Hi.

I am renovating and am installing a few low voltage lights.

Under the 2008 NEC, do the splices need to be in j-boxes?

Also, the splice is aluminum to copper. Am I required to use the purple, liquid filled, expensive nuts on the splices or will normal wire nuts pass code?

Thanks so much.


Mark from NJ

Also, as to the Ideal purple nuts, I have read that they have failed in field tests, but am not sure if the fact that this is a low voltage situation makes failure less likely. If these nuts are a problem, how do I protect my splices?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Low voltage splices in the ground can be anywhere underground. A wise installer would use some sort of hand hole for later access.

The purple wirenuts are for aluminum to copper splices, but I have no experience with those. I don't get much small wires to worry about.

These wire nuts are not rated for direct burial.

I would use a crimp butt splice that is AL-CU rated and cover with heat shrink.

Many thanks.

One issue, though... these are not going underground. They are downlights being placed in an eave. Does this make a difference?

Thanks.

No difference.