Circuit Tracers

2Broke2Sleep said:
I just bought the tasco cmd42ds circuit mapper. I used it on a pretty large house and can say it worked well. I got a few false readings which was disappointing but overall helped make the panel schedule a lot quicker once set up. One downside is it takes a good minute to set up and you've got to clamp each wire coming off each circuit breaker with a clamp.
Click to expand...
Wow, that's expensive.
 
jmellc said:
I saw the Zircon on Grainger's website. It specs that it works in walls, floors and nonmetallic conduit. Seriously won't work in metal conduit?? That would make it virtually useless in our plant.
Click to expand...
Any the ones you connect to a live circuit won't trace conductors/cables with non metallic covering in a wall unless you make a separate return path routed away from what you are tracing. With simple 2 wire circuit and both conductors right next to one another the signal you are tracing cancels itself. Just like clamping ammeter on the cable would give you net of zero for current reading. Works fine as a "breaker finder" because your two conductors are separated at that point in the circuit.
 
kwired said:
Any the ones you connect to a live circuit won't trace conductors/cables with non metallic covering in a wall unless you make a separate return path routed away from what you are tracing. With simple 2 wire circuit and both conductors right next to one another the signal you are tracing cancels itself. Just like clamping ammeter on the cable would give you net of zero for current reading. Works fine as a "breaker finder" because your two conductors are separated at that point in the circuit.
Click to expand...
Actually, I realized that shortly after making the post. I generally don't need to trace in walls, etc. Just need to find the breaker.
 
jmellc said:
Actually, I realized that shortly after making the post. I generally don't need to trace in walls, etc. Just need to find the breaker.
Click to expand...
I seldom trace in walls either, but when I do I connect one lead of transmitter to one conductor being traced and usually the other to an extension cord routed to the panel and attempt to keep it somewhat away from the anticipated path of what I would be tracing. If the traced conductor does get close to the extension cord, it needs moved to keep from interfering with the signal from the one being traced.
 
2Broke2Sleep said:
Yeah it is, probably too expensive. But if you've got a client that needs their panel labeled AND shutting off power isn't realistic, it's the go to tool.
Click to expand...
There's more to it than that.
I do circuit maps as a service. This seems like it would be a huge time saver and also gentler on the knees when mapping a 3-storey house. I use night lights now and it's a solid money-maker that also makes any future trouble shooting (or adding to an underused circuit) much easier for me. Since I give them a copy of the map and digital link, they have my name handy any time they open the panel, so it's also self promotion.

Question:
...What I don't understand is why there are like 8 cables, yet it's supposed to be used in a 48 circuit panel...? How does that work...?

Do you have to do a few at a time?
 
2Broke2Sleep said:
Yeah it is, probably too expensive. But if you've got a client that needs their panel labeled AND shutting off power isn't realistic, it's the go to tool.
Click to expand...
That’s why I bought my first tracer back in the 80’s. I did work for Day’s Inn corporate HQ in their computer room. Turning off the wrong circuit was not an option. Servers were 60 amp 480 three phase, and size of washing machines!
 
jmellc said:
I know tracers have been discussed before but it's been a long time. I think a lot of guys use to like Ideal kits. I might have a chance of boss buying one soon. Really need something to cover 120, 208, 277 and 480. Live for sure, dead would be a plus.

What are any of you using and liking these days?

Thx
Click to expand...
At the large 12 story hospital that I retired from we found that the Amprobe tracer was the best tracer for locating 120 & 277 volt circuit breakers. Cheaper tracers that union electricians used over halve the time would not locate breakers that were on 120/208 volt panels using a shared nuetral. After halve a hour wasted with their cheap tracers they would borrow ours. Think they cost over $400 15 years ago but well worth it. While working in a halve million square foot plant back in the 1980' s took us five years to locate where the 277 volt power for our 10,000 square foot maintenance shop feed from. Conduit sent into the slab to parts unknown. Company had 6 electricians but refused to purchase a tracer. One Saturday night two if us shut off every 277 volt circuit breaker within 400' of the shop. When we removed the cover from a 600 amp 480 volt panel that only had three pole circuit breakers installed found a two fuse 250 volt fuse block bolted to the inside of the panel.They used #10 wire to feed the fuses coming off the copper buss. Was surprised that 250 volt fuses lasted over 30 years that were feed off of 480 volts.
 
garbo said:
At the large 12 story hospital that I retired from we found that the Amprobe tracer was the best tracer for locating 120 & 277 volt circuit breakers. Cheaper tracers that union electricians used over halve the time would not locate breakers that were on 120/208 volt panels using a shared nuetral. After halve a hour wasted with their cheap tracers they would borrow ours. Think they cost over $400 15 years ago but well worth it. While working in a halve million square foot plant back in the 1980' s took us five years to locate where the 277 volt power for our 10,000 square foot maintenance shop feed from. Conduit sent into the slab to parts unknown. Company had 6 electricians but refused to purchase a tracer. One Saturday night two if us shut off every 277 volt circuit breaker within 400' of the shop. When we removed the cover from a 600 amp 480 volt panel that only had three pole circuit breakers installed found a two fuse 250 volt fuse block bolted to the inside of the panel.They used #10 wire to feed the fuses coming off the copper buss. Was surprised that 250 volt fuses lasted over 30 years that were feed off of 480 volts.
Click to expand...
The Amprobe tracers were good at finding neutrals from different circuits tied together, or wrong neutrals from different sets tied to a different set hot, Or even different panel. When I would do panel changeouts, the neutral bar would sometimes still be “hot” because a neutral from a different panel circuit was terminated there, and it would go open when I disconnected that panel.
 
hillbilly1 said:
The Amprobe tracers were good at finding neutrals from different circuits tied together, or wrong neutrals from different sets tied to a different set hot, Or even different panel. When I would do panel changeouts, the neutral bar would sometimes still be “hot” because a neutral from a different panel circuit was terminated there, and it would go open when I disconnected that panel.
Click to expand...
So you would trace the neutral from the panel through the building when you found one? Or you'd attach to both hot and neutral at (say) a receptacle location and find each individually? Or both either?

BTW, for anyone reading this, I use AFCI breakers as a diagnostic tool for finding shared neutrals/hots quite a lot. Where I live houses are often 100+ years old and have layers of janky homeowner/jackleg repairs and add-ons. Lots of trouble shooting K&T!
 
Greg Avakian said:
So you would trace the neutral from the panel through the building when you found one? Or you'd attach to both hot and neutral at (say) a receptacle location and find each individually? Or both either?

BTW, for anyone reading this, I use AFCI breakers as a diagnostic tool for finding shared neutrals/hots quite a lot. Where I live houses are often 100+ years old and have layers of janky homeowner/jackleg repairs and add-ons. Lots of trouble shooting K&T!
Click to expand...
Hot and neutral, it will separate at the panel, you can use a battery between the neutral and a separate ground if you want to trace it in walls.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top