Non-contact Voltage Tester

I have a klein one that I got on sale at HD

I use only when I just need to know if the power is off to something that's not even dangerous.

Cheaper ones (they're all made in china) can't really determine the hot wire in a group.

You still need a multimeter though

Always test your batteries.

>>1182352
Oh I just need to make sure my outdoors balcony wiring is off when I work on it because its a long way away from my main switch. Of course the switch is always off when working with electricity but I dont want to get shocked by the residual static when Im 12 feet high on a ladder.

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>>1182338
I use these two to check stuff. The voltage detector has been very reliable and the batteries last a long time.

>>1182338
Yes it will be fine, they're pretty basic

>>1182361

It's fine fit those kinds of things


Always verify that the tester detects that the electricity while it is on before turning it off. Then go back and check to see if it's off

They do sometimes give false negatives when the batteries are low, so maybe it a point to replace/recharge them at a set time each month. You don't want to get hurt over two AAA batteries

I use one daily. Just remember to check it on a live circuit before you use it. Never know when those batteries are going to die.

They really should put a low voltage beeper on these so you know when the batteries are dying.

>>1182352
>>1182364
>>1182379
>>1182405
>>1182428
So basically I couldnt use this on some kind of a switch/control/el. box to locate certain live wires from other wires because its too imprecise, but it will detect <any> (12-1000V) current in wires I plan on working with? Okay thanks guys.
Ive also heard that some people use them to detect live wires in walls. Is that also true? Obviously theyre too sensitive for precise work but they might go off if a wire is in my wall?

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Great quick-test tool. Not a replacement for a DMM.

Do a quick function check on a live circuit before testing an unknown cct.

>>1182434

The fluke version can supposedly detect individual wires, but it's almost twice as expensive last time I checked

>>1182438
Thats not a chinese one for a couple of bucks on ebay though, is it
>>1182440
Ive heard klein models can detect individual wires but Ive ordered a chinese one because im a newbie and still dont plan on delving deeper

We have a saying in my country - "Electricity is the only woman you can only touch once"

>>1182434
Depends on the wall and wire depth. It can detect wires in the wall, but not all the time. Usually have no luck on plaster walls or 2x6 construction.

You can sort of detect which the live wire is. For instance it will work to show you which side of the outlet is hot (in case the last guy wired it in reverse). It will not show you which wire is hot in a romex bundle since they are all so close.

>>1182434
They (well some of em) have sensitivity adjustments, if you wanted to detect a single live in a multicore/bundle, whatever. Usually, the be range is so, you could run them along a wired row in a distribution box and pick up whats live and whats not fairly easily, reliably, but, they are not cablefinders for walls, other/seperate devices made for this - this may work, but fucked if I'd rely on that on that on a daily basis or anything, personally.

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>>1182449
>Thats not a chinese one for a couple of bucks on ebay though, is it
No, it was about $20 at home depot.
Are you really that poor?

>>1182471
>are you really that poor?
>20$

I can have a professional do that amount of work for me for less than 20$, but then I wouldnt have mental justification to buy cheap chinese toys

i only use them to identify which solenoid valves have activated as i often don't have direct access to their terminals.
never to test for live wires

in my experience, they are so unreliable as to be useless.
my colleague (electrician) bought one of them and it would often not detect currents at all or randomly decide to light up when there's no current nearby. She even demonstrated a false positive by pressing it on her skin while walking around on her wool socks. it light up like a christmas tree.

it might be useful if there aren't any chance of interference from other nearby sources.

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>>1182478
This.
I would never trust my life to a non-contact tester.

>>1182361
>Oh I just need to make sure my outdoors balcony wiring is off when I work on it because its a long way away from my main switch.
you should have a procedure for locking out circuits while you work on them, even a lock on the door to the room is better than nbothing.
>Of course the switch is always off when working with electricity but I dont want to get shocked by the residual static
static in a copper wire? how would a detector based on ac fields help you?
>when Im 12 feet high on a ladder.
fibreglass ladder. or wood i guess. latex gloves even.

>>1182428
>I use one daily. Just remember to check it on a live circuit before you use it.
techgnically you test it before AND DIRECTLY AFTER you check your circuit.

>>1182338
Never use them, to easy to get a false reading.

Opie here,

just saw some videos of some guys claiming to detect "toxic EM fields" with these things

>>1182574
>locking out your household breakers
You can't be serious
>fiberglass ladder and gloves even after testing
Ohh God you're serious

>>1182576
As a licensed electrician, I'm not quite that anal. I check it at the beginning of the job and occasionally if I am by a known hot circuit.

>>1182549
I do every day. Has worked for years. Plus getting bitten by a live circuit isn't gong to kill you. Now when I'm working on anything above 240V, I take a little more precaution, that shit will ruin your day.

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i am a veteran electrician and i use them all the time. to be reliable one must first check a known live source, then check the wires you are curious, and then check the known live source again.

you cannot put all of your trust in them if youu value your life, but they do work and are convenient.

Times I've been shocked while working on residential electrical
Without a voltage detector: 1
With a voltage detector: 0

240's not *that* bad. Brushed my forehead on an a.c. that was shorted to the frame and it knocked me on my ass.
I looked up, confused, and asked my friend if he just punched me.

Laughs all around, but I carry a voltage detector now.

>>1183293
>Times I've been shocked..
exactly, and for about $10, you pissing around wiring without one (because 'unreliable' anyway), you deserve to get ded. HOWEVER, that said and all - think you do need to draw a distinction between the pen types (as pic, usually with flash and beep, etc) and those fucking screwdriver POS 'voltage tester' things with the bulbs, which may (or may not..) 'light up' in the presence of magic pixie dust. Now them really are fucking evil, honestly surprised when I find one that actually works. Those fuckers are deadly, and I think this is maybe confusing the issue - never seen a pen-type that didn't work, could maybe argue about sensitivity, but, those screwdriver fuckers need banned, be as well guessing.

>>1182338
I had a Fluke, and it was really great.

Lost it and now I have a cheaper one, it's not as reliable but still handy.

They're not really a precision device, they're just a basic tool to give you a vague indication of whether there's power present.

>>1184667

this guy is right, they're very imprecise. if you have a 2 or more power lines close together, it wont tell you which one has power and which one doesnt. for me they're useless, so I always use voltmeters.

>>1182338
I don't know about that one but the one I have loses sensitivity as the batteries run down giving a false sense of security.

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I use this one. Easy to pinpoint which wire is hot or you can turn the sensitivity down and it'll pick it up through insulation pretty well.

They're like $30 model # is in the filename.

>>1182361
trip them out. (old resi trick)

>>1182505
Electrician here. Your friend needs to buy better equipment. I have 4 professional grade tickers and none of them do that.

>>1183174
>Plus getting bitten by a live circuit isn't gong to kill you.

You must have missed that day in school. I agree that it's likely not going to, but you should know that it can if it travels from hand to hand (across your chest/heart).

/red seal journeyman, Alberta, Canada