A messy panel in an old Seattle house taught me a trick with zip ties

I was working on a rewire in this old craftsman last fall, and the main panel was a total mess (like, wires going everywhere). The homeowner wanted to add a new circuit for a kitchen reno, and I was dreading tracing anything. Instead of just pulling and hoping, I grabbed a handful of the small white zip ties from my bag. I used them to group the neutrals by circuit right at the entry point into the panel, before they hit the bar. It only took about 20 extra minutes, but it made identifying and separating the existing circuits so much easier and safer. I've done it on every panel job since, especially in old places. It just keeps things clean and stops that headache of a tangled bird's nest. Has anyone else found a simple little trick like that for managing panel spaghetti?

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3 Comments

lindal135mo ago

Wait, you had spare zip ties?

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nancycooper5mo ago

My husband's toolbox has three separate compartments just for zip ties, sorted by color. It feels like half the stuff in our house is held together with them now. We've definitely entered the zip tie age.

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christopher9435mo ago

Oh man, of course I did. They're like the duct tape of the modern world. I have a whole drawer in the kitchen junk drawer just for them, different sizes and everything. You never know when something's gonna need a quick, permanent-looking fix.

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