Your videos are helping me out a lot on the job! Not an electrician, but as a project manager, I need to have at least some basic knowledge so I can communicate. Thanks man! You're doing a grand service here!
I’m a handyman and a good part of my business is replacing outlets and light switches, having said that 50% of the ones I replace have a broken wire in them. And mostly because the wires are pushed into the back of the outlet/ switch. I’ve seen a lot of smoke, arc, burned areas in the walls. When I’ve replaced an outlet I use one with plates on the side then screw down any unused lugs and put 2 rounds of electrical tape around the screws/lugs, if I’m in a jbox or Gang box that has wire nuts in it I pull them out take the nut off check for broken wire if none put nut back on and wrap in electrical tape. Some will say that not necessary however if I’m seeing signs of possible fire I think it is. Great videos , thank u for what u do
Checking for current is like making sure a gun is unloaded or there is fuel and oil in the airplane. Check it yourself. If I tell you it is okay, still check it yourself.
Whether the wire carries current or not, it doesn’t matter. What matters is if the wire has a voltage with respect to where you stand (usually Earth ground). A wire is said to be live/hot/active if it has voltage (with respect to ground), not if it carries current or not.
I do industrial maintenance and use the klein mm700 and cl700 almost daily. Great equipment especially with the magnetic hanger and alligator clip leads. I wish there was a way of keeping the backlight from timing out so quick though. A note on the tone stick- I know it's not as reliable as the meter for checking potential presence but the meter will show no voltage unless u have a completed circuit. The tone stick doesn't require a completed circuit to show presence. Awesome video as always :)
This is especially interesting when you consider his video comparing multimeters and he basically trashed Klein without even giving them much consideration.
I am a retired Fire Marshal, and used a tick tracer almost daily, when doing inspections. There are countless buildings with wires hanging out of switch and receptacle boxes....disconnected, abandoned, hot??? It helped me to write up my repair orders.
My boss and I were adding a 100a feed and I started cutting the 3-0 wire in the first ground box for make up. I got the weird feeling that I should confirm our wire was still dead, but I didn't have my tick on me. I decided to get up and walk the 200yds to the panel(panel was behind a wall and you had to walk aways to get around it). Sure enough my boss had left the breaker on after he installed it. Never trust anyone when it comes to electricity, and even tick testers are fucking liars sometimes.
Get yourself an electrician safety lock kit, box lock, push-button lock, and breaker lock. I was drilled to use them when I was working in a mine mill, every worker have their lock, electrician or not, if they caught you working on something without a lock you end up sitting on your ass at home for a week without pay. Hey, it's just me saying, you have the freedom to get killed. Just one more tip, you need to be the only one with the key, not even your boss should have the key, they are often the most dangerous when the production is on the line.
Always carry your tick on you. Keep it in your pants pocket. Second as you said, “never trust someone”. Use your voltmeter yourself before cutting the wire, even if you were the one that shut off the breaker I don’t care, METER IT. Locking off is a great procedure too.
I can't express how thankful I am for this channel and it's content. I am starting my apprenticeship in this career in a couple weeks and I am very excited! Wish me luck.
Great video, I always treat every electrical wire as if they are always hot, we were taught if u must touch a box wire or anything that is close to electrical touch with the back of ur hand/ finger first. If u grab something that is energized the muscles in ur hand will contact and it is very hard to get urself free of it even if u have help
Just started a new job testing EV engines on dynos and my degree is in mechanical engineering yet most of the knowledge required is electrical.. thank you for this sir
One thing that I always do is test my meters before the first use of the day. You don't want to find a problem with a tester by getting lit up. One of those crusty old timers taught me that about 30 years ago. Great video, thanks for posting.
You videos are a god sent. I’m in my third year of the apprenticeship. Haven’t learned anything to do with a multimeter besides voltage testing. Thanks for on the job learning😂
Was working as a lighting tech on a movie in NYC and was told by a Gaffer that the circuit was off in a major power server in the NYC library. Got quite a shock that day...and my linesman pliers were toast:)
Get yourself an electrician safety lock kit, box lock, push-button lock, and breaker lock. I was drilled to use them when I was working in a mine mill, every worker have their lock, electrician or not, if they caught you working on something without a lock you end up sitting on your ass at home for a week without pay. Hey, it's just me saying, you have the freedom to get killed. Just one more tip, you need to be the only one with the key, not even your boss should have the key, they are often the most dangerous when the production is on the line.
Thank you for your time and knowledge about everything your videos have helped me tremendously with industrial/commercial hvac. I wish I could donate but I have 3 kids and for the time being a Thank you is all I can give. Have a great rest of your week and I just wanted to say thank you again.
I was about to work on a circuit and I tested it with my recently acquired Fluke T2 and it tested dead, I didn’t feel right so I grabbed my Wiggie it was live. I carried that Wiggie for 44 years.
1. Meter must be listed and of appropriate rating. (eg. CAT lll 600V) 2. Inspect and Ohm test leads. 3. Verify operation with a known power source. Plug in circuit analyzers wont detect "bootleg grounds. NCVT "voltage ticks" wont detect voltage if the paper sheath in NM cable (Romex) is wet.
And a good toner! Get one if you don’t have one! They save lots of time and they’re great to use instead of checking continuity on a bunch of boxes and wires if you just need to find where a wire goes. Life saver
Dustin, you rock my dude. I’ve learned so much from you. You teach in a way that I completely understand. Wish you had been my high school calculus teacher lol.
I have worked maintenance for over 30 years. Your points are spot on. Verify, verify, verify. It is your own ass if you do not use the tools or trust someone else. Great job. The only addition I would add is buy a good meter, your life depends upon it, and if you don't trust your meter, get rid of it!!!
I like the NCVT. It is nice to use and although it has limitations, those limitations can be used for your advantage. The one that gets down to 12V is nice, because it can be used to work on irrigation circuits. I was pleased to see you included the 12v option/advantage in your description 😀
Walked into Home Depot and was debating to buy a multi meter or tick tracer and the prices were similar $24-$54. Then I saw two books. One said wiring simplified and a book called ugly. Home Depot guy saw me and said those are really good books, probably the best tool you’ll have. Then I thought about your videos and said I don’t know shit about electricity lol so I bought the books and looking forward to reading up on codes and comparing what you say and what the book says. Thanks for the awesome content!
I recently upgraded my receptacle (plug) tester to the Klein RT250... its nice to have a slightly more simplified pass/fail set of lights (2 vs. 3, green/red, yet it also shows specific failures if they occur). The GFCI test shows how long it takes to trip (in hundredths of seconds) and may help to identify failing GFCI. It also has a built in voltage test so you can detect voltage drops on excessively long runs. Only downside is it does require batteries. ;)
Just checking, but….if testing a live/potentially live household outlet with a DMM: if you insert the red probe in the right opening first…….doesn’t that immediately energize the black probe; creating a potential arcing if black touches something? I was always told Black/Left Side first, then Red/Right next; and removing Red, then Black (as to not energize the “yet-unused” probe prematurely,
You've probably covered this elsewhere, or someone else has mentioned it. This is what I share with anybody who asks me about troubleshooting, or whatever: Always test the tester! Find a "known-good" and make sure that it reads as it should. Batteries die. Leads get damaged. Any number of thin
Great story about never trusting if the current is on. "No one is ever shocked buy an un-energized line, and no one is ever shot by an unloaded gun. Always check yourself."
We do alot of TI work in office buildings. And it's pretty much a requirement. And we have to go one further step and amp probe the CT to make sure it doesn't have load before we turn it off. Making sure someone else isn't using ciruit.
Thank you so very much for the video. I have learned a lot. Please keep up the good work and educate people like us. Thanks once again. you have a great and wonderful rest of the day.
There's a Klein fox and hound you can get now which has a GFCI tester / outlet tester with it. It's cheap, and great for tracing lines to breaker. Great video! "Digital Circuit Breaker Finder"
As an HVAC tech, my multi-meter is so important I keep a back up in my backpack in case of failure or loss. Tracing voltage, continuity, testing micro amps on flame sense circuits, motor run capacitors, voltage drop across a contactor... I found this video cause I wondered if you had a good tutorial on usage. I want to recommend a good one to some of the younger techs. For example, if your probes are across a switch and it reads voltage. Is the switch open or closed? Amazing how few know the answer. P.S. Customer told me the Condenser circuit was off. I checked and it was live. OH! I turned off the "Compressor" in the garage. Sorry! P.S.P.S. Might want to mention more than once what happens when a switch breaks the neutral rather than the hot. The circuit is off, yes, but not isolated. Twice a newbie working with me cut a wire and it arced, and he was so surprised because the switch was off.
I used a tick tracer for demolition when I had to cut a crap ton of power wiring but leave the essential things (lift, fire pumps etc) intact. Out of few hundred readings I did get maybe half a dozen false negatives and cut them with a spark and had to have a sparkie to come restore power to an essential appliance I cut off. After that job I always carry two of those tracers, different brands, and use them together. I don't know if I'd be actually safer that way but I hope it reduces the chance of a false negative reading greatly.
Might have been more helpful if you explained the importance of testing an outlet receptacle in the correct order of probes and instead of just saying stick one in than the other. You always probe the black probe to neutral or ground first then the red to hot to test. To finish always remove the red probe (hot) first.
I bought a package deal from Klein Tools a few years ago to use around the house to help with repairs. It had a basic tic tracer, a digital multimeter, and a outlet gfci tester. The whole package was about $40.00 and I think it was a good value. I have used it several times now and would buy it again if I had to.
2 tools I never troubleshoot without. -Wire tracker set send a distinct signal into one end of the wire you are looking for and go looking for the other end with a probe that translates magnetic fields to sound. Works a hell of a lot faster at finding a wire than playing with breakers. In an installation with some 300 or so unmarked signal wires to search through, you can save half a day's work easily. -Insulation tester a lot of faults involving damaged wiring do not actually sever the conductor and a standard multimeter cannot detect breaches in insulation without direct contact to another conductive object. By sending a slightly higher voltage pulse through the conductor, the electricity can bridge the air gap concealing the fault during normal testing.
Tracer or locator, anyone who has ever worked in Parking Lot Lighting or any kind of underground electrical. The first one seen but not mentioned looked exactly like the one I used to have. Can give you tone down to eight feet with Blacktop or Concrete on topside a must in underground locating, especially when you think of the cost of excavation. This was over 30years ago I can imagine how much things have improved...
I bought my first digital multimeter from Radio Shack circa 1991 when I was in college studying electrical engineering. I still have and use it for all kinds of stuff. I probably paid under $100 and I think I have gotten my money's worth.
I purchased my first Micronta analog multi meter from Radio Shack in the very early 80's It was under 100 dollars. It's large, but dependable. It's been at my side for decades. I do have digital testers. But when in doubt, I trust my old Micronta.
Rats I was going to get Klein tools thinking the professional use them so their probably the best. Thanks for the heads up that they were just the sponsor.
I got some non contact voltage sensors (what you are calling a tick-tracer) at my job for troubleshooting solenoid valves on environmental chambers. Helps identify if valves not actuating are the fault of the control wiring or the valve mechanicals being stuck.
i can relate in some ways I was working on a fridge freezer.... I had unplugged the fridge to pull the coils... I left to get a tool so when I came back I reached in and got shocked I found out the former roommates former husband had re-plugged it back in... from that day on I have always put tape around the plug anything you survive is a learning experience
I like at starting at 9:40 about being careful. Reminds me of the adage, "There are old electricians and there are bold electricians. But there are no old, bold electricians!"
Not a bad video, I want to be a little critical in a nice way. First the Digital Multimeter vs the Clamp Meter, I totally understand what you're trying to say but that DMM you used isn't really a meter someone working on a bench 40 hours a week is going to have. While it's nice to have a clamp meter, being able to test AC and DC voltage, continuity, and ohms, is going to happen way more often than using the amp clamp, which that first meter can all do. Last, I get this is sponsored by Klein and I have a lot of Klein products, I would only recommend the Fluke (I think it's ac-1) non contact voltage detector.
As an amateur, I always test with a sniffer or multimeter before I touch wires, but then do a last check of also pressing a screwdriver or knife to short across the wires to verify there's no charge. I've had enough surprises from capacitors and wires in the last 20 years...
UK spark here. Safe isolation. Check tool, verify dead, then check tool again. If you are working on a circuit it is your responsibility to verify dead and lock of as necessary. Do you guys use MFT's?
Rule 1. All wires have voltage on them until you personally verify they don't. Plug testers test the GFCI by shunting current through a resistor to the ground wire. So won't work if the ground is bad. But the GFCI sockets shunt a bit of current around the sense coil on the neutral. So, a failure of the plug tester GFCI test does not mean that the GFCI socket/breaker is bad. Or that there is no GFCI protection on the outlet unless you verify the ground is intact. The tick tracers, and I picked up a Fluke 2AC one recently that doesn't make a noise, can be triggered by florescent lights. CFLs which might be close to where you are testing are a real pain. I also learned recently that the tick tracers even the Fluke 2AC only rated 90-1000 will trigger for 12v switch-mode DC power supplies even 3+ feet out the DC cord. On the other hand, I used the tick tracer to verify voltage to an ice maker, as it came into the freezer then at the ice maker controls verifying the thermal fuse was intact even before unwrapping the leads on my meter.
I'm a dutch distribution/transport electrician. So interresting to see how other country's manage their power. 120 volts on a plug socket is only about half of the voltage we use ( 230/400 volts )
The outlet testers are handy to have, but the readings threw me off one time. I was originally diagnosing a low voltage issue on a bathroom outlet. The tester says it's wired correctly, but voltage was only around 70V instead of 120V. Took out outlet to check for wear, but everything looks OK. Traced and tested other outlets on the circuit and the outlet tester told me reversed polarity. Pulled all them out, but the wiring is correct. Turned out all those false readings were caused by the flakey reset/test buttons on the GFCI outlet. After replacing that with a new GFCI outlet, all the reverse polarity readings and the low voltage all went away.
very first day as an apprentice I was doing demo. the older guy swore that the circuit was off and to cut the mc cable to clear the ceiling... I had to buy a new pair of pliers the next day bc mine had a nice big hole in them. nice little first day memorabilia though
Get yourself an electrician safety lock kit, box lock, push-button lock, and breaker lock. I was drilled to use them when I was working in a mine mill, every worker have their lock, electrician or not, if they caught you working on something without a lock you end up sitting on your ass at home for a week without pay. Hey, it's just me saying, you have the freedom to get killed. Just one more tip, you need to be the only one with the key, not even your boss should have the key, they are often the most dangerous when the production is on the line.
Hey You Need To Make A Video About Safety When Using The Probe Some People Not Aware Of The Contac W/The Probe When In Use Live Plugs Out Let If You Have One Of The Probe In Hot Slot And Removed The Neutral That Tip Will Be Charge⚡️👍🏽
11:35 I agree with this. Where I work we were removing some equipment from a building which needed the power to be shut off, since this was not our building we had to ask the electrician to turn the supply off. Well one of the guys that came to remove the equipment was about to cut the mains cable leading to it. I told him use my multimeter and test to see if it is off. My multimeter showed 240v. I made him realize I was about to be shocked if I cut it. Told him always make sure, by measuring the voltage yourself. I am not an electrician
Get yourself an electrician safety lock kit, box lock, push-button lock, and breaker lock. I was drilled to use them when I was working in a mine mill, every worker have their lock, electrician or not, if they caught you working on something without a lock you end up sitting on your ass at home for a week without pay. Hey, it's just me saying, you have the freedom to get killed. Just one more tip, you need to be the only one with the key, not even your boss should have the key, they are often the most dangerous when the production is on the line.
It's worth noting before buying there are many types of multimeter aimed at different trades, electronics, HVAC, electrical installer, appliance engineers, automotive, etc.
Your videos are helping me out a lot on the job! Not an electrician, but as a project manager, I need to have at least some basic knowledge so I can communicate. Thanks man! You're doing a grand service here!
Props to you for taking the initiative to learn this stuff.
Also Check out the engineering mindset! Their basics series on electricity basics is fantastic!
I’m a handyman and a good part of my business is replacing outlets and light switches, having said that 50% of the ones I replace have a broken wire in them. And mostly because the wires are pushed into the back of the outlet/ switch. I’ve seen a lot of smoke, arc, burned areas in the walls. When I’ve replaced an outlet I use one with plates on the side then screw down any unused lugs and put 2 rounds of electrical tape around the screws/lugs, if I’m in a jbox or Gang box that has wire nuts in it I pull them out take the nut off check for broken wire if none put nut back on and wrap in electrical tape. Some will say that not necessary however if I’m seeing signs of possible fire I think it is. Great videos , thank u for what u do
You can never be too careful my dude.
Backstab wiring is the worse.
You actually are not supposed to tape yoked devices.
How much do you charge to replace outlets/switches?
@@daylenconn282 why is that?
Checking for current is like making sure a gun is unloaded or there is fuel and oil in the airplane. Check it yourself. If I tell you it is okay, still check it yourself.
Agreed and your loaded gun comparison is spot on.
The airplane analogy doesn’t really work but I agree with the rest
I never thought about what happens if an airplane runs out of gas before reading this
Whether the wire carries current or not, it doesn’t matter. What matters is if the wire has a voltage with respect to where you stand (usually Earth ground).
A wire is said to be live/hot/active if it has voltage (with respect to ground), not if it carries current or not.
T//d%
I do industrial maintenance and use the klein mm700 and cl700 almost daily. Great equipment especially with the magnetic hanger and alligator clip leads. I wish there was a way of keeping the backlight from timing out so quick though. A note on the tone stick- I know it's not as reliable as the meter for checking potential presence but the meter will show no voltage unless u have a completed circuit. The tone stick doesn't require a completed circuit to show presence. Awesome video as always :)
read the manual i think it is push hold before you turn on the mm700 and cl700
You're my favorite electrician on UA-cam bro! Thank you so much
Well it not that hard to be on of the favorite since there aren’t that many electrician UA-camr out there. Let alone American ones
There's others, but homie is putting great info out! I hear you tho
Wow, this has been up a few hours and not one person whining about the meter not being Fluke? I'm impressed.
I see Klein is the new sponsor listed on this video
@@johndernberger1961 Right? Wish I was sponsored by Klein
You’re the first...
@@AV84USA Not seeing where I'm complaining. But if you say so hahahaha
This is especially interesting when you consider his video comparing multimeters and he basically trashed Klein without even giving them much consideration.
Klein is smart, they made sure to sponsor the best Electrician youtube channel. Glad to see you coming up in the world Dustin. You deserve it.
lol thanks my friend
I am a retired Fire Marshal, and used a tick tracer almost daily, when doing inspections. There are countless buildings with wires hanging out of switch and receptacle boxes....disconnected, abandoned, hot??? It helped me to write up my repair orders.
My boss and I were adding a 100a feed and I started cutting the 3-0 wire in the first ground box for make up. I got the weird feeling that I should confirm our wire was still dead, but I didn't have my tick on me. I decided to get up and walk the 200yds to the panel(panel was behind a wall and you had to walk aways to get around it). Sure enough my boss had left the breaker on after he installed it. Never trust anyone when it comes to electricity, and even tick testers are fucking liars sometimes.
Get yourself an electrician safety lock kit, box lock, push-button lock, and breaker lock. I was drilled to use them when I was working in a mine mill, every worker have their lock, electrician or not, if they caught you working on something without a lock you end up sitting on your ass at home for a week without pay. Hey, it's just me saying, you have the freedom to get killed. Just one more tip, you need to be the only one with the key, not even your boss should have the key, they are often the most dangerous when the production is on the line.
Lock out tag out systems
@@mickeywhyte4331 we use that here at the airport. We call it exactly that
Always carry your tick on you. Keep it in your pants pocket. Second as you said, “never trust someone”. Use your voltmeter yourself before cutting the wire, even if you were the one that shut off the breaker I don’t care, METER IT. Locking off is a great procedure too.
@@dreadsguns doesn't everyone call it Lock Out, Tag Out? I've never heard it called anything else.
I can't express how thankful I am for this channel and it's content. I am starting my apprenticeship in this career in a couple weeks and I am very excited! Wish me luck.
How's it going?
Third year apprentice! So much respect! This video was fantastic. I love the stress on safety!
Great video, I always treat every electrical wire as if they are always hot, we were taught if u must touch a box wire or anything that is close to electrical touch with the back of ur hand/ finger first. If u grab something that is energized the muscles in ur hand will contact and it is very hard to get urself free of it even if u have help
Just started a new job testing EV engines on dynos and my degree is in mechanical engineering yet most of the knowledge required is electrical.. thank you for this sir
One thing that I always do is test my meters before the first use of the day. You don't want to find a problem with a tester by getting lit up. One of those crusty old timers taught me that about 30 years ago. Great video, thanks for posting.
ubaya ya hawa wazungu hawajui kuenda straight to the point
You videos are a god sent. I’m in my third year of the apprenticeship. Haven’t learned anything to do with a multimeter besides voltage testing.
Thanks for on the job learning😂
Was working as a lighting tech on a movie in NYC and was told by a Gaffer that the circuit was off in a major power server in the NYC library. Got quite a shock that day...and my linesman pliers were toast:)
Get yourself an electrician safety lock kit, box lock, push-button lock, and breaker lock. I was drilled to use them when I was working in a mine mill, every worker have their lock, electrician or not, if they caught you working on something without a lock you end up sitting on your ass at home for a week without pay. Hey, it's just me saying, you have the freedom to get killed. Just one more tip, you need to be the only one with the key, not even your boss should have the key, they are often the most dangerous when the production is on the line.
One of the best if not the best electrical equipment tutorial I've seen
You are absolutely right saying not listening to anybody a line is OFF. According to my experience too
Thank you for your time and knowledge about everything your videos have helped me tremendously with industrial/commercial hvac. I wish I could donate but I have 3 kids and for the time being a Thank you is all I can give. Have a great rest of your week and I just wanted to say thank you again.
I was about to work on a circuit and I tested it with my recently acquired Fluke T2 and it tested dead, I didn’t feel right so I grabbed my Wiggie it was live. I carried that Wiggie for 44 years.
1. Meter must be listed and of appropriate rating. (eg. CAT lll 600V)
2. Inspect and Ohm test leads.
3. Verify operation with a known power source.
Plug in circuit analyzers wont detect "bootleg grounds.
NCVT "voltage ticks" wont detect voltage if the paper sheath in NM cable (Romex) is wet.
Let’s do a deep dive into one. The last 2 episodes have been so helpful. Great job
Brother man love the channel of course.
And a good toner! Get one if you don’t have one! They save lots of time and they’re great to use instead of checking continuity on a bunch of boxes and wires if you just need to find where a wire goes. Life saver
Dustin, you rock my dude. I’ve learned so much from you. You teach in a way that I completely understand. Wish you had been my high school calculus teacher lol.
I have worked maintenance for over 30 years. Your points are spot on. Verify, verify, verify. It is your own ass if you do not use the tools or trust someone else. Great job.
The only addition I would add is buy a good meter, your life depends upon it, and if you don't trust your meter, get rid of it!!!
I like the NCVT. It is nice to use and although it has limitations, those limitations can be used for your advantage. The one that gets down to 12V is nice, because it can be used to work on irrigation circuits. I was pleased to see you included the 12v option/advantage in your description 😀
Walked into Home Depot and was debating to buy a multi meter or tick tracer and the prices were similar $24-$54. Then I saw two books. One said wiring simplified and a book called ugly. Home Depot guy saw me and said those are really good books, probably the best tool you’ll have. Then I thought about your videos and said I don’t know shit about electricity lol so I bought the books and looking forward to reading up on codes and comparing what you say and what the book says. Thanks for the awesome content!
I recently upgraded my receptacle (plug) tester to the Klein RT250... its nice to have a slightly more simplified pass/fail set of lights (2 vs. 3, green/red, yet it also shows specific failures if they occur). The GFCI test shows how long it takes to trip (in hundredths of seconds) and may help to identify failing GFCI. It also has a built in voltage test so you can detect voltage drops on excessively long runs. Only downside is it does require batteries. ;)
The RT250 is a great piece of equipment.
Just checking, but….if testing a live/potentially live household outlet with a DMM: if you insert the red probe in the right opening first…….doesn’t that immediately energize the black probe; creating a potential arcing if black touches something?
I was always told Black/Left Side first, then Red/Right next; and removing Red, then Black (as to not energize the “yet-unused” probe prematurely,
You've probably covered this elsewhere, or someone else has mentioned it. This is what I share with anybody who asks me about troubleshooting, or whatever:
Always test the tester!
Find a "known-good" and make sure that it reads as it should. Batteries die. Leads get damaged. Any number of thin
Things happen! Like that up
Honest information
Great video! Extremely helpful for us beginners.
Great story about never trusting if the current is on. "No one is ever shocked buy an un-energized line, and no one is ever shot by an unloaded gun. Always check yourself."
It's a miracle this guy is still alive.
Good comparison to an "unloaded" gun.
Your best advice is about the tick tracer. It shows when something is almost probably live and not necessarily when power is off. Thanks mate.
Another tester I carry is the breaker tracing made by klien love that thing has saved my butt more times than not.
@@D675 amazon is where I got mine
We do alot of TI work in office buildings. And it's pretty much a requirement. And we have to go one further step and amp probe the CT to make sure it doesn't have load before we turn it off. Making sure someone else isn't using ciruit.
@@phillipfessenden7705 we don't do very much TI work mostly remodel and commercial work
Just ordered one this evening. Can’t wait to use it!
Can a breaker tester also be used to find out what outlets are connected in series ?
Thank you so very much for the video. I have learned a lot. Please keep up the good work and educate people like us. Thanks once again. you have a great and wonderful rest of the day.
Very bright young man.Great presentation.
Had no idea about the kickstand, thanks !
Very good advice… love your attitude making this video 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
There's a Klein fox and hound you can get now which has a GFCI tester / outlet tester with it. It's cheap, and great for tracing lines to breaker. Great video! "Digital Circuit Breaker Finder"
Thanj you for the video. Gave me basic ideas on how to check things at home.
As an HVAC tech, my multi-meter is so important I keep a back up in my backpack in case of failure or loss. Tracing voltage, continuity, testing micro amps on flame sense circuits, motor run capacitors, voltage drop across a contactor... I found this video cause I wondered if you had a good tutorial on usage. I want to recommend a good one to some of the younger techs. For example, if your probes are across a switch and it reads voltage. Is the switch open or closed? Amazing how few know the answer.
P.S. Customer told me the Condenser circuit was off. I checked and it was live. OH! I turned off the "Compressor" in the garage. Sorry!
P.S.P.S. Might want to mention more than once what happens when a switch breaks the neutral rather than the hot. The circuit is off, yes, but not isolated. Twice a newbie working with me cut a wire and it arced, and he was so surprised because the switch was off.
The electrocution simulation is played back the most. ;). Great video thanks.
Trust but verify. Great advice for pretty much anything in life.
I used a tick tracer for demolition when I had to cut a crap ton of power wiring but leave the essential things (lift, fire pumps etc) intact. Out of few hundred readings I did get maybe half a dozen false negatives and cut them with a spark and had to have a sparkie to come restore power to an essential appliance I cut off. After that job I always carry two of those tracers, different brands, and use them together. I don't know if I'd be actually safer that way but I hope it reduces the chance of a false negative reading greatly.
Subscribed, thanks for the video
Thanks for watching!
Might have been more helpful if you explained the importance of testing an outlet receptacle in the correct order of probes and instead of just saying stick one in than the other. You always probe the black probe to neutral or ground first then the red to hot to test. To finish always remove the red probe (hot) first.
Thanks for saying this, I was wondering
I bought a package deal from Klein Tools a few years ago to use around the house to help with repairs. It had a basic tic tracer, a digital multimeter, and a outlet gfci tester. The whole package was about $40.00 and I think it was a good value. I have used it several times now and would buy it again if I had to.
Very valuable information letting ppl know to "TEST ALL" and not "Trust ALL" circuits/electricians/70yr_old_breaker_pusher.
2 tools I never troubleshoot without.
-Wire tracker set
send a distinct signal into one end of the wire you are looking for and go looking for the other end with a probe that translates magnetic fields to sound.
Works a hell of a lot faster at finding a wire than playing with breakers. In an installation with some 300 or so unmarked signal wires to search through, you can save half a day's work easily.
-Insulation tester
a lot of faults involving damaged wiring do not actually sever the conductor and a standard multimeter cannot detect breaches in insulation without direct contact to another conductive object. By sending a slightly higher voltage pulse through the conductor, the electricity can bridge the air gap concealing the fault during normal testing.
Klein is the best friend of electrician
Been working as a Electrician Apprentice. Would love to see a video on testing capacitors
Loving the new graphics and gags while keeping it educational!
Very informative. Safety 1st. Thanks man.
Thanks!. Great job.
This guy is absolutely fabulous
Tracer or locator, anyone who has ever worked in Parking Lot Lighting or any kind of underground electrical. The first one seen but not mentioned looked exactly like the one I used to have.
Can give you tone down to eight feet with Blacktop or Concrete on topside a must in underground locating, especially when you think of the cost of excavation. This was over 30years ago I can imagine how much things have improved...
I bought my first digital multimeter from Radio Shack circa 1991 when I was in college studying electrical engineering. I still have and use it for all kinds of stuff. I probably paid under $100 and I think I have gotten my money's worth.
I purchased my first Micronta analog multi meter from Radio Shack in the very early 80's It was under 100 dollars. It's large, but dependable. It's been at my side for decades. I do have digital testers. But when in doubt, I trust my old Micronta.
@@c50truck Yup... mine is a Micronta as well. Miss the old days when you could get decent stuff from Radio Shack.
Rats I was going to get Klein tools thinking the professional use them so their probably the best. Thanks for the heads up that they were just the sponsor.
Super informative and entertaining, thanks!!
Kickstand. All these years I wondered what that was for. And a laser on a tick tracer? wow!
Great presentation!
You are good teacher!
Well done!
How bout doing a vid on circuit breaker tracers for both live and dead circuits
Love your use of the word Verify also
Invisible but we clearly see it can kill.
Dude, as a Computer Engineer, your videos are fun to watch. I liked the part about the "old fart" that told you about the power being off. LOL
I got some non contact voltage sensors (what you are calling a tick-tracer) at my job for troubleshooting solenoid valves on environmental chambers. Helps identify if valves not actuating are the fault of the control wiring or the valve mechanicals being stuck.
Thanks for your help brother 👊
i can relate in some ways
I was working on a fridge freezer.... I had unplugged the fridge to pull the coils... I left to get a tool so when I came back I reached in and got shocked I found out the former roommates former husband had re-plugged it back in... from that day on I have always put tape around the plug anything you survive is a learning experience
Always double and triple check if something is live before you touch it
Dustin, you the man bro, outstanding video, wished I viewed one this simple years ago. Keep rockin!
The tick tracer with the thermometer laser is dope as hell, Klein makes fun shit.
Ya i got most of them except the am meter. Excellent video... i get a charge out of the way u explain things.....
how about a tone tracer? I know its use more in telephone lines but its pretty handy when tracing out outlet branches.
Keep kicking ass my guy.
Sick guy. Keep up the good work
Why not FLUKE !!!! Best of the best FLUKE
Wow Klein got you in their radar. That's amazing. Fantastic content as always.
Awesome video. I’ve got a Klein receptacle tester that tests GFCI and AFCI.
Such a practical way to learn this stuff
I sold my Snap On meter because of a sketchy dealer and went to a Klein 700 series, great meter and 1/5 the price. Highly recommended.
I like at starting at 9:40 about being careful. Reminds me of the adage, "There are old electricians and there are bold electricians. But there are no old, bold electricians!"
Great video bud…thanks. 🤙🤙🤙
Good info about tic tracer and safety! I am an instructor for commercial HVAC apprenticeship program, love your videos, well done!
Your information is good and useful
Not a bad video, I want to be a little critical in a nice way. First the Digital Multimeter vs the Clamp Meter, I totally understand what you're trying to say but that DMM you used isn't really a meter someone working on a bench 40 hours a week is going to have. While it's nice to have a clamp meter, being able to test AC and DC voltage, continuity, and ohms, is going to happen way more often than using the amp clamp, which that first meter can all do. Last, I get this is sponsored by Klein and I have a lot of Klein products, I would only recommend the Fluke (I think it's ac-1) non contact voltage detector.
I learn a lot, with these videos, I love being an electrician
As an amateur, I always test with a sniffer or multimeter before I touch wires, but then do a last check of also pressing a screwdriver or knife to short across the wires to verify there's no charge. I've had enough surprises from capacitors and wires in the last 20 years...
UK spark here. Safe isolation. Check tool, verify dead, then check tool again. If you are working on a circuit it is your responsibility to verify dead and lock of as necessary. Do you guys use MFT's?
Thanks for making this. This is such great content and your delivery is 👌.
this is very fantastic channel
Hi! I’d love to see a video on each testing category! ( capacitance, resistance, whay ever the Los is?!?)
Rule 1. All wires have voltage on them until you personally verify they don't.
Plug testers test the GFCI by shunting current through a resistor to the ground wire. So won't work if the ground is bad. But the GFCI sockets shunt a bit of current around the sense coil on the neutral. So, a failure of the plug tester GFCI test does not mean that the GFCI socket/breaker is bad. Or that there is no GFCI protection on the outlet unless you verify the ground is intact.
The tick tracers, and I picked up a Fluke 2AC one recently that doesn't make a noise, can be triggered by florescent lights. CFLs which might be close to where you are testing are a real pain. I also learned recently that the tick tracers even the Fluke 2AC only rated 90-1000 will trigger for 12v switch-mode DC power supplies even 3+ feet out the DC cord.
On the other hand, I used the tick tracer to verify voltage to an ice maker, as it came into the freezer then at the ice maker controls verifying the thermal fuse was intact even before unwrapping the leads on my meter.
I'm a dutch distribution/transport electrician. So interresting to see how other country's manage their power. 120 volts on a plug socket is only about half of the voltage we use ( 230/400 volts )
The outlet testers are handy to have, but the readings threw me off one time. I was originally diagnosing a low voltage issue on a bathroom outlet. The tester says it's wired correctly, but voltage was only around 70V instead of 120V. Took out outlet to check for wear, but everything looks OK. Traced and tested other outlets on the circuit and the outlet tester told me reversed polarity. Pulled all them out, but the wiring is correct. Turned out all those false readings were caused by the flakey reset/test buttons on the GFCI outlet. After replacing that with a new GFCI outlet, all the reverse polarity readings and the low voltage all went away.
GoodStuff,GreatTips😀👍🏿
very first day as an apprentice I was doing demo. the older guy swore that the circuit was off and to cut the mc cable to clear the ceiling... I had to buy a new pair of pliers the next day bc mine had a nice big hole in them. nice little first day memorabilia though
What you have there now is an expensive pair of strippers!
@@ProctorsGamble might only work on 10awg now lol
Get yourself an electrician safety lock kit, box lock, push-button lock, and breaker lock. I was drilled to use them when I was working in a mine mill, every worker have their lock, electrician or not, if they caught you working on something without a lock you end up sitting on your ass at home for a week without pay. Hey, it's just me saying, you have the freedom to get killed. Just one more tip, you need to be the only one with the key, not even your boss should have the key, they are often the most dangerous when the production is on the line.
great segment
Hey You Need To Make A Video About Safety When Using The Probe Some People Not Aware Of The Contac W/The Probe When In Use Live Plugs Out Let If You Have One Of The Probe In Hot Slot And Removed The Neutral That Tip Will Be Charge⚡️👍🏽
11:35 I agree with this.
Where I work we were removing some equipment from a building which needed the power to be shut off, since this was not our building we had to ask the electrician to turn the supply off.
Well one of the guys that came to remove the equipment was about to cut the mains cable leading to it.
I told him use my multimeter and test to see if it is off.
My multimeter showed 240v.
I made him realize I was about to be shocked if I cut it.
Told him always make sure, by measuring the voltage yourself.
I am not an electrician
Get yourself an electrician safety lock kit, box lock, push-button lock, and breaker lock. I was drilled to use them when I was working in a mine mill, every worker have their lock, electrician or not, if they caught you working on something without a lock you end up sitting on your ass at home for a week without pay. Hey, it's just me saying, you have the freedom to get killed. Just one more tip, you need to be the only one with the key, not even your boss should have the key, they are often the most dangerous when the production is on the line.
@@louispaquet8185 I am not an electrician and I can't touch distribution boards
It's worth noting before buying there are many types of multimeter aimed at different trades, electronics, HVAC, electrical installer, appliance engineers, automotive, etc.