[RE-wrenches] Buchanan Crimp in 1000v Applications and the NEC

Tue Nov 11 19:28:56 PST 2025

Weep holes. It’s allowed.

William Miller
Miller Solar.com
805-438-5600
www.millersolar.com

On Tue, Nov 11, 2025 at 7:06 PM Glenn via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Having opened and inspected dozens of rooftop installations, I can firmly
> say that anything inside a box of any kind on a rooftop will absolutely be
> exposed to moisture and often water. Whether it is humidity sucked in from
> thermal cycling, or gasket failure through UV degradation, or here in the
> north, snow and ice damage, it will happen.
>
> You will never convince me that it is acceptable to use any device there
> that does not have a published, traceable listing for outdoor use in that
> environment.
>
> -Glenn
>
> On Nov 11, 2025 19:30, Jason Szumlanski <jason at floridasolardesigngroup.com>
> wrote:
>
> We're talking about inside a junction box (NEMA 3R or 4, for example), not
> an "outdoor environment." Wagos (and other connectors like wire nuts,
> Polaris Taps, power distribution blocks, terminal blocks, etc) are allowed
> inside of a rooftop junction box, just like they are allowed in various
> switch boxes, enclosures, and cabinets that are suitable for the
> environment outdoors.
>
> For the same reason you can put circuit breakers inside of a NEMA 3R load
> center outdoors, you can use splice connectors of many kinds inside of a
> NEMA 3R enclosure. They do not need to be listed for "outdoors" because it
> is not outdoors. It's enclosed and adequately protected from the
> environment.
>
> In other words, any AHJ that challenges me on this, I just ask them to
> show me a circuit breaker that's listed for use in a wet location. That's
> usually enough to shut them down.
>
>
> Jason Szumlanski
> Principal Solar Designer | Florida Solar Design Group
> NABCEP Certified Solar Professional (PVIP)
> Florida State Certified Solar Contractor CVC56956
> Florida Certified Electrical Contractor EC13013208
>
> On Tue, Nov 11, 2025, 7:11 PM Glenn <glenn.burt at glbcc.com> wrote:
>
> I have not found a listing for Wagos in an outdoor environment.
>
> -Glenn
>
> On Nov 11, 2025 18:01, Jason Szumlanski via RE-wrenches <
> re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>
> We have had terrific success using Wagos in rooftop junction boxes for
> splicing #12 Enphase cable to #10 home run THWN. We have no issues
> whatsoever with these.
>
> Unfortunately, the #10 PV wire insulation is too large for the Wago
> 221-6XX series. We have been buying #14-#4 Polaris taps and it's getting
> very expensive. I would like an alternative.
>
> For a while we were using the King Innovation AlumiConn purple "suitcase"
> connectors for Enphase, but they are only 300V rated and I don't think the
> PV Wire insulation fits in those, either, for <300V applications.
>
> I have seen people using MC4 connectors in rooftop junction boxes like
> Blake suggested, but I wasn't sure if that is acceptable practice to use
> them this way (in an enclosure), and it does require a pretty large
> junction box. We prefer to use the EZ Solar JB-# series of boxes. The rail
> mount ones (JB-3) are pretty small, but the tile roof JB-2 is huge, and the
> shingle JB-1 is sizable as well. I guess if there is no prohibition against
> using them in an enclosure, then it should be allowed. I do like the
> watertight nature of this solution.
>
> I have seen some clowns using MC4 connectors with #10 THHN wire to make
> these splices. That's obviously no bueno. Crazy stuff...
>
>
> Jason Szumlanski
> Principal Solar Designer | Florida Solar Design Group
> NABCEP Certified Solar Professional (PVIP)
> Florida State Certified Solar Contractor CVC56956
> Florida Certified Electrical Contractor EC13013208
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 11, 2025 at 4:44 PM Dave Tedeyan via RE-wrenches <
> re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>
> Hi Adam,
> This response is just to you. Is NYSERDA the inspection agency you are
> talking about? Cause they have given me issues about using Wago Nuts inside
> a 3R box, even after I got a statement from Wago saying that it is okay to
> put it inside a 3R box. But squirting a bit of No-Ox in there seems to make
> them happy about it. The one time we put one inside a 3R panel board to
> extend a short wire and forgot to put No-Ox on that one, they gave us a 2
> out of 5 on the inspection, even though that was the only thing noted in
> the entire inspection report! But I would be curious if the point you make
> above will work with NYSERDA?
>
> Cheers,
> Dave
>
> On Tue, Nov 11, 2025 at 4:16 PM AE Solar via RE-wrenches <
> re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>
> We had an inspection agency that was giving us a hard time about using
> buchanan crimps in junction boxes because they aren't rated for
> outdoor/damp locations. The point was made (on this listserve) that "*if
> the inside of a 3R enclosure isn't considered dry enough for a buchanan
> crimp/cap, then there's millions of 3R panels with breakers and busbars in
> them that would have the same problem*". The inspection agency finally
> relented. We put a little No-Alox in the cap. I know that's not what your
> initial post was about, but tossing that in for consideration just in
> case...
>
> Adam Katzman (he/him)
> Autonomous Energies | Owner/Operator
> www.AutonomousEnergies.com <http://www.autonomousenergies.com>
> (518) 567-1468
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 11, 2025 at 3:51 PM Jay via RE-wrenches <
> re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>
> Hi Sam
>
> I can’t imagine being just copper it would matter, the AHJ might have a
> different opinion however
>
> Question.
> How are you insulating them?
>
> Jay
>
>
> On Nov 11, 2025, at 11:15 AM, Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches <
> re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>
> 
> Wrenches,
>
> On the attached product spec sheet for Ideal Copper Crimps (aka Buchanan
> crimps) you'll see that max voltage for the crimp is rated at 600V but an
> asterisk indicates up to 1000V when "in fixtures and signs".  In our
> application this is a 1000v system and we are joining pairs of #10 PV
> wires.  The junctions are made in a rail-mounted, plastic j-box.  We could
> not find the definition of "fixture" as it might pertain to this situation
> in the NEC and as such are interested to learn more about using Buchanan
> crimps for 1000V applications.
>
> <image.png>
>
>
> Cheers,
> Sam
>
> [image: OnSite Energy] <https://onsiteenergyinc.com/>
>
> Sam Haraldson
> Operations Specialist
> (406) 551-6135
> 1515 N. Rouse Ave Bozeman, MT 59715
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/1515+N.+Rouse+Ave+Bozeman,+MT+59715?entry=gmail&source=g>
> Locally owned and operated since 2012
> [image: B Corporation] <https://onsiteenergyinc.com/bcorp>
> <IDEALIndustries-Crimp Connectors.pdf>
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