Every do it yourself guy can’t go without a voltage tester. This is especially true if you are doing the wiring on your own home. It is one of the most important tools in your tool kit for this sort of job. Knowing how to use a voltage tester can help you tell if electricity is running through the wires or not. With it you can tell whether the power is on or off in the house.
Needed Equipment
To test the wiring in your home you’ll need the following equipment. First you need safety glasses or goggles and safety gloves. You should always consider your safety first before anything else in this sort of job. Obviously you should know how to use a voltage tester and have one ready. However, do take note that not all testers are the same thus the need for precaution.
How to Use a Voltage Tester
You can start testing your house’s electricity using a two-pronged voltage tester. With it you can determine if the electricity is already on or if it’s still off. You can opt to use an outlet box if there is one that’s not yet mounted onto the wall.
To do so, you should take the lead wire of your tester. This is the one that has the red wire. Place this wire on one of the box screws the outlet’s side. Then place the next lead wire, the black one, on the other screw in the same box. If the light on the tester goes up that means you have power on this outlet.
If, for instance, all the outlets are already mounted onto the wall, here’s how to use a voltage tester given this scenario. Place your red lead wire into the outlet and the black one on the screw located at the top.
Now, if you are testing a receptacle you’ll have to use a different tester. Use a plug tester for receptacles, which is the one that has three lights on it. It can be used to identify if there is power on the receptacle and if it’s properly wired or not.
Learning how to use a voltage tester means you have to be familiar with the different types and sizes of testers out there. You have handheld testers that are commonly used to test the electricity in the home. On the other hand you also have larger high voltage testers that are usually used for commercial buildings. You also have non-touch testers, which is something that looks like a pen.
Using the Right Tester
Make sure you know how to use a voltage tester designed for a specific purpose. Handheld testers are fine if you’re just using them to test the wiring in your home. However, if ever you have high voltage devices or high voltage receptacles you should use a high voltage tester instead of a handheld. You might want to call an electrician for the high voltage receptacles just to be sure.
