Like I said - you obviously don't know the correct procedure....Hotwire said:
How to use multimeter
- Thread starter alifrank1
- Start date
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Line from 6th sense comes to mind.........
"I talk to dead people............."
"I talk to dead people............."
I heard about a sparky that my dad knew years ago, that used to check whether things were live by touching them 
, though he also lost his eyebrows once because he used a match to see how clean he'd got the inside of his motorcycle exhast, after cleaning it using petrol...
, though he also lost his eyebrows once because he used a match to see how clean he'd got the inside of his motorcycle exhast, after cleaning it using petrol... Adam_151 said:I heard about a sparky that my dad knew years ago, that used to check whether things were live by touching them
Bit confused by that comment matey - if there's no risk of you touching a live one then presumably you don't isolate anyway?
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Well thanks AF. And just in case you didn't know what I meant by "MK inductive tester", it's a device that also goes by the name of "volt stick".
You can see one here: http://www.longcom.ie/accessories/stick.asp
And if you haven't already got one, and do you get one, you'll wonder how you ever did without it
Rgds
S.
You can see one here: http://www.longcom.ie/accessories/stick.asp
And if you haven't already got one, and do you get one, you'll wonder how you ever did without it
Rgds
S.
what a great idea softus, thanks. I've had a route around my late husband's tools (although he had hundreds) and have not come across anything like that. He was a sparks years ago, so probably took some short cuts! I seem to remember his light bulb on the end of wires was used for testing at various times, but too risky for me I'm afraid!
I'll definitely get a volt stick, as you say, it looks like the kind of equipment that you'd never want to be without.
I'll definitely get a volt stick, as you say, it looks like the kind of equipment that you'd never want to be without.
alifrank1 said:
"safe" and "live" shouldn't really come in the same sentence, but, probably the way you're lease likely to kill yourself is by poking the probes in a socket.
Use the black probe to push down the safety catch in the earth hole. Whilst that's down you can stick the red probe in the live hole (which is on the right whilst you look at it), then remove the black probe from the earth and still it in the neutral (on the left). Do this without touching metal bits with your hands.
Disclaimer: don't do what I wrote, it could be dangerous.
thank you slippyr4, I'll have a go when I have enough courage to try it (making sure one of my daughters is around)!
One more question, the black probe has actually got a small clamp on the end. I am presuming this won't make any difference when poking it down the earth hole?
One more question, the black probe has actually got a small clamp on the end. I am presuming this won't make any difference when poking it down the earth hole?
Just to throw my spanner in (or VDE screwdriver!) a multimeter is not an approved instrument for testing if a circuit is live or dead. You should really use a voltage indicator unit such as the Martindale VI13700G and the prove-test-prove method.
IMHO multimeters have very long exposed tips which can lead to shorting while testing and their complexity leads to possible false readings even when familiar with their use.
Also those volt sticks are good but are non contact and I have known them to not light due to poor proximity to the live conductor. To be really sure a circuit is dead I would recommend direct contact using a voltage indicator.
IMHO multimeters have very long exposed tips which can lead to shorting while testing and their complexity leads to possible false readings even when familiar with their use.
Also those volt sticks are good but are non contact and I have known them to not light due to poor proximity to the live conductor. To be really sure a circuit is dead I would recommend direct contact using a voltage indicator.
There are many different styles of contacts in power sockets, so the difficulty is going to be ensuring that both probes are making contact when you poke them in. A horrible technique IMO.
My personal favourite is to take a 13Amp plug, remove the cover, remove the fuse, remove the live and neutral pins, and plug it in. You would want to use insulated pliers to push in the earth, of course.
You then have free and easy access to the live and neutral holes, and to a handy earth pin, until you remove the 13A plug.
Don't be tempted to replace the live pin and fuse and add a live conductor with a trailing end. That would be asking for trouble.
PS If you then connect two metres of single core earth conductor to the earth pin and strip the free end, then you have a handy device to keep in the toolbox when working on static-sensitive devices, e.g. replacing PCBs in boilers, replacing batteries in CH programmers, adding RAM to your PC, etc. etc.
If you don't have any earth cable then just rip the sheath off some T&E and use one of the insulated conductors.
My personal favourite is to take a 13Amp plug, remove the cover, remove the fuse, remove the live and neutral pins, and plug it in. You would want to use insulated pliers to push in the earth, of course.
You then have free and easy access to the live and neutral holes, and to a handy earth pin, until you remove the 13A plug.
Don't be tempted to replace the live pin and fuse and add a live conductor with a trailing end. That would be asking for trouble.
PS If you then connect two metres of single core earth conductor to the earth pin and strip the free end, then you have a handy device to keep in the toolbox when working on static-sensitive devices, e.g. replacing PCBs in boilers, replacing batteries in CH programmers, adding RAM to your PC, etc. etc.
If you don't have any earth cable then just rip the sheath off some T&E and use one of the insulated conductors.
B
Big_Spark
Alifrank, Sorry to hear about the hubby, but one way to solve this problem is for you to invest in a Fluke T3 or T5 tester. These will do everything you normally need to do and they are so simple a monkey can use them. They are fully automatic, meet all regulations and I have only heard of one going wrong due to serious and considerable abuse.
I use a T3 on a daily basis. They cost about £35 from an Electrical Wholesaler, try to find your local Edmundson or Newey and Eyre. Avoid a City Electrical Factors (CEF), they will try to sell you a far inferior, often own brand, pile of rubbish.
I use a T3 on a daily basis. They cost about £35 from an Electrical Wholesaler, try to find your local Edmundson or Newey and Eyre. Avoid a City Electrical Factors (CEF), they will try to sell you a far inferior, often own brand, pile of rubbish.
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