Volt stick - do you use them?

[Guest123]

Hi There

Never trust them, all the ones i have tried if you rub the tip on your overalls it lights up!!!!!!!! A electrician who works for a local company used one to check that swa cables that were cut down a manhole were dead he used one and said cable was dead..............Labourer went down manhole and was almost killed cables were still live.
Our Select inspector said they should not be used all testing should be done with 2 probe device and a proving unit.

Danny

That spark is obviously a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic......thats just not what they're for.

 

[lobsterbob]

I use them every day. I find it a good quick check but WOULD confirm before snipping/making off/disconnecting ect. I have found that the voltstick doesn't always pick up the voltage the first time so I check several times in different places ect. But I always check with leads before doing any work.

 

[Gravid]

Used to use them, till getting a right shouting at for wasting about an hour trying to find where to isolate a dead cable that the volt stick showed as live. After that, no never, got a free Megger one from one of their " have you thought about getting into PAT testing nights" its never been out of my tool bag.

 

[davelerave]

Used to use them, till getting a right shouting at for wasting about an hour trying to find where to isolate a dead cable that the volt stick showed as live. After that, no never, got a free Megger one from one of their " have you thought about getting into PAT testing nights" its never been out of my tool bag.

ya- they'll give more false positives than false negatives

don't work through screens, armour

great for troubleshooting but they are not designed for SAFE ISOLATION

 

[Des 56]

They are ok for christmas trees, either as a present or to find a break

I find they are excellent as a first indication type tool
Broken extension leads,the presense of a supply,they are very handy

Get working on a open circuit lighting circuit and you can trace problems fairly easily
Using them as an indication rather than a tester,however,I would never handle any cable on the say so, of a little induced power

 

[nickblake]

my main use for them is for identifying circuits on a PIR , safer and better than the screw driver (item that i have pleasure in introducing to a sledge hammer ) as has been said they should never be used for acurate identification ,this should only be done using a set of test prods and proving unit ,