Fluke Safety Recall 1AC-1 VoltAlert

[wptski]

Spotted this in another forum: Safety Recall

 

[dreamsville]

Thanks Bill

 

[ohmhead]

Well thank you our company has everyone use one we have to have one to work or your sent home we all mostly use fluke so this is a good post .

OR should i say flukes

 

[zbang]

From the recall notice-

"The voltage indicator red light can fail to illuminate, which can mislead a user to believe there is no voltage in the circuit that is being measured."

To me, this is a non-issue. First, a live-dead-live test would notice this, and second this is the wrong tool for checking to see if something is dead!!! It's a great tool to see if a wire is live, but that's all.

I will agree that joe homeowner (and unfortunately a few people in the trade), don't understand this, and if I had any of this model, I'd follow the recall because it's official. OTOH I wouldn't worry about my own safety.

 

[wptski]

From the recall notice-

To me, this is a non-issue. First, a live-dead-live test would notice this, and second this is the wrong tool for checking to see if something is dead!!! It's a great tool to see if a wire is live, but that's all.

I will agree that joe homeowner (and unfortunately a few people in the trade), don't understand this, and if I had any of this model, I'd follow the recall because it's official. OTOH I wouldn't worry about my own safety.

What if it happens to fail after the live/dead or sometime inbetween??

Not good since this is Fluke's latest VoltAlert model!

 

[big john]

From the recall notice-

To me, this is a non-issue. First, a live-dead-live test would notice this, and second this is the wrong tool for checking to see if something is dead!!! It's a great tool to see if a wire is live, but that's all.

I absolutely agree with the first part, but I disagree with the second.

Understanding the limitations of a tick-tester are no different than understanding the limitations of a multimeter.

I'm just as comfortable using a tick-tester to confirm de-energized 600V gear as I am using a multimeter. At least with the non-contact tester, I don't have the possibility of a phase-to-phase fault if something inside my multimeter should break down.

-John

 

[K8MHZ]

Since Fluke started having their products made in China I have been very reluctant to buy them.

 

[ohmhead]

Well i look at it this way we are to test it on a live circuit first this is are safety rule .

Now your think every electrician follows that to the letter no they dont so its a good post to make us think how real people do there work in the field and i dont like a sensor but we must have one in our tool bag .
so i own one but i use a wiggy 1st in my book or a volt tester rated for voltage i never have had trust in a voltage sensor its just in the tool bag still new never used it .

 

[AV ELECTRIC]

It comes down to your trust of your equipment when you see recalls like this it gets you a little nervous . If you are testing with a meter. tick tester or wiggy and you are not registering voltage its always good to use more than one to make sure no voltage is present.

 

[zbang]

What if it happens to fail after the live/dead or sometime in between??l!

That's why you do a live test after the dead one. Either way, if I want to make sure something is dead, I'll use the t+pro. If I want to see if it's live, I'll use the stick (or the t+pro). Different tools for different tests.

BTW, I'm not saying that people shouldn't return the recalled testers. (All my fluke volt-alert thingies are old ones which haven't been recalled.) And since I just checked, there are also recalls for the T2 and 333/4/5/6/7 clamp-on meters (http://us.fluke.com/usen/Support/Safety/default.htm).

 

[weressl]

From the recall notice-

To me, this is a non-issue. First, a live-dead-live test would notice this, and second this is the wrong tool for checking to see if something is dead!!! It's a great tool to see if a wire is live, but that's all.

I will agree that joe homeowner (and unfortunately a few people in the trade), don't understand this, and if I had any of this model, I'd follow the recall because it's official. OTOH I wouldn't worry about my own safety.

For a long time I held the same position as you do concerning the multi-meter versus proximity voltage detector. But I recognized that it was a primarily visceral reaction, without really thinking through the problem on its true factual merits.

Stepping back from it and thinking it through I had changed my opinion. A tester's primary purpose IS to detect the presence or absence of voltage. The mutimeter's purpose is to measure the specific value of a parameter fro troubleshooting, calibrating or other functional purpose.

Both of them use assembled and engineered components to accomplish their designated function. Since in both cases the rule of T-B-T (Test Before Touch) should be followed, the reliability of either alone or comparatively is immaterial.

Given the simplicity, compactness and lower price, the proximity tester is more affordable, therefore it will gain wider use.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

...
Given the simplicity, compactness and lower price, the proximity tester is more affordable, therefore it will gain wider use.

But there are common conditions that can cause the proximity tester to give a false negative. If your known live test does not exactly match the conditions of the conditions of the item to be worked on you could be in for a surprise.
For some people the proximity testers do not work well if yo are on an insulated ladder and they also don't work well if you have a cable wiring method that contains paper under the jacket and the paper is wet. That being said, if you understand the conditions that can give false negatives, they can be an excellent tool. Also other testers can also lead you to believe that there is no voltage when there actually is. It all boils down to the fact that you actually have to have some idea of what you are doing to be an electrician.
Here is power point presentation on some of the issues with TBT. Slide 11 talks about some of the issues with proximity testers.

 

[weressl]

But there are common conditions that can cause the proximity tester to give a false negative. If your known live test does not exactly match the conditions of the conditions of the item to be worked on you could be in for a surprise.
For some people the proximity testers do not work well if yo are on an insulated ladder and they also don't work well if you have a cable wiring method that contains paper under the jacket and the paper is wet. That being said, if you understand the conditions that can give false negatives, they can be an excellent tool. Also other testers can also lead you to believe that there is no voltage when there actually is. It all boils down to the fact that you actually have to have some idea of what you are doing to be an electrician.
Here is power point presentation on some of the issues with TBT. Slide 11 talks about some of the issues with proximity testers.

"....that you actually have to have some idea of what you are doing to be an electrician."

Really? You CAN'T be serious......