Gaffer tape...doesn't always stick the best but doesn't get gooey and nasty like electrical tape.

Consider yourself a hack if you've been using electrical tape on anything non-electrical, it just shows that you either have not been around long enough to see it fail and turn into a gooey mess or you just don't take pride in your installations. There's nothing wrong with some tape to hold the IR wire, but there are many other options that hold up over time such as Kapton.

When your client wants to do something stupid (like use TV speakers when they have a surround system) it's up to you to get them in line.

It's usually a few screws to get the back off and then a couple more to get the board that has the emitter on it. I can usually embed an emitter in 5 minutes total.

With all due respect, "5 MINUTES"???...not.

Plus, all the warranty implications down the road if the TV has any issues...no way.

We will continue to tape and wire tie, thank you. lol

Get yourself a folding table for the jobsite like we do. Put a moving blanket over it. You now have a work station where things like removing 10 screws and threading an emitter through the back and then reinstalling 10 screws should only take 5 minutes.

The warranty issues are nonsense. You are the guy installing the TV and you will be the guy uninstalling the TV. Remove your emitter before taking it in for service.

Tape and zip ties are cheap and easy. Use what you are comfortable with.

The few times I've tried embedding an LED, there was no accidental hole or hole clearance that the wire could come out of, so it was necessary to cut the skinny wire and put it through a drilled hole. This is, shall we say, noticeable hacking as far as the warranty station is concerned.


Here in So Cal there are a couple of crafts store chains where a small hot glue gun and about a yard's worth of hot glue sticks cost around six bucks, all in a nice little plastic case. I bought three of these because I thought they might get damaged or lost; it's been five years and I'm only halfway through the first set of glue.

HOT GLUE is the way to go, though I'd appreciate advice from anyone who can tell me how to avoid those damned skinny hot glue 'hairs' in the first place!

...and as with so many things, saying "electrical tape" is not enough to pass on which tape is good and which is bad. First, if it has no brand and model number that you can cite, it's probably crap. Second, if it costs less than about $3 per roll, it's probably crap. I don't remember the model number, but the $4 tape from 3M is what I use; the $1.50 tape from 3M, or cheapass tape, is what I use for binding wires together for pulling. That is, it's on there for a half hour, then thrown away.

Amazon.com has a variety of adhesive plastic wire clip things.

My favs..
Twist Lock style: [Link: amzn.com]
Small wire (IR) : [Link: amzn.com]

These I especially like because they have this plastic clasp that holds a wire tight but can also be opened to remove: [Link: amzn.com]

The connector gets cut off anyway so you can splice the emitter or connect it to a screw terminal block on a Crestron RMC.

Every TV i have ever installed has perforated vents all across the back. Are you telling me you haven't seen anything like this?




Same here. I bought a package of extra glue stix. I have used 1 of those spares in 2 years.


Let them dry and clip them loose from the dab of glue.


I have used tape a few times in the past and every single time i come back to the job and the tape is falling off and gooey. Some guys like it gooey i guess.

Like Mac, I usually open up the TV and install the emitter.  It probably takes 10 minutes (not 5 minutes), but it's easy to do.

I recently had Samsung service a TV under warranty that has an emitter embedded inside and also had two holes drilled in the back cover with RG59 routed through them inside the TV so I could perfectly flush mount the TV.

The TV had a failed IR board (nothing to do with the embedded emitter), and the only comment from the repair tech is that he thought it was cool and had never seen anyone go though that much trouble to do a clean install.

Many of the newer Samsungs let you stick the emitter on the back side of the protruding IR receiver which is easy.  When I do this I'll usually wire tie or velcro the emitter wire to the other wires and will often use 3M electric tape to keep the wire flat on the back of the TV until it joins up with the other wires.

I believe this is exactly what the OP was asking about. 3m tape works well. Hot Glue to hold the wire to the back of the tv with the mess of getting hot glue on the mantle, tile, carpet or somewhere else the customer might punch you in the face? bad Idea IMO.

It sounds like I have a new patent pending product evvery single installer needs.

Cha-ching.

Random reply to an older thread..but I thought I was the only one that knew how kuch better Gorilla tape worked vs elect tape. Doesn’t lay as flat so best used sparingly and out of view. But Gorilla works better imo and I haven’t seen it make a mess upon removal yet.