Rant: I swore by my old non-contact voltage tester until a job in Tempe

I was checking a 240v circuit I thought was dead, but the tester didn't beep because of some weird induced voltage from a parallel run. My hand got a nasty tingle when I went to pull the wire out. Now I always double-check with my meter leads, no matter what. Has anyone else had a close call like that with a tester you trusted?

3 comments

3 Comments

blake_lewis7d ago

Wait, why are we blaming the tool for how we use it? Those testers are just for a quick look, not the final okay. I get what @mary_hill47 is saying about a scare changing your habits, but the real problem is skipping the meter. That tingle was a cheap lesson compared to what could have happened. The tester did its job by finding voltage, even if it was weird ghost voltage. My rule is the tester points, but the meter proves.

mary_hill4726d ago

Man, I was the same way. I used to treat my non-contact tester like gospel for a quick check. After a similar scare with a three-way switch giving a false negative, I don't trust it alone anymore. My meter comes out every single time now before I touch anything. It's just not worth the risk.

the_faith26d ago

That's a scary moment for sure, but is it really the tester's fault? Those things are just for a quick check, not a final safety step. A tingle from induced voltage is way different than a full zap from a live wire. Sounds like you learned the right lesson to always use the meter for the real test.