non contact voltage detector recomendations

[600rob]

Can anyone recommend a reliable non voltage detector for occasional DIY use around the home?

I had a fairly reliable multi meter with a decent built in non contact detector which has packed up so im after a separate detector. (Had a back up meter in the tool box, with no detector )

was looking at this one but the lower end reviews report it as being quite hit and miss in terms of its accuracy

looking for the best unit i can get for under the £20 mark.

Thanks

 

[Robin0577]

They are a bit hit and miss by nature and can easily be fooled by induced voltages from adjacent cables. However as long as you understand and accept the limitations, and don't attempt to use one to prove a circuit is dead, they have their uses. I would say it's worth spending a couple of extra quid for a decent one though.

Fluke is widely considered to be the top of the test gear brands https://www.screwfix.com/p/fluke-1ac-ii-voltage-detector-pen/85949

Or, for something a little cheaper, try Kewtech https://www.screwfix.com/p/kewtech-kewstick-uno-voltage-tester-pen/53855

 

[davelx]

The problem is, by their very method of operation, they are inherently unreliable!

If you really must have one, I'd suggest Fluke as a reputable brand. I have one - but even then I can easily get it to give incorrect indications.

I had a "discussion" with the people who came to change my gas meter once, as their NC voltage tester told them that the gas pipes were live. I showed them that it also showed the MET and the sheath on the incoming mains (TN-S) was live, and demonstrated to them that the problem was due to coupling to their bodies from the wiring in the the vicinity. However, they wouldn't touch anything, so we had to get the DNO to come out. When they arrived, I explained the problem to the guy whilst outside and he said that they get this all the time and wished those volt sticks had never been invented. There was, of course, no issue with the installation, which they confirmed.

 

[bernardgreen]

the problem was due to coupling to their bodies from the wiring in the the vicinity.

which can result in a false "Not Live" indication and hence the risk of serious, possibly fatal, shocks when the person starts to work on wiring that the volt stick has indicated to be Not Live.

 

[davelx]

which can result in a false "Not Live" indication and hence the risk of serious, possibly fatal, shocks when the person starts to work on wiring that the volt stick has indicated to be Not Live.

Which reinforces the fact that they are almost worse than useless!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

When they arrived, I explained the problem to the guy whilst outside and he said that they get this all the time and wished those volt sticks had never been invented. There was, of course, no issue with the installation, which they confirmed.

If I was the DNO I'd bill the meter changers.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Can anyone recommend a reliable non voltage detector for occasional DIY use around the home?

Neon screwdrivers are questionable from a safety POV as they use your body as a current path, and they are unreliable, and non-contact testers (magic wands) are also just toys. To safely check for voltage you must use a 2-pole tester, such as a proper voltage indicator or a multimeter.



This looks ideal for a household starter set - multimeter, 2-pole voltage indicator and dedicated continuity tester, all in a handy case: https://www.beha-amprobe.com/en/products/electrical-testers/junior-set-and-kits/amprb-eu-03-a

 

[davelx]

If I was the DNO I'd bill the meter changers.

They may have done, I don't know. There was no cost to me.

 

[bernardgreen]

voltage you must use a 2-pole tester, such as a proper voltage indicator or a multimeter.

and have a known reference point at ( preferable ) ground potential.

Easy to get it wrong..... at a switch, one probe on L1 and the other on COM ( Permanent Live and Switched Live )_ if the switch is ON then the meter will indicate 0.00 volts. Falsely suggesting the circuit is not Live. If the switch is OFF then the meter will show 230 volts ( or similar ) but without indication of which probe in on the conductor that is Live.

Using the Earth wire as reference for 0.00 volts ( Ground ) will give accurate indication of what is Love and what is not Live.

But first you have to ensure that the Earth wire is actually connected to the earth terminal.

Never assume the earth is an earth, fault finding requires an open mind.

 

[mwatsonxx]

Using the Earth wire as reference for 0.00 volts ( Ground ) will give accurate indication of what is Love and what is not Live.

You're spellin is atroshus

 

[bernardgreen]

You're spellin is atroshus

Ny typing is attrowshush becawse the letters have worn off the keybored buttons

 

[JohnW2]

Ny typing is attrowshush becawse the letters have worn off the keybored buttons

I've only lost my "E" and part of the "A" on my laptop (its second keyboard) so far - but although I'm anything but an accomplished (and 'no-look') typist, my fingers generally know where those two are. What my fingers are far less good at is typing consecutive letters in the right order - hence my classics (which I don't always notice and correct) like "woudl" and "obvioulsy"

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

... "obvioulsy"

"Obvilousy" would have been better.

 

[Iggifer]

My keys don't have any print on them - they're backlit


Back to the thread.....My vote is also for the Fluke 1AC-II. It's the most reliable one I've used. That LAP one detects voltage if you wave it around in the air. And the Kewtech one they sell detects voltage if you rub it up and down your (mostly cotton) workwear. Hardly reliable.

The fluke one seems to be fairly consistent, you have to get it on the correct side of the cable occasionally, but as a 'fuse finder' it works fine

 

[ban-all-sheds]

rub it up and down your (mostly cotton) workwear.

#MeToo?