Solar wires on roof - waterproofing connectors?

[bighatnohorse]

I've recently installed two Renogy solar panels. They are hooked up in parallel with parallel connectors.
The connectors are weather exposed and I would like to make them watertight.
Or do I even need to worry about making them watertight?

From the Amazon website - one is the male, other is the female connector:

[2oldman]

smkettner wrote:
Those MC4 are waterproof used in millions of home installations.

There's the right answer.

[time2roll]

Those MC4 are waterproof used in millions of home installations.

[riven1950]

Have you seen or tried liquid tape? I have used it on my boat wiring and it works pretty good. West marine or other boating store......

[Almot]

No weatherroofing is needed for MC4.

Get some cable-ties, shoe-strings, disposable short wire pieces used to wrap up some stuff that you bought in Walmart etc. Tie the solar cable to the panel frame to keep those connectors under the panels, to minimize exposure to the elements. You might have to disconnect them some time, and they become brittle in sun and yellow-red markings fade out.

Stay away from unknown knock-offs. It should say MC4 and nothing else like "momo panda" , "xingyang solarbestbuy", etc etc. MC4 is a simple item but they manage to screw anything up. Brittle plastic, missing O-rings, poor fit that is either too tight or too loose.

Renogy is more an e-commerce hub, a supplier, not manufacturer. I don't know who makes their solar panels but their other components come literally from anywhere in big wild China.

[mike-s]

MC4 connectors are IP67 rated. That's totally protected against dust, and protected against the effect of water immersion between 15cm and 1m. The only thing I did with mine was to use a small bit of silicone grease (Superlube) on the o-rings when I assembled them.

[brulaz]

Didn't touch my mc4 connectors.
They're supposed to be weather proof.

[addisonl]

You could maybe use a junction box. I set mine up where I put the whole connection/junction of wires in one spot. Inside a nice closed plastic box with weather sealed screws on the lid. Cut the bottom of the box out over the spot where I my single drilled hold goes down into the RV, into a inside wall opening where I ran all the wires. Then caulked and sealed around the box on roof really good. Almost 10 years now and never a problem or a leak. Then just unscrew the top of the box if you need access to the perfectly normal and clear connections inside.

[azrving]

Should be red/orange o rings on them.You may want to easily disconnect them someday.

MC4

[robatthelake]

You could wrap those connectors with some of that shrink Tape ,or squeeze a bit of Dicor or even Shoe Goo! They sell all sorts of sealers at any Hardware Store!

[2oldman]

Heng's rubber roof coating. Put it on my wires too.