Similarly, take the Red Lead and plug it into the live (hot) slot of the outlet (the short slot) or make contact with a hot wire.ĭepending on the type of tester, you will get a visual indication in the form of LEDs or a value of the voltage on the digital display. After turning on the device, take the Black Lead and plug in into the neutral slot (the longer slot in case of a receptacle or outlet) or make contact with neutral wire or bus bar. Before using the device, plug in the Black Probe into the ‘COM’ port of the tester and the Red Probe to the ‘+’ port of the tester. These are known as Two-Lead (or Two-Probe) Electrical Testers.Īs the name suggests, this type of device come with two probes: one red and one black. In contrast to the non-contact voltage tester, we have another type of tester that need to make electrical contact with the subject/object. You can place the tip on an electrical cord, metal part of an appliance, a light bulb, a circuit breaker or a light switch. Now, to test for voltage using non-contact voltage tester, all you have to do place the tip of the tester on the subject/object you are testing. There will be some sort of audio (like a beep) or visual (like an LED turning ON) indications to know that the device is on. Most testers come with a button, which you have to press (or press and hold in some devices) to power it on.
It is actually very easy to use this type of tester.įirst, power on the non-contact voltage tester. The main benefit of a non-contact voltage tester, is well, in the name itself, it doesn’t need to make any contact with the live wires or outlets to test for the presence of voltage. We will learn the simple testing procedure with respect to four popular voltage tester devices: a non-contact voltage tester, contact voltage tester (two-lead electrical tester), a receptacle/outlet tester and last but not the least, a multimeter.
NONE CONTACT BAR ELECTRICAL HOW TO
Let us now see how to use a voltage tester. The tester detects this voltage and lights up (or activates a buzzer). The tip of the tester is wound with a tiny coil and when we bring this tip in the vicinity of an electric field, a small voltage is induced in the coil. Magnetic InductionĪnother non-contact voltage tester principle is based on magnetic induction. This type is common in majority of non-contact voltage testers and also some multimeters that include a non-contact voltage testing feature. If the tester detects this current, then they light-up an LED (some even start beeping) without actually making contact with the live wires. When we place the tip of the tester near a power cord, wire or an outlet, a small current is capacitively coupled from the live wire to the tester (and back to ground). Non-contact voltage testers with a capacitive sensor element uses the concept of capacitive coupling to detect the electric field. But depending on the type of voltage tester (usually the non-contact variant), we can have a Capacitive or Magnetic Induction principle. The basic working principle of a voltage tester is it measures the electric flux due to electric field between the live and earth components of the circuit. Types of Electric Voltage TestersĪs we mentioned before, there are several types of voltage tester devices. Those that indicate voltage will do it for the following common voltages: 120 – 240V AC, 480V AC, 600V AC, 125V DC, 250V DC and 600V DC.Īpart from the main job of testing the presence of voltage and/or indicating an approximate voltage at a test point, you can also use a voltage tester to test for grounded conductors in a circuit, distinguish between AC and DC Voltage and also check for blown fuses. They only indicate only the approximate values as they are not known for their precision or accuracy. While some testers use lights and sound to represent the presence of voltage, others use a number scale to indicate an approximate amount of voltage around the object or surface. Speaking of Voltage Tester, it is a device that electricians use to test the presence of voltage at an outlet or in a wire. Using these instruments, you can measure the amount of current flowing in a circuit (Ammeter), amount of voltage between two points in a circuit (Voltmeter or Voltage Tester) or check whether there is a continuous path for current to flow (Continuity Tester). We call these devices as Testers and Meters. If you are a residential electrician or a home owner who does electrical related DIY stuff, then you must be familiar with basic test and measurement equipment.
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