Ralph A. Kalian
New member
- Location
- Gilbert, Arizona USA
Is it possible to hold a Greenlee Tick Tracer and not get zapped by a 120V hot wire?
Tick Tracer
- Thread starter Ralph A. Kalian
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Massachusetts
I hope so.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
There was recall on some cheap tic tracers some years ago where the outer shell was actually conductive so if you were grounded and touched a bare energized conductor you could get shocked.
- Location
- Massachusetts
wirebender
Senior Member
- Location
- North Central Texas
:lol:
fmtjfw
Senior Member
- Location
- Fairmont, WV, USA
Q: Before you had PPE what did you use?
A: Apprentices
A: Apprentices
John120/240
Senior Member
- Location
- Olathe, Kansas
One nick name for a tic tracer is "Idiot Stick". Yes I have used one. The key is to not trust your LIFE on one.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
I have a Greenlee tracer, a GT-11 I think, that works great. Once you learn how to use it, it can be used to help identify and locate open neutrals.
There is a technique to using one. It matters how you hold the conductors you are checking.
And, contrary to popular belief, you don't have to hold the tracer to make it work. I stick mine in a receptacle and use it to locate the corresponding breaker.
There is a technique to using one. It matters how you hold the conductors you are checking.
And, contrary to popular belief, you don't have to hold the tracer to make it work. I stick mine in a receptacle and use it to locate the corresponding breaker.
- Location
- Massachusetts
I do trust my safety to one all the time.
If it can't be used for that then it is all but worthless and I would not even own one.
rogertaylorlive
Member
- Location
- Mesa
well i think it won't harm you. but still you must use a good quality tic tracer also ask an electrician for the same.
xformer
Senior Member
- Location
- Dallas, Tx
- Occupation
- Master Electrician
I have heard people call them "widow makers" ... because of the the fact they dont detect everything. I agree with the key point here, Don't trust your life on one.... But then test equipment has only been as good as the operator who knows the test equipments limitations..
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
There are a number of conditions where a non-contact tester gives a false negative. If you know and fully understand those conditions, you can use the tester, but many users have no idea that there are conditions where that type of tester will tell you that the power is off when it is really on.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
I do believe that depends on the tester. I can't remember the brand because I have had so many, but it would, on rare occasion, issue a false negative. I have been using Greenlee GT-11's for years and have never had a false negative. So far, the GT-11 is the best NCT I have ever seen.
My live-dead-live technique is accomplished by rubbing the tester quickly on my shirt on many occasions.
Still, the only 100% sure way to make sure you won't get poked is to touch the conductor with the back of a finger or hand before you grab hold of it to work on it.
The first electrician I worked with would test 480 bus with the back of his knuckles. This was 1976 and the Ol' Sparky was getting ready to retire. He absolutely refused to trust his life with a meter.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
You have to be very careful with live-dead-live and non-contact testers. The live-dead-live is to verify the function of the tester itself, but it is the conditions of the circuit being checked that may result in a false negative. For example NM with the paper under the jacket being wet is one of the conditions that can produce a false negative, but when you do the live-dead-live check the live source will not duplicate the test source conditions. That is why I say you have to understand how the tester works and know the conditions where it may lie to you. When you encounter those conditions, you use a different type of tester.
xformer
Senior Member
- Location
- Dallas, Tx
- Occupation
- Master Electrician
I worked with a sparky that tested 480V buss phase to phase with the thumb and pinky of same hand...
i personally use the Fluke tester with the on/off button... It shuts itself off when i forget to so that way the batteries stay fresh... A tick tracer without batteries is in permanent paperweight mode...
cmaki
Member
- Location
- sheboygan, WI USA
I carry my fluke voltalert and use it all the time. Untill I got to my new job and spent 30 minutes tracing out a dead wire with it only to find out it was a grounded B circuit. stupid thing didn't pick up and voltage on B phase. They are a tool but always double check with a meter.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
Why would you expect it to pick up voltage on a grounded conductor?
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
Just because it was a current carrying conductor and part of a delta. The odds are in favor of it not being the grounded one at that point until you get more information.
Tapatalk!
Tapatalk!
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
Just because it was a current carrying conductor and part of a delta. The odds are in favor of it not being the grounded one at that point until you get more information.
Tapatalk!
I read the post as the poster saying he expected the non-contact device to show voltage on the conductor after the he had determined he was working on a corner grounded system.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
I read it as the opposite order.
Tapatalk!
Tapatalk!
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