Just found out most wire nuts aren't meant for outdoor use

Was reading the fine print on a box of Ideal wire nuts yesterday and it says right there that standard ones aren't rated for wet locations. Been using them outside for years on lighting fixtures and landscape stuff. Gonna swap to silicone-filled ones for outdoor stuff from now on. Anyone else miss this in their code book?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_logan21d ago

Yeah I learned that the hard way when some corroded ones caused a short in my backyard lights.

emma_hart21d ago

Oh man, that's such a bummer to find out the hard way! I've been there too with some old outdoor fixtures I put in years ago - pulled one down last spring and the wire nuts were all crusty and green inside. It's one of those things that seems so obvious after you know, but nobody really talks about it when you're starting out. The silicone-filled ones are definitely the way to go for anything exposed to weather, even if it's just a little dampness. Glad you caught it before something worse happened, but yeah, stealing my code book now to double check everything else I might have missed.

raymartin15d ago

The silicone ones are a lifesaver for outdoor stuff, but sealing the outside with tape helps too.