Electrical Safety
Voltage Testers
Always Use a Good Voltage Tester to Identify Your Circuits!
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.
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 wiring. 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.
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!
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. 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.
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.
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. 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.
7 FUNCTION DIGITAL MULTITESTER
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. 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 use.
Purchase a Voltage Tester
