How To Use Electrical Testers

By Dave Rongey Summary: Home electrical wiring testers are the sure way to identify electrical circuits and help prevent the possibility of accidental electrical shock. These testers are essential when troubleshooting a faulty circuit as well.

Voltage Testers for Testing Electrical Wiring Circuits of the Home

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Electrical Safety begins with turning off a circuit that is causing a hazard and any circuit that needs to be worked on. Many choices exist today when looking to buy a voltage tester. Following are some important points to take into consideration in making that choice.
Make sure to fully read and understand the Instructions and Documentation that comes with the tester you select before using it. With a variety of voltage testers available, make sure that you select one that is of good quality, easy to read and has long insulated leads.
When using any style voltage tester be very careful.
If you come in contact with one of the leads while you are grounded or if any part of your body is placed into the circuit you could get shocked!

The Basic Uses of Electrical Testers and Meters
	Receptacle Tester and Circuit Analyzer The handy plug in receptacle voltage testers are great for checking for voltage and also shows if the receptacle is wired correctly or is missing a wire, such as the ground wire.This Receptacle Tester and Circuit Analyzer tests ground fault receptacles to ensure proper installation of your house electrical wiring. How To Use: Simply plug the tester into any standard 3-wire/grounded receptacle (110-125 Volts AC). The tester tests for six conditions including open ground, open neutral, open hot, hot/ground reverse, hot/neutral reverse, and correct wiring. An easy to read succession of yellow and red lights provides indication of circuit status or specifies wiring errors. Easy to read from multiple vantage points--top, side, and bottom--the tester is an ideal choice for personal or professional use.
	Tic Testers Test your circuits before doing any electrical work and save yourself from any danger. This Tic Tester is a non-contact voltage tester which tests for the presence of live AC Voltage from 50-600 Volts. How To Use: Visual (flashing) and audible (beeping) indicators signal the presence of voltage by simply pressing the built-in pocket clip. The tester also features a built-in "safe test" feature that assures the batteries are operating properly. This is a handy tester to have and is especially helpful when trying to determine a Hot Wire from a Neutral when replacing Knob and Tube Wiring. There are a few varieties available which all work basically the same.
	Voltage Testers This is a K-60 induction style voltage tester which works by inducing a current through the tester which produces the reading. Advantages: The K-60 does not require a battery. Most of the battery-powered voltage/continuity testers will not measure voltage without a battery. We see this as a significant disadvantage to these type testers. Batteries will, of course, discharge over time and, without care, can corrode and damage the instrument. How To Use: The K-60 is always ready for use—no batteries required. This style tester is slim, has long leads and is a great fit in the tool pouch. I've used this style for years and is great for testing house electrical wiring circuits. Simply use the leads to test for voltage from a Hot wire to Ground or Hot wire to Neutral. Range: 120 to 600 Volts AC or DC Please Note: After years of use with any lead type tester the fine strands of wire can break inside the insulation because of folding or bending the wire that occurs. This will cause a "short" , thus a false reading! With all the work I do this is why I always have at least two testers with me at all times, a Tic Tester and my K-60. Every few years I have to replace the leads with a new set.
	AC Clamp On Meter Voltage Tester Measures AC amperage, AC/DC voltage and resistance. Amperage measurement 400.0, 600 amp. Voltage measurement 400.0, 600 volt. 3-1/2-digit LCD display. Jaw opens 1.38". Auto power off for longer battery life. Measurement category Cat III, 600 volt per UL 3 How to Use: This AC Clamp On Meter Voltage Tester with LCD Display is one of many top quality items in our Circuit/Voltage Testers department. Three testers in one: Clamp On for measurind amprage flowing through a conductor With the Leads you can measure: Voltage, Resistance or Continuity
	7 Function Digital Multi-Tester Digital voltage testers are much safer and provide an easy to read display, as shown below. Many of these testers can be used to test AC and DC Voltages and Continuity. How to Use: A typical digital meter/multi-tester lets you get accurate readings for DC voltage, DC current, AC voltage, resistance, transistor tester, diode tester, and battery tester. Specs: DC-A: 0-200µ A-2000µ A-20mA-200mA ; Resistance: 0-200-2000-20K-200K-2000K ohm; DC-V: 0-200mV-2000mV-20V-200V-1000V ; AC-V: 0-200-750V Great for electronics projects, automotive repair, and home electrical wiring use.