What is this cheap crap you are showcasing in this video, I only use Klein and Fluke testers? The problem with non-contact voltage detectors is...that there is no problem with them. Each of these devices has a manual that tells you the safe operation of the unit, and the standard practice of testing it against a known voltage source before use. The device works how they were designed to work, people are attempting to use them for things they weren't designed for and without adequate safety steps. Blaming the device is the same as blaming a circular saw for cutting off someone's arm after they wired the safety guard back. It's not the device's fault, it's the user's fault.
@@thinklist Very true, no one should be playing with tools that they don't know how to use, aren't prepared to use correctly, or don't have the mental capacities to use. Regardless of the tool, it can hurt or kill people in the wrong hands. Any tool can be a weapon and any weapon can be a tool, depending on what the user does with it.
@@dennis8196 that's kinda what I said. You only use it for positive indication and if it says no power you get the proper tools before touching anything.
I can see a use for it if there are multiple live cables in the area, prove dead on the circuit you need to work on then use this to check for anything else that you may need to check in the same area, if there is then prove dead on that circuit as well.
The particular NCV tester I have, from Klein Tools, has two lights. One to tell you it is on and another to tell you that it detects AC voltage. While like any tool it could break, it at least actively tells you that the battery isn't dead. If you don't see the on light, then you know that it is not going to alert you of voltage. A simple addition but a potentially life saving one.
I have different types but one pretty okay has lights in it. It shows different levels of the voltage. Two probes joined by a cable. Poke the thing you want to test and poke a known earth/neutral and lights show up and tells you: Low voltage? 120? 240? 400? By lighting up the different lights. Also pretty idiot proof - test on knows source, test the leads you want to test. As a multimeter, but, plug and play sort of.
I used to use the klein ones but they were hypersensitive to static and moving magents. So if I waved my level nearby it would trigger the tester. Or just residual back voltage from minor unbalanced neutrals sending false positives from .01 volt. I got a milwaukee one for $11 and it's just about perfect. Side note, just the addition of beeps for on/off and lights for on/off is such a simple and effective way to prevent these accidents. All noncontact testers should have that feature.
@@EeekItsSnek Oh yeah I've definitely gotten false positives with mine on the neutral! It left me concerned until I broke out my multimeter. But I figure a false positive is a lot better than a false negative! If I end up doing a lot of electrical work again I'll have to look into the Milwaukee one you mention!
That feature comes from the Fluke Volt Alert. They famously had a problem with bouncy batteries on their two pole tester. You'd switch it on, drop it, the batteries would bounce and it would be off. Fluke being Fluke they did a massive recall and deployed a positive indication of powered-up-ness on all future products.
I've been using volt sticks pretty much every day for the last 45 years (I'm electrian uk). They've saved my neck a few times. best thing that was ever invented. There have they limitations, just like any other tool you can think of. TBH, I wouldn' be without one. I love them that much, I put built one into my screwdriver. worked a treat.
Saved me as well. Working on a non commissioned DC board that was visually disconnected from any source, the bored apprentice was waving his new toy volt stick around and it went off, on investigation a dual supply emergency exit light fixture was backfeeding its AC supply onto the DC supply.
Saved my butt in the us many times, it even helped me find parasitic loss on a industrial compressor install that was grounding out partially to frame. Confirmed with voltmeter.
In the US here, and there have been more than 10 times I had to fix things done by licensed electricians in my home here. Everything is done to cut corners. So often times homeowners do a better job if they care about their home. But yes I use these to find wires in wall but never trust it to know there is not power there.
As industrial maintenance technician we all use the Fluke 1AC-A1-II VoltAlert Non-Contact Voltage Tester, it stays in the receptacle on its own when you stab it in and isn't affected by you touching it. These have been the best for us. If we drop em out of the man lift they go in the trash. 30 bucks is cheap compared to going home or not at the end of your shift.
Honestly as an American I can't imagine not being allowed to do electrical work in my own house. I have probably installed a dozen outlets and swapped many a light switch over the years. Granted there are plenty of people who have no business unscrewring a plate cover, but for those who know how not to start a fire/zap themselves (like me) I can't imagine hiring an electrician. But maybe that's just the construction industry father in me (when we painted, installed a door, or event put up a wall, usually we did it ourselves)
@@jthoward haha. I don’t actually think that’s true. Sure some drag the mean down a bit, but people are actually getting smarter every generation on average. And we have plenty of idiots over this side of the pond!
@@thewhitefalcon8539 I don’t understand how you can say voltage isn’t it, but then mention safety. Voltage 100% is one of the reasons, directly linked to the safety/risk aspect. But yeah there are other reasons, but I’m not sure corruption is one (but not ruling it out).
I have an active voltage tester/continuity tester screwdriver. It has batteries, LED, FET and 1GΩ resistor to the tip and a metallic back that you're expected to touch. It detects not only electrical fields but also continuity, so it's as easy as touching the tip with your finger to see the light go on. It's called the Mercury Multi-Tester Screwdriver.
Anyone who works in the electrical and / or electronics field should know how to use a range of test equipment, and know its limitations. A classic rabbit hole is a voltage supplied from a high impedance source. Your voltmeter, in most cases, will give you the correct voltage. I work on diesel generators, and just because I have 12 Volts or 24 Volts on my meter doesn't mean that it can supply current. That's where a 21 Watt Auto Lamp on some test leads comes in handy. Everyone with experience in the trade will know EXACTLY what I'm on about.
As an electrical engineer who paid his way through university plumbing and doing electrical work (I was part p registered). I found this video excellent, you conveyed some life critical information over in a humorous and knowledgeable way. When the end advert appeared, I wanted to see more videos, so I subscribed.
Great video! And yes, always test & calibrate the stick before trusting it in a cautious way. Always check for voltage using a meter to verify current is turned off.
I use the one built into my fluke meter. Is extremely handy for figuring out which cable is which when you have a load of them bunched together. The trick is knowing how to spot false positives and NEVER try to use them to prove a circuit dead!
I have also used them in a couple cases to figure out which outlets are likely to be controlled by which switches instead of testing a lamp in every option. Unlike a small light-up outlet tester, I can hear the beep without line-of-sight, and I'll be "checking" it for accuracy when I plug in the lamp and test the switch anyways :D
Here in the US we all call them chicken sticks because many people are scared of using them. I've got a cheap one with a button that give an auditory chirp if the battery is good and them butto is held down while using. I also have several neon sticks made with just a single resistor and neon indicator. Hold one lead and stick the other in an outlet... probably the worst option but I came up with that when I was a kid and it didn't kill me. I keep them around because I use them to check for RF leakage at work (RF engineer). The chicken sticks are definitely something I use but here where I live can give false readings saying there is a live circuit in a wall, switch, outlet, due to homes built in the 60s and back have plaster walls with "chicken wire"/mesh to hold the plaster on the walls. The walls work like a large plate antenna and will aquire signal for power in a room that has its breaker off.
I always used these against a live circuit first while standing in the same place. Then on the circuit I planned to work on. Or test on a circuit, then turn off the breaker and test again. The live circuit verified the battery and tester (and the testers do fail often). Then you validate the circuit before working. I actually had a few cases where an electrician crosswired multiple circuits, and the quick test really helped. (Our inspector actually commented that that electrician couldn't have done some of the work because it was done right. Once he knew we knew what we were doing and were crosschecking/fixing the electrician's work, the inspection was much easier.) I was actually working on wires in junction boxes. And I always checked that all wires in the box were safe before working.
Something that someone pointed out to me once is that voltage sticks or "pen testers* as I like to call them can tell you things that a normal meter won't. This is admittedly an unlikely scenario, but if the ground and neutral wires weren't hooked up to the panel, a multimeter would tell you that theres 0 volts between hot and neutral, and hot and ground. But a pen tester will tell you that the hot is live
You are right there will be some rare instances where a multimeter will not provide a desired result. I suppose it points out how important it is to use multiple testers
In India we dont wear slippers or footwear inside the house. So we check for the current presence using the humble neon tester. Even if neutral is floating it will show.
@@juliogonzo2718 3 phase 4 wire Pd between phases is 415. Pd between phase and neutral is 415/root 3 = 240. Most houses have 3 phase 4 wire supply. But it is used as 3 single phases. Right on my home test bench I have 4 pole mcb. (3 phases + neutral). The colour code is red yellow blue and black. Suppose accidentally if I come in contact between phases I will immediately go to hell.
Anthony Esposito is absolutely correct. There are instruments that use the same principle when checking transmission line voltages to verify de-energization of a circuit.
The instrucrions for the voltstick i bought specify that the correct usage is test on known live test what you need to test and than test on known live again
@@thinklist exactly I did have my voltstick behaving oddly a while back and you video might have explained why. I didn't know that that type also needed a (somewhat) path to GND before, i thought that was just the neon screwdriver ones (those also have a verity of "fun" failure modes)
You just earned a new subscriber sir! Not because I didn’t know the information in the video but because your presentation was so good. And you mentioned bigclive.
I use one as a quick means to check for live voltage, but first confirm it's working properly on a known live circuit. When dealing with 480V, I use it, and then confirm with my multimeter in AC V mode..
These are really great, like when you are replacing an "Outdoor light" and the "Outdoor Light" breaker conveniently doesn't shut off the one light you are replacing, and you only discover this when you put the new one up and it turns on the second you connect the wires to it. Good times. But in all seriousness that experience saved my life when I was replacing a switch in a box where all the other switches were on a different breaker and the one I needed to replace was live. Had to go through every breaker in the house and test after each time to make sure it was dead, but I didn't die so it was worth it. Whoever wired this house was off their game that day lol
As you correctly pointed out, this device should not be used as the only means to determine if voltage is present. However, should you want to use it, the correct procedure to test a circuit with this (or any other type of meter for that matter) is a three step process: 1 - Test your meter against a known energized circuit 2 - Use the meter to check whatever you need to check 3 - Test your meter once more against the known energized circuit. That way, you can be fairly certain your meter did not die halfway through the process.
The NCV tester you can get at Harbor Freight in the US prove out the batteries when you turn it on. When you press down the on button, the led lights and it beeps to indicate it has been powered on. It is also a momentary button, so you can't just leave it on, but could result in a false negative if you unintentionally release the button, the way to fight against that is to release and press again, if negative you should only get the proving flash and beep, if it does detect something it will keep flashing and beeping.
It is good to put your meter on ohms, hold the leads together and check for zero ohms while shaking the leads but this does not tell you for sure the meter will work when measuring voltage. You should make sure your meter is on the right function (AC, DC volts etc.) and test your meter on a live receptacle to see if your meter is working then test the outlet you want to work on then test your meter again on the live receptacle. That's how you're supposed to do it anyway but most people don't take the time to do all of the steps. Same way with your NCV. You should test it on a live receptacle (I do it like you do and rub it on my sleeve) and then test the receptacle you are working on then test it again on the live receptacle. I love my Fluke test equipment.
No. This this is not the right way to do it. You should use a voltage proof. And as for the meter working on resistance range and not being able to measure voltage, this is highly unlikely. The act of measuring resistance on the resistance range still makes use of the dual slope integrating Analogue to Digital converter inside the meter which is used for measuring voltage. So when you measure resistance, you are using nearly all the same circuitry in the meter as you would for measuring voltage.
I'm in Canada and do my own electrical. One caveat; you are supposed to get a permit and have the work inspected, but only an electrician can sign for the permit. Some of the "professional" work I have seen is terrible, so I do my own and do it according to code. I get a friend to check it for me to be sure I don't miss anything. Something interesting with those testers. I was working on a trailer with older cloth-wrapped wiring, but using newer plastic-wrapped wiring for my circuits. The tester won't register a live circuit in the cloth-wrapped wires. Fortunately, I do always double-check with an outlet tester or volt meter, I keep all three in the same pouch. Also, our 110V circuits only wake you up if you touch one. lol
Try using a simple neon test lamp instead, (old school), I have used that method in years past on a third floor of a wooden structure to find a hot wire with old knob and tube style wiring. I would hold one bare lead while touching the other lead to the the bare end of the wire under test, a hot side would light the neon lamp just a tiny bit. (In the U.S.A. typically low current leads to bedrooms, receptacles and the like were a hot, 110 to 125 volt, and a neutral or return wire.) I do use a non contact electrical tester now and it works just fine. It's how you use your tools. (I have been both in Australia and Europe and had to dabble with electrical systems in both areas in years past with my job. I had my first electrical inspection of a home I rewired in May, 1970. So, I've been doing it for some time.)
I often use a solenoid voltage tester, AKA Wiggy, when checking for AC voltage. I also have two multimeters on my truck. I am a pool guy that did residential electrical before the GFC. I did learn arc fault breakers do not like probes stuck into wall sockets. I learned to not trust the non-contact voltage testers when I checked a wall socket as having no power and the supervising electrician put his wiggy on it and it tested positive.
Over here the rule is to use two-pole tester like a multimeter to test for the absence of a voltage. Other devices such as the deathstick onl for testing for the presence of a voltage, for example when looking for the right circuit breaker to turn off or fault finding where they can be a great timesaver. Noncontact testers are really great for finding wire breaks.
As an HVAC tech, those two in one temp and voltage finder are handy for quick diagnosis. I always carry a meter to verify electrical. I've used a meter forever before getting the ol sniffer. so its habit to check with a meter. I constantly hear my old instructors going Verify, verify, verify.
US here, I have used the Southwire brand Non-contact Voltage testers for years. you don't have to hold them for them to text accurately. you can leave them positioned near a wire and go to flip the breaker on or off.
Thanks for raising awareness! There is another nice fault with these: If you get coupled to phase, for example when you are standing on electric floor heating, it often doesn't report anything anymore or will reverse it's operation (reporting PE or N as "hot" instead of the live wire).
American, non-electrician who occasionally changes out outlets and switches here. Mine has a button to turn it on. When it is on the whole end is lit green. When it detects power the light turns red and it beeps at you. I always touch the hot side of a live outlet to make sure it is working before using it.
I use Fluke LVD2 and it does detect voltage even if i dont hold it in hand. And for real voltage test the best is Fluke T150, very good especially when you can use the buttons to create a small load that can remove the "ghost" voltage and test the operation of the residual current protection switch.
A good thing to know is that the non contact testers also has a few benifits, like for example if the neutral is broken in the circuit on a non grounded outlet. Also good to know that they never work on shielded cables.
I always double check mine on a known live circuit before every use, but I also have a plug in voltage/gfci checker. And yes I live in the US, I’m not a licensed electrician and I do a lot of diy work… 😂. I do however have extensive knowledge and experience of electrical and other building codes being in the architecture field. I only do work myself that I know I can safely complete. If at any point I have even a sliver of doubt in my capabilities, I call a professional. Never get comfortable with electricity or anything thing else of such danger, that’s when mistakes are made and accidents happen.
My Fluke must work another way because I nest it in wires sticking out of a junction box and can see the indicator from the panel, another junction box or light switch. We used to use radios to ID circuits.
Toward the end of the video, it was impressive you pointed out Neutral first! However, while ultimately (with A/C ONLY), it doesn’t make much a difference, it’s still a good habit to attach Black/Common lead to Neutral first! Thus, Red lead to Hot 😊.
They are great for things like testing if a wire to heating element is live to determine if the heating element is burnt out vs wire / fuse failing I do it all the time
I'm an electrical apprentice. I work in new construction homes all up to code and I use one of the klein sniffers with a flashlight function. I've notice the false readings are a sign of a low battery. Also be careful to not drop these as they seem to bug out if you drop them. Whenever I tell anyone about these I also tell them they can be useful but they never replace a meter. Always verify on a known live and suspected dead circuit every day and only rely on it if the risk of shock is low and or you don't have access to bare conductor (tracing a circuit in an attic for instance). I also find them useful for instance if im taking a switch box apart and i sniffed it and it told me the box was live and I'm trying to turn the right breaker off.
Here in the UK, multimeters are regarded as suboptimal for testing for dead (though certainly preferable to not testing at all), because of the risk of selecting the wrong range, or worse plugging the probes into the wrong sockets. The reccomendation is to use a specific two pole voltage tester and proving unit. When testing for dead you should first prove your tester, then test all combinations of conductors, then prove your tester again. This still isn't perfect, there is the possibility that everything including the bloody earth connection is live (and that is the scenario where the much-derided voltsticks and neon screwdrivers shine) but a lot better than just testing between live and neutral. Another problem is that while you can test something is dead, it's rather harder to insure that it will stay dead. A classic case is the borrowed neutral scenario where a neutral can appear dead until you disconnect it at which point it becomes live. Another problem is what happens when a circuit is already isolated when you arrive, you can add your lockout padlock to what you are told is the relavent isolator but how do you know it's really the correct isolator. I've seen some electrians who advocate an approach of "work like it's live, even though it's dead".
I have one but didn't realise it had a battery in it, so thanks v much for the education; However mine detects even transient voltages in a "neutral" line so not much use for identifying power on a 2 way switch. I still have the old screwdrivers with the neon inside as backup, and either use a good multimeter or work as if working "live" with insulated tools. Or if in any doubt, short the wires and see if theres a trip on the RCD, not Ideal but it can save your life! (wear eye protection)
25 years as pro sparky Use a fluke Volt pen. It flashes to show its on. Test it on something live to confirm functionality of pen. Test cable your working on when live. Then denergize circuit and test dead once de-energized. It's great. This guy is jobsworth.
Dispite my work being mostly residential I have worked with 3 phase in light commercial a handful of times. Having said that, the test procedure our company uses, is as follows: phase A-B, A-C, B-C, A- ground, B- ground, then C-ground, then repeat the same test with the meter set to DC, for a total of 12 tests. Oh, and that's in addition to the live-dead-live test, which everyone using a meter or volt stick should be doing.
I heard a retired electrician tell how one of the non contact voltage testers saved his life! He was working on a panel that was "locked out", before he could reach into the panel The tester in his shirt pocket beeps and warned him there's live power nearby. Turns out power was feeding back into the panel from a defective device improperly wired elsewhere in the complex. As a side note from my own personal opinion,hands down the best device for tracking down bad bulbs in holiday lights...
In America you can do anything you want to your own property the thing is is that if you want to rent that property out you have to pass instruction and have all the proper certifications. Just to clear that up.
In Poland probably the most commonly used probe is "FAZER 777". It have multiple functions. When held by the tip and inserted into live socket, it signals both by audio and light signal. When one hand is in CONT and other hand on other side of a wire it signals. It also works with any voltage above 2,5V DAC to 250V DAC. When button is pressed it also signals if it "feels" AC voltage nearby and sensitivity can be adjusted by potentiometer. If u want to check if there is any power present, just touch cont and the tip, if it buzzes there is power in internal battery. And if you are not sure wich wire in cable is live u can always just touch wire by the tip of fazer and you ll know. There is more to it, and it even works as screw driver so...
I heard one time to test that the circuit is live, turn it off, test that it is dead, then test the tester on another live circuit before actually working on anything. Thanks for the tip about testing these with static electricity.
Love this tool. We weren’t supposed to use them working for the US postal service but I kept mine. For the life of me I can’t understand why the US doesn’t us the metric system and convert to the higher voltage.
for the first part about batteries and switches, the one I have uses a green light for idle and red for "detecting". Even gives a beep on startup/shutdown.
Cool Video on the possible indirect dangers of those no touch voltage testers! My instructor allways told me to never use a Multimeter for Checking mains voltage if i have other means to do since there is the danger of switching the multimeter to DC by accident and getting a reading around the 0v or holding one probe while sticking the other one in the outlet. His advice to me was to invest into a quality Bipolar Voltage Tester and some even have the NCV feature build in. Obviously one should allways be aware of what they do but realistically speaking - smoth Brain moments happen to the best of us.
That's all the wrong reasons, putting it in DC it's just gonna blow the multimeter, i already put the multimeter in AC mode and hold the other lead exactly to use it like the pen, heck if you don't know how to use a multimeter you shouldn't be working with electricity
I live in the United States about 20 or 30 years ago a local hardware store sold one of those sticks to my father because he had an electrical short on his pontoon boat. Just an FYI they don't work on 12 volt DC current.
Wiha has excellent volt stick - it beeps and blinks all lights when switching on. And when "running" it shows ONE light always active. It doesn't die (empty batteries) without a warning as well.
I have a uni T volt stick, when you first turn it on it bleeps and flashes twice to let you know the batteries are OK and that it is working. It also has a sensitivity adjustment which can be useful. I don't use it that often and it is not something I would buy but it came free with a Fluke meter that I purchased from a test equipment supplier. I am not an electrician as such but I manufacture and service generators, ( mostly retired now) not your little home units big industrial ones, some working at 1100 volts and a thousand KVA. I can work on all the wiring inside them and up to the box on the wall anything further is down to the sparky.
I love these things for quick fault finding, but there is nothing better than a real meter and lamp confirmation to check for voltage. In other words don't use it for ensuring you won't get shocked.
Very interesting. Here in the UK we'd normally be using HRC fused GS38 leads on our meter, these also have 3mm exposed probe tip. We'd also test the meter on a known live source, before and after undertaking the test. Just testing the meter on the ohms range wouldn't be acceptable over here.
I've never had a non contact voltage detector that didn't work when I wasn't in contact with it. I've used them to monitor a circuit I was trying to find to switch off multiple times. either wedge it in the slot, or balance it on the wire, and it will ring until you turn off the correct breaker.
The pro-log is my death stick which has saved my life. Had it for 20 years. Only yesterday I was thinking about getting a Klien. Oh, I am a crazy Brit civilian.
Ive got one that beeps+flashes once when you hit the button so you know its functioning for the most part, but I still proceed with caution or use a multimeter if im unsure
I always stand on my feet. Never touch a knee down. Reach in with the right hand only. Never reach in with both hands. Use your right hand and connect the leads one at a time. Always reach in with the back of the hand. If this is Greek to anyone, study electrical safety before working on live circuits. Consider all circuits live. This knowledge has saved my life.
I don't use them to test power if the circuits hot but the only thing I use them for and rare cases to help find a circuit and supplement to aide in finding broken wires
I'm surprised voltage testers aren't a thing in Aus - in the UK we have voltage testers (see models like the Fluke T150) which should be used with a proving unit (or known source as second preference) to prove a circuit is isolated. Supposed to be compliant with HSE guidance GS38 & minus all the features of say a multimeter to remove "oops, wrong setting" accidents. Belt and braces.
The standard requires a "low impedance tester" be used to verify live & then verify isolated. We are then encouraged to tag out (or lock out + tag out if industrial/mining). The low impedance tester they want us to use is a set of 2 light test lamps, dim at 240v bright at 415v.
The most common use I have for an ncv tester is junction boxes, when you deliberately don't have any touchable part live you would need to open things up to use the multimeter, which largely defeats the purpose, I'm careful anyway even when showing dead, and I use testers that have active display elements that change based on detection but are always there when powered and require power so I know the batteries are good, but there really isn't a substitute when the point is checking for power before opening up a wire nut or before stripping a wire to put it into any type of connector or before trimming back a still fully insulated wire.
Me and a mate walked under a pylon last week with one. 400,000 volts and the fucker was glowing brightly! Cables a good 90 foot above our heads, and that was the lowest of the three cable runs! Top ones about 200ft
I live in Australia and I will still do some minor electrical work, even though I am not a sparkie. Not paying a sparkie an hours labor to replace a GPO or light switch for a 15minute job. I know how to isolate power and verify that power is isolated with a multimeter by testing L-N, N-E, L-E. Then I go to work. IIRC New Zealand allows some basic work to be done, but anything advanced where you have to add wiring, move it has to be done by a licensed sparkie.
Fundamentally I don’t really have an issue with people doing there own electrical work but it does come with a lot of legislation that need to be followed, most of which the average person would have no idea about.
Im not an electrician, but I use these quite a bit. I did buy the top of the Kline tools models to be sure I've got the best possible. The thing is great for my needs, but I'm rarely messing with anything that is dangerous, 110 is just unpleasant. 220, I just don't touch... I'm usually looking for a place to plug in my extension cords, or checking current before removing(just unscrewing the ears) an outlet from a box to reattach to the inside of a cabinet. Never had any problem
Great advice! Fluke meter and the checks of its leads should be well heeded!! Be careful with your meter and leads also! Make sure your meter and any replacement leads are over rated for the voltages you are working with! Working with low voltage digital and house/business supply wiring for almost 40 years, a reliable meter is the way to go! I don't own or condone the use of voltage sticks. They can be very unreliable and influenced by footwear and flooring that diminishes your ground loop capacitance.
Even after testing every single use, I always testes on something where I know it is live, it still gives false alarms on static electricity and sometimes doesn’t alarm at all on a very hot wire. That sucks! That’s a sexy what these things are made to do. This is what I rely on when you don’t know when the circuit breaker is turning off the correct circuit which is always a problem since some houses are wired so crazy
I was not aware of some of the limitations of these testers. Such as the high impedance making them not work. That's something I'll keep in mind as I continue to work. But they are a great tool to verify the power is off before I touch it as I have quite a fear of getting shocked. Shocking I know lol.
if you're working on devices that may or may not be in contact with the human body and contain AC voltage, I would reccomend using a plug-in GFCI outlet. it's portable and should fail first before you do. it's $30 and for DIY you might want it in the shop as a backup
In the UK we're taught, basically, identify the circuit, test it's live, isolate it, test that it's dead, test your GS38 compliant tester against a known live source or proving unit, test the circuit again to confirm it's dead, lock off the MCB/RCBO with a locking device, keep the key on your person and then you begin work. The NCV's are useful but are the new bogey man of electrical testers. Remember the screwdriver-looking things with a resistor and a neon lamp in them? Scary shit. But my dad always used them and never got an injury. Would I use one of those bloody screwdriver things? Hell no! I'll keep hold of my Fluke T110. We live and we learn.
Greetings from Britain. I've got a screwdriver version. Does contactless, and the dangerous old school touching live, and relying on a connection through your body via a big value resistor. Subscribed.
240 and under I test with a "volt stick" and/or meter then the two finger test. I have never actually been shocked by the two finger test but a path through a single hand is usually harmless.
FYI Fluke is great BUT.... ANY multimeter is capable of failing on a mode and working fine on other modes. You cant solely rely on a meter either. The OHMS circuit path goes through different components than the voltatge AC/DC setting. I used to work on multimeters at Tandy repair center after tech school. Had many meters that would work on volts or ohms but not both.
honestly if you don't know the pinout for a socket you are working on you have no business sticking a multimeter in that socket to begin with. I 100% agree with the rest of this video. you can even get multimeters with NCV testers built in. having it all in the one device helps remind you to take a belt and braces approach and is satisfactory for most DIY work.
Really depends on what you’re working on. If you’re working on a switch or recep it’ll usually be fine. Anything above 20 amps it’s a good idea to check it with a meter before working on it. I had a co worker get stuck on a 277 lighting circuit and it didn’t sound like a fun experience. Always verify your voltage people!!!
For electricians there may be other ways to check. But I know for my industry a lot of the stuff we work on, the death pen is the only way to detect a voltage before touching the equipment like the entire chassis of say street furniture or once you've gone down the chamber. Should of mentioned, explore all other solutions before using one of these pens in high voltage (as in above 230v ish) before using the pen as a last resort in my opinion this is
👀 INTERESTED IN A VOLT STICK?
I recommend the FLUKE MQ-167. I bloody love FLUKE 🤤
Check it out on Amazon: amzn.to/3X0iSk8 (affiliate link)
What is this cheap crap you are showcasing in this video, I only use Klein and Fluke testers? The problem with non-contact voltage detectors is...that there is no problem with them. Each of these devices has a manual that tells you the safe operation of the unit, and the standard practice of testing it against a known voltage source before use. The device works how they were designed to work, people are attempting to use them for things they weren't designed for and without adequate safety steps. Blaming the device is the same as blaming a circular saw for cutting off someone's arm after they wired the safety guard back. It's not the device's fault, it's the user's fault.
@@scottmyers10 hell yeah! Guns 🔫 don’t kill people, people do…
@@thinklist Very true, no one should be playing with tools that they don't know how to use, aren't prepared to use correctly, or don't have the mental capacities to use. Regardless of the tool, it can hurt or kill people in the wrong hands. Any tool can be a weapon and any weapon can be a tool, depending on what the user does with it.
Always measure between two points, advice from old electrician...
@@scottmyers10 Fluke tester lasted 18 months failed and binned , not value for money and no better than a cheap tester .
At work we are frequently reminded that these are only for confirming that there IS power and NEVER EVER for confirming that there is NO power.
The same as blind spot monitoring.
Just junk, perform a proper live check or assume it is live and don't touch it until it's confirmed it's not live with a proper test.
@@dennis8196 that's kinda what I said. You only use it for positive indication and if it says no power you get the proper tools before touching anything.
Bingo!
I can see a use for it if there are multiple live cables in the area, prove dead on the circuit you need to work on then use this to check for anything else that you may need to check in the same area, if there is then prove dead on that circuit as well.
The particular NCV tester I have, from Klein Tools, has two lights. One to tell you it is on and another to tell you that it detects AC voltage. While like any tool it could break, it at least actively tells you that the battery isn't dead. If you don't see the on light, then you know that it is not going to alert you of voltage. A simple addition but a potentially life saving one.
I have seen this one ☝️ and I agree it’s the best of all of them
I have different types but one pretty okay has lights in it. It shows different levels of the voltage. Two probes joined by a cable. Poke the thing you want to test and poke a known earth/neutral and lights show up and tells you: Low voltage? 120? 240? 400? By lighting up the different lights. Also pretty idiot proof - test on knows source, test the leads you want to test. As a multimeter, but, plug and play sort of.
I used to use the klein ones but they were hypersensitive to static and moving magents. So if I waved my level nearby it would trigger the tester. Or just residual back voltage from minor unbalanced neutrals sending false positives from .01 volt. I got a milwaukee one for $11 and it's just about perfect.
Side note, just the addition of beeps for on/off and lights for on/off is such a simple and effective way to prevent these accidents. All noncontact testers should have that feature.
@@EeekItsSnek Oh yeah I've definitely gotten false positives with mine on the neutral! It left me concerned until I broke out my multimeter. But I figure a false positive is a lot better than a false negative! If I end up doing a lot of electrical work again I'll have to look into the Milwaukee one you mention!
That feature comes from the Fluke Volt Alert. They famously had a problem with bouncy batteries on their two pole tester. You'd switch it on, drop it, the batteries would bounce and it would be off. Fluke being Fluke they did a massive recall and deployed a positive indication of powered-up-ness on all future products.
I've been using volt sticks pretty much every day for the last 45 years (I'm electrian uk). They've saved my neck a few times. best thing that was ever invented. There have they limitations, just like any other tool you can think of. TBH, I wouldn' be without one. I love them that much, I put built one into my screwdriver. worked a treat.
Saved me as well. Working on a non commissioned DC board that was visually disconnected from any source, the bored apprentice was waving his new toy volt stick around and it went off, on investigation a dual supply emergency exit light fixture was backfeeding its AC supply onto the DC supply.
@@wonton8983 here's to bored apprentices
Saved my butt in the us many times, it even helped me find parasitic loss on a industrial compressor install that was grounding out partially to frame. Confirmed with voltmeter.
Your a fool.
Here here. Its like saying a car is a widowmaker coz some muppet drives the thing over a cliff!
These aren't really problematic. The danger comes from people not knowing how to use them properly.
Correct
Say it louder for the people in the back
In the US here, and there have been more than 10 times I had to fix things done by licensed electricians in my home here. Everything is done to cut corners. So often times homeowners do a better job if they care about their home. But yes I use these to find wires in wall but never trust it to know there is not power there.
As industrial maintenance technician we all use the Fluke 1AC-A1-II VoltAlert Non-Contact Voltage Tester, it stays in the receptacle on its own when you stab it in and isn't affected by you touching it. These have been the best for us. If we drop em out of the man lift they go in the trash. 30 bucks is cheap compared to going home or not at the end of your shift.
Honestly as an American I can't imagine not being allowed to do electrical work in my own house. I have probably installed a dozen outlets and swapped many a light switch over the years. Granted there are plenty of people who have no business unscrewring a plate cover, but for those who know how not to start a fire/zap themselves (like me) I can't imagine hiring an electrician. But maybe that's just the construction industry father in me (when we painted, installed a door, or event put up a wall, usually we did it ourselves)
Yeah it’s a pain here in Australia. But our standard voltage is 240V which poses a much higher risk of electrocuting you.
@@MeppyMan yeah that makes sense, on the other hand our citizens are much stupider so they stand a much higher chance of being electrocuted
@@jthoward haha. I don’t actually think that’s true. Sure some drag the mean down a bit, but people are actually getting smarter every generation on average. And we have plenty of idiots over this side of the pond!
Yeah the voltage isn't the reason. More like safety, bribes from electricians to politicians, and general cultural norms
@@thewhitefalcon8539 I don’t understand how you can say voltage isn’t it, but then mention safety. Voltage 100% is one of the reasons, directly linked to the safety/risk aspect. But yeah there are other reasons, but I’m not sure corruption is one (but not ruling it out).
I have an active voltage tester/continuity tester screwdriver. It has batteries, LED, FET and 1GΩ resistor to the tip and a metallic back that you're expected to touch. It detects not only electrical fields but also continuity, so it's as easy as touching the tip with your finger to see the light go on. It's called the Mercury Multi-Tester Screwdriver.
Anyone who works in the electrical and / or electronics field should know how to use a range of test equipment, and know its limitations.
A classic rabbit hole is a voltage supplied from a high impedance source. Your voltmeter, in most cases, will give you the correct voltage.
I work on diesel generators, and just because I have 12 Volts or 24 Volts on my meter doesn't mean that it can supply current.
That's where a 21 Watt Auto Lamp on some test leads comes in handy.
Everyone with experience in the trade will know EXACTLY what I'm on about.
As an electrical engineer who paid his way through university plumbing and doing electrical work (I was part p registered). I found this video excellent, you conveyed some life critical information over in a humorous and knowledgeable way. When the end advert appeared, I wanted to see more videos, so I subscribed.
As a
I'm sorry I only like negative criticism
Great video! And yes, always test & calibrate the stick before trusting it in a cautious way. Always check for voltage using a meter to verify current is turned off.
I use the one built into my fluke meter. Is extremely handy for figuring out which cable is which when you have a load of them bunched together. The trick is knowing how to spot false positives and NEVER try to use them to prove a circuit dead!
I have also used them in a couple cases to figure out which outlets are likely to be controlled by which switches instead of testing a lamp in every option. Unlike a small light-up outlet tester, I can hear the beep without line-of-sight, and I'll be "checking" it for accuracy when I plug in the lamp and test the switch anyways :D
Definitely can use to prove you are alive. Works fine
Here in the US we all call them chicken sticks because many people are scared of using them. I've got a cheap one with a button that give an auditory chirp if the battery is good and them butto is held down while using. I also have several neon sticks made with just a single resistor and neon indicator. Hold one lead and stick the other in an outlet... probably the worst option but I came up with that when I was a kid and it didn't kill me. I keep them around because I use them to check for RF leakage at work (RF engineer).
The chicken sticks are definitely something I use but here where I live can give false readings saying there is a live circuit in a wall, switch, outlet, due to homes built in the 60s and back have plaster walls with "chicken wire"/mesh to hold the plaster on the walls. The walls work like a large plate antenna and will aquire signal for power in a room that has its breaker off.
I always used these against a live circuit first while standing in the same place. Then on the circuit I planned to work on. Or test on a circuit, then turn off the breaker and test again.
The live circuit verified the battery and tester (and the testers do fail often). Then you validate the circuit before working.
I actually had a few cases where an electrician crosswired multiple circuits, and the quick test really helped. (Our inspector actually commented that that electrician couldn't have done some of the work because it was done right. Once he knew we knew what we were doing and were crosschecking/fixing the electrician's work, the inspection was much easier.)
I was actually working on wires in junction boxes. And I always checked that all wires in the box were safe before working.
Something that someone pointed out to me once is that voltage sticks or "pen testers* as I like to call them can tell you things that a normal meter won't. This is admittedly an unlikely scenario, but if the ground and neutral wires weren't hooked up to the panel, a multimeter would tell you that theres 0 volts between hot and neutral, and hot and ground. But a pen tester will tell you that the hot is live
You are right there will be some rare instances where a multimeter will not provide a desired result. I suppose it points out how important it is to use multiple testers
In India we dont wear slippers or footwear inside the house. So we check for the current presence using the humble neon tester. Even if neutral is floating it will show.
@@30mAkills you guys have some crazy outdoor power line connections over there.
@@30mAkills WOW really?
@@juliogonzo2718 3 phase 4 wire
Pd between phases is 415.
Pd between phase and neutral is 415/root 3 = 240.
Most houses have 3 phase 4 wire supply. But it is used as 3 single phases.
Right on my home test bench I have 4 pole mcb. (3 phases + neutral).
The colour code is red yellow blue and black. Suppose accidentally if I come in contact between phases I will immediately go to hell.
Always test the tester on a known live source before AND after you perform you test!!
thats a waste of time for most people
Anthony Esposito is absolutely correct. There are instruments that use the same principle when checking transmission line voltages to verify de-energization of a circuit.
@@TheWackyRigger so is electrocution
The instrucrions for the voltstick i bought specify that the correct usage is test on known live test what you need to test and than test on known live again
Test, test and test again 👌
@@thinklist exactly
I did have my voltstick behaving oddly a while back and you video might have explained why.
I didn't know that that type also needed a (somewhat) path to GND before, i thought that was just the neon screwdriver ones (those also have a verity of "fun" failure modes)
You just earned a new subscriber sir! Not because I didn’t know the information in the video but because your presentation was so good. And you mentioned bigclive.
Thanks so much for the support. And how good is bigclive 💪
I use one as a quick means to check for live voltage, but first confirm it's working properly on a known live circuit. When dealing with 480V, I use it, and then confirm with my multimeter in AC V mode..
These are really great, like when you are replacing an "Outdoor light" and the "Outdoor Light" breaker conveniently doesn't shut off the one light you are replacing, and you only discover this when you put the new one up and it turns on the second you connect the wires to it. Good times.
But in all seriousness that experience saved my life when I was replacing a switch in a box where all the other switches were on a different breaker and the one I needed to replace was live. Had to go through every breaker in the house and test after each time to make sure it was dead, but I didn't die so it was worth it. Whoever wired this house was off their game that day lol
As you correctly pointed out, this device should not be used as the only means to determine if voltage is present. However, should you want to use it, the correct procedure to test a circuit with this (or any other type of meter for that matter) is a three step process:
1 - Test your meter against a known energized circuit
2 - Use the meter to check whatever you need to check
3 - Test your meter once more against the known energized circuit.
That way, you can be fairly certain your meter did not die halfway through the process.
The NCV tester you can get at Harbor Freight in the US prove out the batteries when you turn it on. When you press down the on button, the led lights and it beeps to indicate it has been powered on. It is also a momentary button, so you can't just leave it on, but could result in a false negative if you unintentionally release the button, the way to fight against that is to release and press again, if negative you should only get the proving flash and beep, if it does detect something it will keep flashing and beeping.
Great vid, educational, very informative and entertaining too. Good job right there.
I use it to check for the power being on/off. 120v here in canada. If the power if on, I tuen off the breaker. All it is used for.
It is good to put your meter on ohms, hold the leads together and check for zero ohms while shaking the leads but this does not tell you for sure the meter will work when measuring voltage. You should make sure your meter is on the right function (AC, DC volts etc.) and test your meter on a live receptacle to see if your meter is working then test the outlet you want to work on then test your meter again on the live receptacle. That's how you're supposed to do it anyway but most people don't take the time to do all of the steps. Same way with your NCV. You should test it on a live receptacle (I do it like you do and rub it on my sleeve) and then test the receptacle you are working on then test it again on the live receptacle. I love my Fluke test equipment.
No. This this is not the right way to do it.
You should use a voltage proof.
And as for the meter working on resistance range and not being able to measure voltage, this is highly unlikely.
The act of measuring resistance on the resistance range still makes use of the dual slope integrating Analogue to Digital converter inside the meter which is used for measuring voltage.
So when you measure resistance, you are using nearly all the same circuitry in the meter as you would for measuring voltage.
I generally work wearing nitrile rubber gloves. Now I know why the testers never seemed to work. Great video.
Thanks mate
LOL
I'm in Canada and do my own electrical. One caveat; you are supposed to get a permit and have the work inspected, but only an electrician can sign for the permit. Some of the "professional" work I have seen is terrible, so I do my own and do it according to code. I get a friend to check it for me to be sure I don't miss anything.
Something interesting with those testers. I was working on a trailer with older cloth-wrapped wiring, but using newer plastic-wrapped wiring for my circuits. The tester won't register a live circuit in the cloth-wrapped wires. Fortunately, I do always double-check with an outlet tester or volt meter, I keep all three in the same pouch. Also, our 110V circuits only wake you up if you touch one. lol
That is super interesting. I wonder if that has to do with the dielectric properties of the cloth... Hey thank so much for supporting the channel
Try using a simple neon test lamp instead, (old school), I have used that method in years past on a third floor of a wooden structure to find a hot wire with old knob and tube style wiring. I would hold one bare lead while touching the other lead to the the bare end of the wire under test, a hot side would light the neon lamp just a tiny bit. (In the U.S.A. typically low current leads to bedrooms, receptacles and the like were a hot, 110 to 125 volt, and a neutral or return wire.) I do use a non contact electrical tester now and it works just fine. It's how you use your tools. (I have been both in Australia and Europe and had to dabble with electrical systems in both areas in years past with my job. I had my first electrical inspection of a home I rewired in May, 1970. So, I've been doing it for some time.)
I often use a solenoid voltage tester, AKA Wiggy, when checking for AC voltage. I also have two multimeters on my truck. I am a pool guy that did residential electrical before the GFC. I did learn arc fault breakers do not like probes stuck into wall sockets.
I learned to not trust the non-contact voltage testers when I checked a wall socket as having no power and the supervising electrician put his wiggy on it and it tested positive.
Over here the rule is to use two-pole tester like a multimeter to test for the absence of a voltage. Other devices such as the deathstick onl for testing for the presence of a voltage, for example when looking for the right circuit breaker to turn off or fault finding where they can be a great timesaver. Noncontact testers are really great for finding wire breaks.
As an HVAC tech, those two in one temp and voltage finder are handy for quick diagnosis. I always carry a meter to verify electrical. I've used a meter forever before getting the ol sniffer. so its habit to check with a meter. I constantly hear my old instructors going Verify, verify, verify.
For that matter, just about any length of wire can become a ‘death stick’, depending on where you stick each end.
US here, I have used the Southwire brand Non-contact Voltage testers for years. you don't have to hold them for them to text accurately. you can leave them positioned near a wire and go to flip the breaker on or off.
Thanks for raising awareness!
There is another nice fault with these: If you get coupled to phase, for example when you are standing on electric floor heating, it often doesn't report anything anymore or will reverse it's operation (reporting PE or N as "hot" instead of the live wire).
American, non-electrician who occasionally changes out outlets and switches here. Mine has a button to turn it on. When it is on the whole end is lit green. When it detects power the light turns red and it beeps at you. I always touch the hot side of a live outlet to make sure it is working before using it.
I use Fluke LVD2 and it does detect voltage even if i dont hold it in hand. And for real voltage test the best is Fluke T150, very good especially when you can use the buttons to create a small load that can remove the "ghost" voltage and test the operation of the residual current protection switch.
A good thing to know is that the non contact testers also has a few benifits, like for example if the neutral is broken in the circuit on a non grounded outlet.
Also good to know that they never work on shielded cables.
I always double check mine on a known live circuit before every use, but I also have a plug in voltage/gfci checker. And yes I live in the US, I’m not a licensed electrician and I do a lot of diy work… 😂. I do however have extensive knowledge and experience of electrical and other building codes being in the architecture field. I only do work myself that I know I can safely complete. If at any point I have even a sliver of doubt in my capabilities, I call a professional. Never get comfortable with electricity or anything thing else of such danger, that’s when mistakes are made and accidents happen.
My Fluke must work another way because I nest it in wires sticking out of a junction box and can see the indicator from the panel, another junction box or light switch. We used to use radios to ID circuits.
Toward the end of the video, it was impressive you pointed out Neutral first! However, while ultimately (with A/C ONLY), it doesn’t make much a difference, it’s still a good habit to attach Black/Common lead to Neutral first! Thus, Red lead to Hot 😊.
They are great for things like testing if a wire to heating element is live to determine if the heating element is burnt out vs wire / fuse failing I do it all the time
I'm an electrical apprentice. I work in new construction homes all up to code and I use one of the klein sniffers with a flashlight function. I've notice the false readings are a sign of a low battery. Also be careful to not drop these as they seem to bug out if you drop them. Whenever I tell anyone about these I also tell them they can be useful but they never replace a meter. Always verify on a known live and suspected dead circuit every day and only rely on it if the risk of shock is low and or you don't have access to bare conductor (tracing a circuit in an attic for instance). I also find them useful for instance if im taking a switch box apart and i sniffed it and it told me the box was live and I'm trying to turn the right breaker off.
Here in the UK, multimeters are regarded as suboptimal for testing for dead (though certainly preferable to not testing at all), because of the risk of selecting the wrong range, or worse plugging the probes into the wrong sockets. The reccomendation is to use a specific two pole voltage tester and proving unit.
When testing for dead you should first prove your tester, then test all combinations of conductors, then prove your tester again. This still isn't perfect, there is the possibility that everything including the bloody earth connection is live (and that is the scenario where the much-derided voltsticks and neon screwdrivers shine) but a lot better than just testing between live and neutral.
Another problem is that while you can test something is dead, it's rather harder to insure that it will stay dead. A classic case is the borrowed neutral scenario where a neutral can appear dead until you disconnect it at which point it becomes live. Another problem is what happens when a circuit is already isolated when you arrive, you can add your lockout padlock to what you are told is the relavent isolator but how do you know it's really the correct isolator.
I've seen some electrians who advocate an approach of "work like it's live, even though it's dead".
I have one but didn't realise it had a battery in it, so thanks v much for the education; However mine detects even transient voltages in a "neutral" line so not much use for identifying power on a 2 way switch. I still have the old screwdrivers with the neon inside as backup, and either use a good multimeter or work as if working "live" with insulated tools. Or if in any doubt, short the wires and see if theres a trip on the RCD, not Ideal but it can save your life! (wear eye protection)
25 years as pro sparky Use a fluke Volt pen. It flashes to show its on.
Test it on something live to confirm functionality of pen.
Test cable your working on when live. Then denergize circuit and test dead once de-energized.
It's great. This guy is jobsworth.
Dispite my work being mostly residential I have worked with 3 phase in light commercial a handful of times. Having said that, the test procedure our company uses, is as follows: phase A-B, A-C, B-C, A- ground, B- ground, then C-ground, then repeat the same test with the meter set to DC, for a total of 12 tests. Oh, and that's in addition to the live-dead-live test, which everyone using a meter or volt stick should be doing.
I heard a retired electrician tell how one of the non contact voltage testers saved his life! He was working on a panel that was "locked out", before he could reach into the panel The tester in his shirt pocket beeps and warned him there's live power nearby. Turns out power was feeding back into the panel from a defective device improperly wired elsewhere in the complex. As a side note from my own personal opinion,hands down the best device for tracking down bad bulbs in holiday lights...
In America you can do anything you want to your own property the thing is is that if you want to rent that property out you have to pass instruction and have all the proper certifications. Just to clear that up.
In Poland probably the most commonly used probe is "FAZER 777". It have multiple functions. When held by the tip and inserted into live socket, it signals both by audio and light signal. When one hand is in CONT and other hand on other side of a wire it signals. It also works with any voltage above 2,5V DAC to 250V DAC. When button is pressed it also signals if it "feels" AC voltage nearby and sensitivity can be adjusted by potentiometer.
If u want to check if there is any power present, just touch cont and the tip, if it buzzes there is power in internal battery. And if you are not sure wich wire in cable is live u can always just touch wire by the tip of fazer and you ll know.
There is more to it, and it even works as screw driver so...
I just looked them up ☝️ interesting
Rub it on clothing to test before use, test, rub clothing again. Only detects the presence of ac, not it's absence.
All hail BigClive!
BigClive is such a LEGEND!
I heard one time to test that the circuit is live, turn it off, test that it is dead, then test the tester on another live circuit before actually working on anything. Thanks for the tip about testing these with static electricity.
I have a Fluke volt stick with an on/off switch and yes its one of my favourite possession's!!!
Thanks for the recall notice. The testing you are referring to is called a Live, Dead, Live check.
You don't want to sell me any death sticks. You want to go home and rethink your life.
I use a volt stick just to check around circuits that are acting a bit wonky but I always probe with a meter if I plan on taking things apart.
Love this tool. We weren’t supposed to use them working for the US postal service but I kept mine. For the life of me I can’t understand why the US doesn’t us the metric system and convert to the higher voltage.
I use one all the time, the key is knowing how to properly use your tools!
for the first part about batteries and switches, the one I have uses a green light for idle and red for "detecting". Even gives a beep on startup/shutdown.
I think the klein one I got does a pretty good job. hasnt let me down yet. I use it on everything.
I thought they used induction and such didn't understand how they worked without ant current flowing in the circuit but this clears things up
Cool Video on the possible indirect dangers of those no touch voltage testers! My instructor allways told me to never use a Multimeter for Checking mains voltage if i have other means to do since there is the danger of switching the multimeter to DC by accident and getting a reading around the 0v or holding one probe while sticking the other one in the outlet. His advice to me was to invest into a quality Bipolar Voltage Tester and some even have the NCV feature build in. Obviously one should allways be aware of what they do but realistically speaking - smoth Brain moments happen to the best of us.
That's all the wrong reasons, putting it in DC it's just gonna blow the multimeter, i already put the multimeter in AC mode and hold the other lead exactly to use it like the pen, heck if you don't know how to use a multimeter you shouldn't be working with electricity
I live in the United States about 20 or 30 years ago a local hardware store sold one of those sticks to my father because he had an electrical short on his pontoon boat. Just an FYI they don't work on 12 volt DC current.
Wiha has excellent volt stick - it beeps and blinks all lights when switching on. And when "running" it shows ONE light always active. It doesn't die (empty batteries) without a warning as well.
I have a uni T volt stick, when you first turn it on it bleeps and flashes twice to let you know the batteries are OK and that it is working. It also has a sensitivity adjustment which can be useful. I don't use it that often and it is not something I would buy but it came free with a Fluke meter that I purchased from a test equipment supplier. I am not an electrician as such but I manufacture and service generators, ( mostly retired now) not your little home units big industrial ones, some working at 1100 volts and a thousand KVA. I can work on all the wiring inside them and up to the box on the wall anything further is down to the sparky.
Awesome video mate!
I love these things for quick fault finding, but there is nothing better than a real meter and lamp confirmation to check for voltage. In other words don't use it for ensuring you won't get shocked.
💯
Very interesting. Here in the UK we'd normally be using HRC fused GS38 leads on our meter, these also have 3mm exposed probe tip. We'd also test the meter on a known live source, before and after undertaking the test. Just testing the meter on the ohms range wouldn't be acceptable over here.
I've never had a non contact voltage detector that didn't work when I wasn't in contact with it. I've used them to monitor a circuit I was trying to find to switch off multiple times. either wedge it in the slot, or balance it on the wire, and it will ring until you turn off the correct breaker.
The pro-log is my death stick which has saved my life. Had it for 20 years. Only yesterday I was thinking about getting a Klien. Oh, I am a crazy Brit civilian.
Ive got one that beeps+flashes once when you hit the button so you know its functioning for the most part, but I still proceed with caution or use a multimeter if im unsure
I always stand on my feet. Never touch a knee down. Reach in with the right hand only. Never reach in with both hands. Use your right hand and connect the leads one at a time. Always reach in with the back of the hand. If this is Greek to anyone, study electrical safety before working on live circuits. Consider all circuits live. This knowledge has saved my life.
100%
I don't use them to test power if the circuits hot but the only thing I use them for and rare cases to help find a circuit and supplement to aide in finding broken wires
I'm surprised voltage testers aren't a thing in Aus - in the UK we have voltage testers (see models like the Fluke T150) which should be used with a proving unit (or known source as second preference) to prove a circuit is isolated. Supposed to be compliant with HSE guidance GS38 & minus all the features of say a multimeter to remove "oops, wrong setting" accidents. Belt and braces.
The standard requires a "low impedance tester" be used to verify live & then verify isolated. We are then encouraged to tag out (or lock out + tag out if industrial/mining). The low impedance tester they want us to use is a set of 2 light test lamps, dim at 240v bright at 415v.
@@HungryTradie Oh you can still get the lamp style ones here too. The LED style ones are far more popular now though.
I usually just trip the main whenever working on my house. Better to be sure that nothing is powered.
NCV testers, used correctly (prove on live), are an incredible improvement on just going ahead and touching the conductors.
Agreed
As someone currently studying Electrical Engineering im so glad I found this channel!
Appreciate the support mate 💪
The most common use I have for an ncv tester is junction boxes, when you deliberately don't have any touchable part live you would need to open things up to use the multimeter, which largely defeats the purpose, I'm careful anyway even when showing dead, and I use testers that have active display elements that change based on detection but are always there when powered and require power so I know the batteries are good, but there really isn't a substitute when the point is checking for power before opening up a wire nut or before stripping a wire to put it into any type of connector or before trimming back a still fully insulated wire.
Kiwi's are allowed to do minor electrical work also.
Me and a mate walked under a pylon last week with one. 400,000 volts and the fucker was glowing brightly! Cables a good 90 foot above our heads, and that was the lowest of the three cable runs! Top ones about 200ft
I live in Australia and I will still do some minor electrical work, even though I am not a sparkie.
Not paying a sparkie an hours labor to replace a GPO or light switch for a 15minute job.
I know how to isolate power and verify that power is isolated with a multimeter by testing L-N, N-E, L-E.
Then I go to work.
IIRC New Zealand allows some basic work to be done, but anything advanced where you have to add wiring, move it has to be done by a licensed sparkie.
Fundamentally I don’t really have an issue with people doing there own electrical work but it does come with a lot of legislation that need to be followed, most of which the average person would have no idea about.
For checking for voltage presence they are quick. That's it. Not the final word! That needs to be checked with a voltmeter.
Im not an electrician, but I use these quite a bit. I did buy the top of the Kline tools models to be sure I've got the best possible. The thing is great for my needs, but I'm rarely messing with anything that is dangerous, 110 is just unpleasant. 220, I just don't touch... I'm usually looking for a place to plug in my extension cords, or checking current before removing(just unscrewing the ears) an outlet from a box to reattach to the inside of a cabinet. Never had any problem
“You don’t want to sell me death sticks.”
Great advice! Fluke meter and the checks of its leads should be well heeded!! Be careful with your meter and leads also! Make sure your meter and any replacement leads are over rated for the voltages you are working with!
Working with low voltage digital and house/business supply wiring for almost 40 years, a reliable meter is the way to go! I don't own or condone the use of voltage sticks. They can be very unreliable and influenced by footwear and flooring that diminishes your ground loop capacitance.
I like my klein it has a on off button a little green led for power, the red will flash when its almost dead and a flashlight
You can test a million times but I still lick my finger and brush against what's been tested before jumping in.
Even after testing every single use, I always testes on something where I know it is live, it still gives false alarms on static electricity and sometimes doesn’t alarm at all on a very hot wire. That sucks! That’s a sexy what these things are made to do. This is what I rely on when you don’t know when the circuit breaker is turning off the correct circuit which is always a problem since some houses are wired so crazy
I was not aware of some of the limitations of these testers. Such as the high impedance making them not work. That's something I'll keep in mind as I continue to work. But they are a great tool to verify the power is off before I touch it as I have quite a fear of getting shocked. Shocking I know lol.
if you're working on devices that may or may not be in contact with the human body and contain AC voltage, I would reccomend using a plug-in GFCI outlet. it's portable and should fail first before you do. it's $30 and for DIY you might want it in the shop as a backup
Another thing to watch out for on some is that they have voltage range selection. The less sensitive range doesn't read household voltage. hmmm
In the UK we're taught, basically, identify the circuit, test it's live, isolate it, test that it's dead, test your GS38 compliant tester against a known live source or proving unit, test the circuit again to confirm it's dead, lock off the MCB/RCBO with a locking device, keep the key on your person and then you begin work. The NCV's are useful but are the new bogey man of electrical testers. Remember the screwdriver-looking things with a resistor and a neon lamp in them? Scary shit. But my dad always used them and never got an injury. Would I use one of those bloody screwdriver things? Hell no! I'll keep hold of my Fluke T110. We live and we learn.
In the states they work great on knob and tube troubleshooting
I always have 3 testers with me. One is the Stick, one is this non contact one, and one that confirms both lines .
Greetings from Britain. I've got a screwdriver version. Does contactless, and the dangerous old school touching live, and relying on a connection through your body via a big value resistor. Subscribed.
240 and under I test with a "volt stick" and/or meter then the two finger test. I have never actually been shocked by the two finger test but a path through a single hand is usually harmless.
🤯
FYI Fluke is great BUT.... ANY multimeter is capable of failing on a mode and working fine on other modes. You cant solely rely on a meter either. The OHMS circuit path goes through different components than the voltatge AC/DC setting. I used to work on multimeters at Tandy repair center after tech school. Had many meters that would work on volts or ohms but not both.
honestly if you don't know the pinout for a socket you are working on you have no business sticking a multimeter in that socket to begin with.
I 100% agree with the rest of this video. you can even get multimeters with NCV testers built in. having it all in the one device helps remind you to take a belt and braces approach and is satisfactory for most DIY work.
Really depends on what you’re working on. If you’re working on a switch or recep it’ll usually be fine. Anything above 20 amps it’s a good idea to check it with a meter before working on it. I had a co worker get stuck on a 277 lighting circuit and it didn’t sound like a fun experience. Always verify your voltage people!!!
For electricians there may be other ways to check. But I know for my industry a lot of the stuff we work on, the death pen is the only way to detect a voltage before touching the equipment like the entire chassis of say street furniture or once you've gone down the chamber. Should of mentioned, explore all other solutions before using one of these pens in high voltage (as in above 230v ish) before using the pen as a last resort in my opinion this is