How to use telephone tracer

[Greg1707]

I often have bad luck with using a telephone toner on a dead circuit. I want to trace a 14/3 romex from its origination at the panel. I have four wires and two telephone toner leads. What is the proper procedure for connecting the toner?

 

[zbang]

What are you using as a pickup/probe? With the usual telephone pickup, I clip one of the toner leads to any ungrounded wire and let the other lead hang; the wire radiates better that way and you can often trace through walls. You'll also sonicly pollute all the regular telephones in the house .

However.... telephone tracers aren't made for use on power lines, and you'll get a nasty surprise if you touch the pickup's tip to a live terminal.

 

[JFletcher]

What are you using as a pickup/probe? With the usual telephone pickup, I clip one of the toner leads to any ungrounded wire and let the other lead hang; the wire radiates better that way and you can often trace through walls. You'll also sonicly pollute all the regular telephones in the house .

However.... telephone tracers aren't made for use on power lines, and you'll get a nasty surprise if you touch the pickup's tip to a live terminal.

Yep. Phone tracers arent voltage rated (tho ring voltage wont destroy a toner). Clip onto ungrounded conductor of powered off circuit with one lead, let other hang. Make sure you turn on tracer lol, use probe. btw, phone probes are pretty bad about picking up thru EMT, dunno about MC as I've never tried it. Romex/NM should be pretty easy.

You can also test for neutrals tied together by lifting the neutral from bar in the panel, clip onto it. You should not have any other neutrals ringing in the panel. You can also find buried boxes with these things.

My 77 toners have an internal high/low beep switch, if you have it, set it on high/fast setting - seems to get thru drywall better. Make sure your batteries are fresh too.