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I recently had some work done in my phone line. The line works, but it was left partially taped. What's the best way to protect it? It's outdoors, so it needs to be UV-safe and waterproof. I've previously used liquid electrical tape, but it might be a mess the next time someone needs access to the wires. I'd use heat-shrink plastic, but I can't get it around the cable. I also thought about self-fusing silicone tape.

I know the correct answer is the phone company should have used a NID, but they didn't.

Phone line junction

David Ehrmann
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    so, call the phone company and insist that they remedy the situation – jsotola Jun 03 '20 at 07:19
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    They should fit a proper connector or junction box - get them back... – Solar Mike Jun 03 '20 at 10:08
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    If need be, send this picture to their customer service "Contact Us" email address you can find on their web site. That is quite poor. – FreeMan Jun 03 '20 at 11:05
  • And the reason they shouldn't like that is it'll cause "go-backs" i.e. unnecessary and expensive service calls in the future, as well as difficulty walking the customer through self-diagnosis on the phone. Obviously with COVID they are scraping bottom of the barrel for help. – Harper - Reinstate Monica Jun 03 '20 at 14:21

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Yeah, that's a bad joke, I wonder who your phone company is...

If you insist on DIY... it does not particularly need to be waterproof - the splice connectors are filled with grease, so they are waterproof. Buy a plastic electrical box (no holes) and cut slots in the box part so you can get the cable in place without cutting it.

enter image description here

Don't make the slots too large. If you want to try for waterproof, use duct seal (gray electrical putty, non-hardening) around the cables in the slot. Screw the cover on, pack some more duct seal on from the outside.

If you choose to use self-fusing tape, choose from the electrical aisle (well, it may not be in your average hardware store/home center, so you might need an actual electrical supply store to find it), not late night TV or plumbing repair. The box is going to be more robust and easier to access.

Ecnerwal
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FYI, here's what a typical telephone co. outdoor junction box looks like. It's not water proof, more like water resistant. It's usually located right where the telephone wiring enters the house, and serves as a demarcation mark between what's the teleco's responsibility (from pole to the house) and what's the homeowner's responsibility (from the box into the house and all house wiring).

enter image description here

SteveSh
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