I try to buy tubes of caulk that don’t have nozzle caps; if I happen to have tubes with caps, I toss out the caps. Instead, I use electrical wire nuts. The red ones seem to fit best, and because they are threaded, they cut into the plastic tips on caulk tubes to create a secure and tight fit. This is a good way to use wire nuts that I remove from old work, and it keeps them out of the landfill.
—Sam Zaydel, Moss Beach, Calif.
Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #260
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I use the red ones from Ideal that have the winged tabs on them.
I buy these from Lowes. My grip is not so good so I find that these work best.
John Barnett, Whitby, Ontario
If I understand the tip correctly, the tip giver’s nozzle caps don’t seal the nozzles. I’ve got a bunch of Hilti nozzles with caps that seal pretty darn well. By the way, about the caps that get thrown away, don’t they end up in the landfill?
Nothing wrong with reusing wire nuts. If they aren't cracked or in some other way damaged and they tighten on the wires, they're fine to reuse. The plastic threads on the small connectors often become damaged with a single use and will probably need to be replaced.
The inventor of wire nuts recently stated that he regretted his invention because of the landfill crisis. I once watched a truck driver empty his construction dumpster at our local landfill (which used to be a school for autistic children with PTSD). It was 99% used wire nuts. Like that native American in that commercial from the '70s, I slowly turned toward my iPhone, tear running down my cheek, and took a selfie in front of the pile of wire nuts. I got dozens of likes on that photo on my Facebook page.
Is this George Carlin resurrected, or what?
I have used the wire nut for years and find they work even better by tightening the wire nut on a a galvanized finishing nail head before installing on the tube. The nail is then inside the caulk tube nozzle when installed and helps keep it open for a longer period of time.