Puck light CONFUSED !!!!!!!!!

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

allenwayne

Senior Member
OK Maybe one of you can answer a confusing situation.Because I sure can`t figure this one out !!! :D .Just got off the nextel with him he took the original trans and puck light since had changed it out with a new one and hooked them up and they worked ???So he changed the appliance cord and low and behold the light came on!!!!Does anyone have any idea why the 1st cord that read 119 volts and the second cord which also had 119 volts would not allow the trans to work ????I have seen some strange things but this takes the cake.
Same lights,same trans. same voltage.but different cord and now it works !!!
JUST WHEN YOU`VE SEEN IT ALL !!!!!!!!!
 
Re: Puck light CONFUSED !!!!!!!!!

Hello:
Very weird. Maybe theres an open in the cord where only one or two strands are making contact where you can measure voltage but those two strands cant carry the load. But you would think it would burn open those last strands with the load. I don't know? You better check the basement for pods!
 
Re: Puck light CONFUSED !!!!!!!!!

Florida no basements :D Wierd yes,what gets me is there was 119 volts at the cord end.Still no output :confused:
 
Re: Puck light CONFUSED !!!!!!!!!

The only way to take an accurate voltage reading is to take the reading WITH the load applied.
The cord most likely had a damaged wire, just like 612278 said...and when you applied the load it dropped to about 20 volts or something...then the tranformer dropped it again! The end result was a secondary voltage so low that it wasn't enough to light the 12v bulb.
;)

Dave
 
Re: Puck light CONFUSED !!!!!!!!!

The service tech had the foresight to keep the old appliance cord I`ll get it today and put a load on it.I`ll let you know what I find ;)
 
Re: Puck light CONFUSED !!!!!!!!!

Hopefully the cord will only give you 12 volts with the load applied...You wont even need the transformer!!! :roll:

Dave
 
Re: Puck light CONFUSED !!!!!!!!!

I have had several of these puck light kits that come with those two prong plugs that you install after you cut the wire to length, they just pierce the wire with a sharp point. And they don't always make a connection. But I have always used a loading type voltage meter to do trouble shooting (Ideal Vol-Con) which shows actual voltage. You can get very miss leading voltages when using a DVM or other non-loading meter.
 
Re: Puck light CONFUSED !!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by hurk27:
But I have always used a loading type voltage meter to do trouble shooting (Ideal Vol-Con) which shows actual voltage. You can get very miss leading voltages when using a DVM or other non-loading meter.
Click to expand...
I have considered getting a wiggy, because I've heard older electricians talk about how much better they are, more trustworthy.

How many amps does it pull? Why are they more reliable? When will it tell the truth when a DMM will lie?
 
Re: Puck light CONFUSED !!!!!!!!!

George a wiggy will apply about a .5 amp load on a circuit when checking voltage while it will not be as accurate as a DVM it will give a better indication whether or not there is a usable voltage on a certain wire. when we run wires in bundles or race-ways and you have a wire that is not connected with a load to a grounded conductor on ether end a DVM will show a induced voltage or as some call it a fathom voltage. This also will show up on those Tic-Tracers which in trouble shooting will render you to believe that there is a usable voltage there when there is not. And if you think there is voltage you will do your trouble shooting as if there were. which could lead you in a direction that you shouldn't be going which will cost you more time finding the real problem. DVM's have there place but it should only be used when a circuit is loaded or on a known good circuit. If you needed to know what the voltage at the service was you would have the loads in the building on it so you would get an accurate reading. But if you were to turn off all the breakers or main and had a bad leg from the transformer you would still see a voltage but would not see the bad leg until you turned on a load.

Hope this helps
 
Re: Puck light CONFUSED !!!!!!!!!

It does, thanks.

Does the continuity testing portion of a wiggy detect continuity through a light bulb? As in, testing at a switch from the ground to switchleg?

Induced voltage doesn't tend to mess with me much, I've only seen it as high as 40V, working on travellers.

But your points lead me to put that on my "to-get" list. :)
 
Re: Puck light CONFUSED !!!!!!!!!

The Ideal Volt-Con will as it will show continuity to about 400k ohms. I can wet my fingers and touch the probes and the LED will light. but with it that sensitive it will also give you some false readings so you have to know what your checking for. But it is good when checking for leakage like a post light feed tripping a GFCI circuit. going thru a load is one of the false positives that can throw you if you are not aware of the load. but after getting use to trouble shooting with it it all falls into place.
Also "Wiggy" Is a brand name that Square D uses for there voltage tester but I havent seen one with the continuity tester built in?
 
Re: Puck light CONFUSED !!!!!!!!!

Wayne,
I don't think the draw on a solenoid voltage tester (wiggy) is any where near 0.5 amps. I think that it is about 0.030 or 30mA.
Don
 
Re: Puck light CONFUSED !!!!!!!!!

(Editted: Oops, never mind.)

The price difference for Continuity vs. Non-C... testers are like $50. I was looking on Ebay for a better deal. :(

[ March 06, 2005, 05:13 PM: Message edited by: georgestolz ]
 
Re: Puck light CONFUSED !!!!!!!!!

I disected the appliance cord Friday and I found that the neutral connection to the cord cap had about 2 strands making the connection.So the theory that there was a problem with the cord was correct.I have found that flukes have there attributes and draw backs,Once you learn them they are great,just wish they would put a load on a circuit.Would be great for testing neutral to ground faults on AFCI circuits.AFCI testers are expensive and I lose GFCI testers like a schoolkids lose hats.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top