Channel: bigclivedotcom

Category: Science & Technology

Tags: hvacelectriciantesterelement14electricaldurabrandengineervoltagediysafetycpcflukeheating

Description: If I had to have a single test tool for electrical maintenance work it would be a voltage tester (test lamp) as they are the best way to check for the presence of voltage reliably by applying a load to the circuit being tested. Normally I'd suggest a Fluke tester for professional work, but for home use by DIYers or trades that might not use them so much, I'd suggest a cheap and simple set like these. The cheap sets actually have a big advantage over the higher profile brands in that they often power themselves directly from the circuit, and in doing so load it down enough to shunt stray capacitively coupled leakage current that can cause false readings on some more sophisticated and expensive testers. It also means you don't have to worry about batteries going flat or leaking and destroying the tester. That does also mean that these pass enough current to give a strong shock if you hold the end of a probe while sticking the other into a live connection. Use them with suitable caution. The circuitry in this unit is quite sophisticated, but does lack the reassurance of a fuse. As such I'd only recommend its use on lower energy circuits like home circuits beyond the distribution board, and not in high current industrial equipment. Use a Fluke for the industrial stuff to "tick the box". If one of the four rectifier diodes failed in this tester it could cause a high current fault with nothing but the tracks as fuses, and that might not deal with the fault as well as a proper HRC fuse. The diodes could also have been spaced a little further apart, as the DC side does have full mains potential across it. The tester does come with tip covers (which you will lose) but does not have shrouds around the probes so only the tips are exposed. I'd suggest adding a bit of sleeving if using in areas where you could bridge onto adjacent grounded metal or other connections. I'd guess this same tester is available in other countries under different branding, as Duratool is a fairly generic brand. I got this one from CPC in the UK for the surprisingly low price of £2.78 including VAT. I couldn't even buy the components for that cost. cpc.farnell.com/duratool/d03307/voltage-tester/dp/IN08362 Note that the initial peak of current can trip an RCD/GFCI if used between live and earth. To avoid that, test between live and neutral first so the thermistors are pre-heated and then immediately test between live and earth, as there won't be the same current peak. This applies to some of the professional testers too, with one manufacturer implying that it's a "feature". It's always recommended to check your tester on a known live circuit before use. Also check the leads of test equipment for signs of damage when stored in amongst other tools. If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- bigclive.com/coffee.htm This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty. #ElectronicsCreators