Quick verdict
Twenty-five waterproof wire connectors with a wire nut inside a silicone-filled cap, for joining 22 to 10 gauge wires on low voltage landscape lighting runs and irrigation valve wires and burying the joint, so water, condensation and soil never reach the copper and the connection does not corrode and fail two winters later. Landscape lighting fails at the splices, almost always, and the cure is a connector rated for direct burial. Twist the nut on, the silicone fills the cap, done. Twenty-five covers a full lighting install or a season of repairs.
Strengths
- Silicone-filled cap seals the splice for direct burial
- Takes 22 to 10 AWG; landscape and irrigation wire sizes
- Twist-on; no tools or heat
- Twenty-five for a full install
- Stops the corrosion that kills landscape lighting
Weaknesses
- Single use; a splice is cut out to change it
- Silicone is messy if the cap is overfilled by a thick bundle
- Blue colour is visible if left above ground
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
Where Landscape Lighting Dies
A path light that flickers and a spot that has gone dim are nearly always a splice: a plain wire nut that let water in, copper that corroded, resistance that rose until the fixture gave up. The cure is a connector made to be buried. Lenporl’s are twenty-five twist-on nuts inside silicone-filled caps for 22 to 10 gauge wire, rated for direct burial, for lighting runs and irrigation valve wires.
This review is based on the listing specifications and on how silicone-filled connectors perform on buried low voltage wiring generally. We have not used these connectors ourselves.
Making the Splice
Strip half an inch from each wire. Twist the conductors together clockwise, push them into the cap and screw the nut on until it grips and silicone wells up round the wire jackets. That silicone is the seal; it fills every gap and stays soft. Bury the joint or push it under the mulch. A fixture is connected to the main run in a minute.
Why Silicone
Water wicks along the strands of a wire into any open nut and sits against the copper. Silicone displaces the air in the cap, so there is nowhere for the water to go and nothing for it to reach. The joint buried this spring is the same joint in ten years.
Irrigation
A valve box is a puddle for half the year and the solenoid wires in it are joined with exactly this connector by installers. Twenty-five covers the lighting and the valves.
Wire Range
From the 18 gauge of a fixture lead to the 10 gauge of a main run, with 12 and 14 in between. One connector size for the whole system, which is simpler than the range of plain nuts.
Limits
A splice is permanent; to change it, cut it out and make a new one. Overfilling a cap with a thick bundle squeezes silicone out, which is harmless and messy.
Who Should Buy It
- Anyone installing low voltage landscape lighting.
- Owners of lights that flicker and dim at the splices.
- Irrigation installers with valve wires in boxes.
Common Owner Complaints
Silicone on fingers. Wipe; it is the seal doing its job.
Technique Tips
Strip no more than half an inch so bare copper does not show below the nut, and tug each wire gently after the nut is on to check the grip before the silicone sets. Leave a loop of slack at every splice so a later repair has wire to work with.
Alternatives to Consider
Gel-filled tube splices for a slimmer joint. A lighting hub that takes every fixture into one sealed point. Heat shrink with adhesive, which takes a heat gun.
Verdict
For landscape lighting that stays lit, every buried splice wants a silicone-filled connector, and twenty-five of these do an install and the repairs. Twist clockwise, screw until it wells and bury it.
Full specifications
Lenporl 25-Pack Waterproof Direct Bury Wire Splice Connectors, 22 to 10 AWG, Silicone Filled, for Landscape Lighting and Irrigation Valves FAQs
Strip the wires, twist them together clockwise, screw the nut on until it bites and the silicone squeezes round the wires, and bury the joint or tuck it under mulch. Nothing else.
A plain wire nut lets water wick down the strands, the copper corrodes green, resistance rises and the fixture dims and dies. A silicone-filled cap keeps the water out for the life of the run.
Yes. Valve solenoid wires in a valve box live in water and the same connector is what irrigation installers use.
No. Cut the splice out and make a new one with a fresh connector.
