wires and use a heat gun to heat the tubing around your wires.  Once that has been completed, do not forget to write down what color goes with which wire.  All that is left is to install the items. At Nelco Products, we carry a wide variety of heat shrink tubing needs.  Our Flexible Polyolefin Tubing comes in 12 colors which makes using heat shrink tubing for identification purposes an inexpensive snap. To order, give us a call at 800-505-6352 to speak to one of our product specialists or visit our webpage, https://www.nelcoproducts.com/.