Ideal sure test 61-165

Status
Not open for further replies.
A couple inspectors I work with have them. That's all they use when the check a trim. I've never asked them their opinions about it, but they don't use the 'old-fashioned' 3-light plug in testers.
 
bighills said:
Has anyone used the Ideal sure test 61-165 circuit anylizer? The one that gives you voltage drop
Click to expand...

Yes, I have one and really like it. It doesn't solve all your problems but it does give some good information and it's quick and easy to use. :smile:
 
bighills said:
Has anyone used the Ideal sure test 61-165 circuit anylizer? The one that gives you voltage drop
Click to expand...
i got the tester and i like it. not quite sure how it checks for voltage drop. every piece of wire i tested with it always shows a vd thats higher than what the nec allows :-?
 
electricalperson said:
i got the tester and i like it. not quite sure how it checks for voltage drop. every piece of wire i tested with it always shows a vd thats higher than what the nec allows :-?
Click to expand...
The NEC allows almost any voltage drop, but it does have some recommendations.

This Ideal Sure Test tool is favored by high-strung home inspectors and has no real value to the electrician.

I consider it a novelty.
 
I think the inspectors that have them here like them so they can identify 'bootleg' grounds.... that is, grounded receps on ungrounded circuts that have a jumper between the white & green screws.
 
Testing for voltage drop in a residence is an exercise in futility because we have no control over the utility side of the wiring system, and there is certainly vd that occurs on the outside portion of the system.
 
peter d said:
Testing for voltage drop in a residence is an exercise in futility.
Click to expand...

Trying to meet NEC recommendations may be an exercise in futility but there are excessive voltage drops.

In order to understand excessvie voltage drop you have to do some manual calculations for diffenent lengths of cable for both #14 and & #12.

Many times a voltage drop of 10 or 12% will be perfectly normal for a certain length of cable under a 15 Amp load. If you measure 10% at one receptacle and all of a sudden it jumps up to 15% at the next receptacle and there would normally only be 16 ft of cable between the two this may indicate a problem. It real easy to at least pull the two receptacles involved in the test and check for poor connections. I have found a loose back stab connections or a loose and corroded connection at a terminal.

Just like any other piece of test equipment it takes a little practice to have an idea of what the information that you are getting actually means.

Many inspectors get bent out of shape when they see a high percent of voltage drop and this only means that there is a very long home run.

One good reason to own a Sure Test is so that you can see ( for yourself ) the information the inspectors have noted on the inspection report. This makes it much easier to decide if there is a real problem or not. One problem I have found is that inspectors get in a hurry and will note high voltage drops because they do not use the equipment properly. You really need to give the tester time to cool between readings. Don't try to test everything as fast as you can go.
 
danickstr said:
That is a shameful trick.
Click to expand...
i installed a receptacle new wire and everything and after i energized it the tester said i had a bootleg ground. i went downstairs and the neutral from the service was touching the can of the panel and i moved the neutral off the can and it was gone.
 
electricalperson said:
i installed a receptacle new wire and everything and after i energized it the tester said i had a bootleg ground. i went downstairs and the neutral from the service was touching the can of the panel and i moved the neutral off the can and it was gone.
Click to expand...
They will also flasely show a "bootleg ground" if the receptacle under test is sufficiently close to the panel.
 
electricalperson said:
i installed a receptacle new wire and everything and after i energized it the tester said i had a bootleg ground. i went downstairs and the neutral from the service was touching the can of the panel and i moved the neutral off the can and it was gone.
Click to expand...

Why should this make a diffrence, if it's a service the neutral should be bonded to the can by the bonding screw in the neutral bar
 
Another opinion....

Another opinion....

I like mine and can't see describing it as "useless" to the electrician. Once you have your circuits identified, you can learn alot from loop impedence and why and where you have abnormal VD. Just today I identified a clear problem with it, I didn't have to kill the circuit, and found it in less than 10 minutes.
I had 1.04ohms on the hot leg of one recep.. Guess what I found, and I never had to pull the recep to find it:roll:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top