I used to think all wire nuts were basically the same

I was doing a panel swap in an old house in Tacoma last week and the homeowner, a retired engineer, showed me a box of failed connections from his own past projects. He pointed out how the cheap ones he'd used had cracked and corroded over just a few years. Seeing that physical proof of a slow failure made me switch to the higher grade ones for any permanent work. What brand do you guys trust for residential jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

miamitchell19d ago

Honestly, that whole brittle plastic thing gives me the creeps. I helped my uncle rewire his garage last summer and we found a junction box full of old ones that just crumbled when we touched them. Tbh it made me paranoid about every light fixture in my own place. Now I just can't bring myself to use the clear or yellow ones from the bargain bin, even for something simple like a ceiling fan.

coray7025d ago

Yeah, that'll make you think twice. I found a box of old ones in my attic from a previous owner, the cheap plastic was all brittle and just fell apart in my hand. Now I won't touch anything but the red Ideal ones for anything that needs to last. The metal spring inside seems way better, and the shell doesn't crack if you give it a good twist. I've pulled some out after ten years and they still look new.

the_oscar25d ago

Those red ones are way overkill for most jobs. A basic wire nut just needs to hold a connection, not survive a nuclear blast. Most electrical work is in a wall where it never gets touched again, so the plastic turning brittle in fifty years doesn't matter. Spending triple the price for a brand name feels like buying a race car to drive to the grocery store. The cheap ones have worked fine in my house for decades without any issues.