4 Basic Electrical Testers & HOW TO USE THEM
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- čas přidán 14. 03. 2021
- There are 4 basic types of electrical testers that every electrician needs to know how to use, in this video we're going to cover what they are, and how to use them.
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1) Digital Multimeter - DMM
This is a benchtop style multimeter. Great for everyday use, voltage, amperage, resistance, continuity, some even do temperature and capacitance.
2) Digital Tester
Sometimes referred to as a multimeter because it actually does test multiple different values like a DMM, but really it's called a tester. Nobody will get upset with you if you call it a multimeter, almost all electricians do. Great for everyday use, voltage, amperage, resistance, continuity.
3) Tick Tracer
Works by capacitive coupling, not actually sensing voltage between two objects, however still sensing an electric field presence. Great for identifying the presence of power, just be careful not to rely on it to tell you anything about WHAT is happening with the circuit.
4) Plug Tester
For testing receptacles. Recommend getting the one with the "GFCI test button" on it for testing your GFCI receptacles. Also great for diagnosing miswired receptacles
#multimeters #testequipment #electrical
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%
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.
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.
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?
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.
Third year apprentice! So much respect! This video was fantastic. I love the stress on safety!
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
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 😀
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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?
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're my favorite electrician on CZcams bro! Thank you so much
Well it not that hard to be on of the favorite since there aren’t that many electrician CZcamsr out there. Let alone American ones
There's others, but homie is putting great info out! I hear you tho
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"
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
You are absolutely right saying not listening to anybody a line is OFF. According to my experience too
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.
Dustin, you the man bro, outstanding video, wished I viewed one this simple years ago. Keep rockin!
Awesome video. I’ve got a Klein receptacle tester that tests GFCI and AFCI.
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...
Wow Klein got you in their radar. That's amazing. Fantastic content as always.
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.
Good info about tic tracer and safety! I am an instructor for commercial HVAC apprenticeship program, love your videos, well done!
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.
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!
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
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.
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😂
very well said, thanks for this man!
Loving the new graphics and gags while keeping it educational!
Thanks for making this. This is such great content and your delivery is 👌.
Had a boss that told me power was off. Fooled me once. NEVER again !!
I have a feeling he didn’t like you very much
Hi! I’d love to see a video on each testing category! ( capacitance, resistance, whay ever the Los is?!?)
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
Been working as a Electrician Apprentice. Would love to see a video on testing capacitors
I like your way of explaining things it’s so easy to grasp mate
Glad to see you have a good sponsor. I know the first couple of videos of yours I saw you mentioned your Klein's. Of course being in IT, I first heard of Klein through networking. I was a little confused on why you needed crimpers for installing a light switch. Of course you did correct yourself in one of them and call them linemans pliers.
Lineman’s pliers are called Kleins by the trade. Story has it that a guy broke one side of his pliers and had a blacksmith forge a new half . Later the other half broke. The blacksmith made a new half and thus the first pair of Kleins were made!
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.
One of the best if not the best electrical equipment tutorial I've seen
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.
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.
This was perfect I literally just found your channel today! I'm looking for a multimeter that is for around use since I starting to some electrical, appliance and automotive. I watched your vid on your ideal 61-704? In your opinion how accurate and dependable are these Klein meters? Given the price difference and maybe I can work to the top shelf lol btw,I starting to Bing on your channel. Thanks for what you do!
ubaya ya hawa wazungu hawajui kuenda straight to the point
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 learn a lot, with these videos, I love being an electrician
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.
I love the Klein tools. I have a similar tester but it has a flash lights. ❤ thanks for explaining us apprentices the ropes in plain old English. 😊
Klein is the de facto standard in electrical tools.
I have the same tracer and I love it too!
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...
I've learned a ton from you ! Thank you !
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.
Something I like about Fluke’s T6 tester is ungrounded Fieldsense is good for quickly getting some neighborhood voltage.
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
How bout doing a vid on circuit breaker tracers for both live and dead circuits
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.
That non-contact voltage tester with laser is the NCVT-5A, also available as NCVT5KIT with the RT210 GFCI receptacle tester.
For tick tester I highly recommend the santronics 3115 or the amprobe vp440 they are identical just branded different. I've tried every other one on the market and they are all junk. Theese are always on and ready to go and will never give you false readings. They can still be used on a multiwire branch circuit unlike the other beeping toys.
Indeed, the Santronics is nice!
how about a tone tracer? I know its use more in telephone lines but its pretty handy when tracing out outlet branches.
The tick tracer with the thermometer laser is dope as hell, Klein makes fun shit.
Great presentation!
You are good teacher!
Well done!
Great Tips, Good Stuff 👍 Thanks!
Another tester I carry is the breaker tracing made by klien love that thing has saved my butt more times than not.
@@user-rw4oi1dd9c 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 ?
Trust but verify. Great advice for pretty much anything in life.
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 )
Very good advice… love your attitude making this video 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Great video! Extremely helpful for us beginners.
Thanks for sharing it with us
Thanks!. Great job.
Had no idea about the kickstand, thanks !
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.
Can you do a video about rms vs true rms multimeters? I think not a lot of beginners know the difference.
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.
Very valuable information letting ppl know to "TEST ALL" and not "Trust ALL" circuits/electricians/70yr_old_breaker_pusher.
You are good .you explain things so wonderful
Super informative and entertaining, thanks!!
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,
Thanj you for the video. Gave me basic ideas on how to check things at home.
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.
insulation tester and breaker tracer are other less common ones. Tracer can save a lot of time. Tick tester is always on me at minimum, always double check that it's dead and still treat it like it's hot
Very helpful, thanks. how about a recommendation for a inexpensive multimeter for the amateur, do it all, homeowner and DIY hobbies.
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.
thanks for the video. i'm trying to learn more about electrical work. can you clarify what the different purposes are for the multimeter and tester?
I was on a scissor-lift over 20' in the air, I yelled down to my boss asking if the power was off. He asked the electrical supervisor standing right next to him and he said it was off. It wasn't. I got thrown on my butt in the lift. Needless to say, the guy got his ear ripped off by my boss afterwards. NEVER EVER TAKE THE WORD OF ANYONE ELSE.
still on you to test it yourself
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 This was over 30 years ago. I'm retired now.
Honest information
Thanks a lot for your sharing.
Dustin do you know how to test quiessant voltage on that mm700 meter, I have it but I can't work out how to do it. I mean in the context of a fire alarm to test with power off how many amps it would need to run on battery only for say 24 hours
when adding outlet i always use klein ET300 digital circuit breaker finder.BEST TOOL EVER.
You might also do a lockout mechanism to make sure no one turns it on. Or put electrical tape over the switch to remind others to not turn it on
The "tick-tracer" or NCVTs most important use is to a solo electrician. Put it against the wires of the circuit you're trying to cut power to so it stays in contact and beeping. Go to panel and shut off breakers until beeping stops. No assistant needed
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
Thanks for your help brother 👊
Thank you sir...
Man the gfci tester + breaker finder combo has saved me an unfathomable amount of times lol
great segment