There are many electrical testers and current testers on the market. I always DOUBLE CHECK wires before working with them with a basic electrical current tester.
NON-CONTACT ELECTRICAL TESTER – First, I use a non-contact electrical tester. This simple device lets you know if there is electrical current nearby without actually touching the bare wires. The Sperry unit is my favorite… although I have a few others. The tester from Harbor Freight works well too.
CONTACT ELECTRICAL TESTER – I’m old school. I also test the actual connections before working with electrical connections. So, I always carry a simple twin lead tester in my pocket. Just touch one end to the wire and the other end to ground and it will light up if the wire how power.
RECEPTACLE ELECTRICAL TESTER – This simple device plugs into a receptacle and allows you to see if there is power and more importantly if the receptacle is wired correctly. If you have ever received a shock when touching your washing machine or other appliance, chances are the receptacle was wired incorrectly.
Simply plug this device in and read which light are lit.
WIRE TRACKER – This device is designed to track wires in the wall. You can use a non-contact current tester to test for electrical wires, but this device allows you to track phone lines, coax cable, and Cat-5 cables. It’s pretty awesome and is worth it’s weight in gold if you need to track a wire.
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