Reddit mentions: The best insulation resistance meters

I keep a small bag in my main bag that I can clip to my belt. I mostly use it when I know I'm going to be working in a panel for a while but in general this covers 75% of my needs. Here's the bag.

Here is what I keep in it.

Wire Stripper / Needle Nose I haven't had these for too long but I really like them.

Small meter I like this one for a lot of reasons. One is that will fit in the bag and is good enough to use under 480 in my opinion.

Voltage Detector The meter has non-contact voltage detection, but I like this one more.

Crescent Wrench I like this one because it also has the monkey wrench on it so it's good for tightening air lines from time to time. Though in reality I don't use that feature much.

A couple larger screwdrivers #2 phillips and a flat head big enough to open panels easily.

Controls Screwdriver For terminals and such. I sometimes use the ones with the rotating end.

Flashlight These are not the best, but they're cheap and work as a penlight and they can do area illumination with a magnetic base.

I have seconds (and in the case of the meter and flashlights - a higher quality version) of all these in my main bag, but I mostly use this little pouch.

I have a a backpack for LD (various MIDI interfaces, USB-DMX dongle, laptops, AA Maglite) or a Bum bag for more hands-on electrics (where I say Knippex, Lindstrom, Fluke. And Maglite.). And a toolbox with the all important hammer (nicknamed "sweetness"), big-ass wrenches and so on.

I try not to forget this, ever.

Also a Wera of sort, but damn this one is elegant, I wasn't aware of it.

That thingy when used responsibly is a huge help, but do NOT use it as a safety controller.

Speaking of which, I tend to get people mad by insisting on using this before starting actual work. 400mA diff NOT working anyone? It happens.

Looking at how things are organised here, I couldn't get it in one bag; long jobs end up filling my car actually: Gels, and spares, and backups, and adapters, and an actual toolbox... And the cordless drill... when I do festivals or street theatre or such, my car end up the Tool-chest, you can't possibly carry it all while on the move, but you can organise your trunk so that everything comes easily at hand.

oh my goodness!!! what a great little gadget. I had no idea something like this even exists. I checked Amazon Canada but there are so many of these, and the instruction videos shows them sticking it into the hole of the wall plug. Yeah of course it has electricity inside. Will it work on any surface like a lets say a metal countertop that is "live" for whatever reasons???

I am going to buy the one a little expensive because it seems to be a reliable brand as per the reviews. Please let me know what you think and tell me if it will work on any conducting surfaces??

https://www.amazon.ca/Fluke-1AC-A1-II-Volt-Alert-Non-Contact-Voltage/dp/B000EJ332O/ref=sr_1_5?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1518252273&sr=1-5&keywords=non+contact+voltage+tester

How about that one please??

http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-1AC-A1-II-VoltAlert-Non-Contact-Voltage/dp/B000EJ332O/

This is a higher quality one and it's still pretty affordable, these would indeed be pretty helpful. Sure, hidden cameras are inherently hidden but they require some basic stuff (Power, a point of view) and based on that you can surmise where they would be should they exist.

Someone who wants to creep you would want to get you naked so bathrooms and bedrooms, aimed at toilet/shower and bed/closet areas, from there you go for POV, where could a camera be that faces these areas. There are ultra small wifi cameras but most people would go with the easiest possible installation (i.e. wired to existing power sources and so on) so it's not as hard as it sounds.

Replacing them is extremely simple. It's just a matter of turning off the power at the electrical panel, unscrewing the plate and switch/outlet, disconnecting the wires from the old switch/outlet, and reconnecting them to the new one. Three way switches just have one extra wire. This video gives a good overview of the process.

The only tool you might want to grab is a non-contact voltage tester to make sure the power is definitely turned off before you start handling the wires. A regular DMM would work as well if you already own one.

If you’re looking for a non contact voltage tester ( tick tracer) my personal favorite is the fluke.

Fluke 1AC-A1-II VoltAlert Non-Contact Voltage Tester https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EJ332O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_PMRkDb24ADV56

If you’re looking for a wiggy to check actual voltage I would recommend buying a volt meter. I currently use this one and love it.

Fluke T5600 Electrical Voltage, Continuity and Current Tester https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006Z3GZU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rPRkDbNV768AZ

I would recommend getting one of these non-contact voltage testers (or similar). They work great and you don't need to have physical contact like a multi-meter. That's very handy if the wires are not exposed.

Mine saved my bacon when I was replacing the outlet in the bathroom. I shut off the breaker for the bathroom, but still tested the outlet to be sure. To my surprise, it was still live (must be a different circuit to handle hair dryers).

For a pretty comprehensive list, check out this, but here's my list of basic, around the house tools that you should have that aren't on your list above. I didn't include garden tools.

• Screwdrivers
  
  
• Utility knife
  
  
• Tape measure
  
  
• Stud finder
  
  
• Level. Use long ones for items that are long or tall, use small ones for smaller objects
  
  
• Drill/driver, preferably cordless
  
  
• Drill bits
  
  
• Circular Saw
  
  
• Channel lock pliers
  
  
• Vise-grip type pliers
  
  
• Plumbing equipment, especially teflon tape
  
  
• Crescent wrenches
  
  
• Socket set
  
  
• Five-in-one painting tool
  
  
• Putty knife
  
  
• Circuit tester. There are a couple of options. You can get simple ones that are just a probe and probe with a light that you stick into outlets, but I recommend something like this. You can get fancier with a volt meter, but for the most part a simple one will do.
  
  
  Any other tools/equipment can be purchased/borrowed/rented on a case by case basis.
  

For 80% of hardware work you just need a good, solid multi-tipped magnetic screwdriver and a pez dispenser full of excedrin.

Toss in a power supply tester like a Dr. Power II and you have nearly all hardware tools you need.

Just be aware that many software tools on Hirens are only licensed for personal use, using them for professional use would be a violation of license agreement.

If you're going to be checking networks, you're going to want a good fluke toner, and a fluke voltage tester so you don't kill yourself

You're also going to want a cat5 crimper that won't break

If you're troubleshooting big networks then pick up a fluke microscanner II, but only if it will save you several thousand bucks in effort.

Non-contact voltage tester is what I'd use. I linked a Fluke, but you should be able to pick up something comparable for around the house usage for around $20.

I'd bet it's 120v, and if a doorbell doesn't sound inside the house when you press the button, it's probably disconnected.

If not, there's a wire shoved in the walls or ceiling somewhere that's going hot every time you press the button.

Good luck.

For non contact testers fluke makes one of the best ones.
http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-1AC-A1-II-VoltAlert-Non-Contact-Voltage/dp/B000EJ332O

This one will let you isolate the exact wire in the panel/box that is on, versus other testers that are so sensitive it will tic on wires that are merely around other wires that are hot.

In any case all electricians need to have a non contact tester in their bag, it helps keep everyone alive.

It's probably fine but considering it's electricity I'd stick with the tried and true. Any electrician in the US will tell you Fluke is the gold standard.

Edit- apparently "less than 20 dollars" is no longer true.

https://www.amazon.com/Fluke-1LAC-Voltage-Detector-1000V/dp/B000EJ332O/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=klein%2Bnon%2Bcontact&qid=1566832341&s=gateway&sr=8-9&th=1

I should also mention I like this one best because the Klein ones can be sensitive to bumping and give off false positives: Fluke 1AC-A1-II VoltAlert Non-Contact Voltage Tester https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EJ332O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_5HP2Db6VTSXP3

I'll second the call from /u/Cheech47 that you should get a multi-meter. I'll go even further and say you should also get a non-contact voltage tester. The one linked is my preference, but just don't pick up whatever cheapy they have at Home Depot or Lowes. You want one that will work in a marginally crowded box without just going off because *something* in there is hot. =)

> I'd at least take it apart and use a multi-meter to see if the wires are hot.

I would NOT recommend using a multi-meter to see if the wires are hot. Get yourself one of these things. I consider them an absolute essential for any homeowner or DIY'er. It's a very easy, and relatively safe, way to test for a live cable.

Without knowing what he's already got it's hard to say. He's probably already got all the basics. I'm just assuming he's already got boardsaws, tape measures, screwdriver sets, plier sets and so forth.

I'll list off a couple of things I would rather not live without:

[Irwin wire strippers] (http://www.amazon.com/Irwin-Industrial-Tools-2078300-Self-Adjusting/dp/B000OQ21CA) These are totally awesome.

[Non contact voltage detector] (http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-1AC-A1-II-VoltAlert-Non-Contact-Voltage/dp/B000EJ332O/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1449993757&sr=1-3&keywords=Non+contact+voltage+detector)

Stubby ratchet screwdriver

These are great too.

https://www.amazon.com/Fluke-Voltage-Detector-1000V-AC/dp/B00ATGPRRQ

$26 bucks at Amazon, cheaper at your local hardware store.

You can get a free multi meter at Harbor Freight with purchase.

Hmm, that link should take you directly to a voltage tester. Here's another one off Amazon that appears to be getting good reviews: http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-1AC-A1-II-Volt-Alert-Non-Contact-Voltage/dp/B000EJ332O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343538975&sr=8-1&keywords=voltage+tester

It looks like you're trying to format a word into a link. Try this instead:

> [this](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EJ332O)

Result: this

Got it fixed? Downvote to delete.

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I’d want to determine which of those wires is hot and which is neutral. Like with a Non-contact voltage sensor.

Here are two tools that help:

Tells you if an outlit or wire is hot before you touch it:
http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-1AC-A1-II-Volt-Alert-Non-Contact-Voltage/dp/B000EJ332O

Allows you to find the circuit for an unlabeled outlet:
http://www.amazon.com/Sperry-CS550A-Circuit-Breaker-Finder/dp/B000ET403A

Yeah, I used one of these. Not sure how accurate they are, but you could be right about it reading another wire.

Going strong year 2.5 with this bad boy. Everyone seems to come to borrow mine when their milwaukee / klein / greenlee is being bothersome.

Edit: Mine lives on the top left shoulder strap of my vest. Never leaves that place. If mine was to break tomorrow I'd feel I got my monies worth out of it.

He found it without a Fluke: http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-1AC-A1-II-Volt-Alert-Non-Contact-Voltage/dp/B000EJ332O/ref=pd_cp_hi_2

That Klein non contact tester is garbage, go with the tried and tested fluke

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EJ332O?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B000EJ332O&linkCode=xm2&tag=vrefid-20

You can use one of these to test if the line in the wall is still live. Push it in the hole you made and it should light up. Then turn off breakers one by one until the light on the sensor turns off.

> classic Fluke

You mean this one?

I think he means an induction meter/tester.

It's already on the way

I have one of these in my bag to prevent just such an occurrence. You don't realize how handy they are until you've used one and lost it.

We're redoing electric in our house, and the only advice I can give is do not trust any labels unless you've tested it yourself twice. We made an updated wiring map of our house using walkie-talkies and a no-touch tester. There was no logic to the map whatsoever. Half the house turned out to be wired from one 12A breaker. One room had outlets attached to 5 different breakers. Double-taps and duct-taped wires everywhere... It's going to be a long project.

I have the same non-contact tester. It is very sensitive. I was at a friend's house helping him install a ceiling fan. We had the breaker off and used the non-contact to verify that the circuit was dead. When I got on the ladder to test in the ceiling box, the tester was going crazy. His wife had these lights hanging from the ceiling. The tester was picking up the magnetic field from them, even though I was 3 to 4 feet away from them.

This is the model I use at work I haven't had any issues with it giving false readings when it is around a lower voltage source. However, if you have enough static electricity, it will pick it up.

> I would NOT recommend using a multi-meter to see if the wires are hot.

Why not? Also, you can use https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EJ332O as the url, you don't have to add all that extra crap to it

\> voltage detector is showing current on the parts that are not lit.

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non-led christmas lights have a shunt that forms when the light's filament burns out, this is so if one bulb burnt out, the series continuity isn't broken and it doesn't take out the whole strand.

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some of the shunts don't form, and that's how those lightkeeper pros are supposed to 'heal' a bad string....by making a big pulse, enough to melt and form those shunts that didn't quite make it.

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http://www.ciphersbyritter.com/RADELECT/LITES/XMSLITES.HTM

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actually, usually that lightkeeper pro voltage detector is pretty crappy, I use this:

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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EJ332O

Not only that, bit live cables? Ffs get one of these at least https://www.amazon.com/Fluke-Voltage-Detector-1000V-AC/dp/B00ATGPRRQ

Why the hell would you use a multimeter? You don't need to know what voltage it's at you just need to know if there is current passing through. A contact less voltage tester would do the job just fine.

Funny you should ask, just wired these up today. I killed the circuit, pulled out the boxes (leave them wired up), turned on the circuit again, turned on the light, and used a non-contact voltage tester (like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EJ332O/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) to determine which box had no power out when the light is turned on. That's where the companion goes. Now kill the circuit again and follow the wiring diagrams that come with the switches. Note: after wiring it up you may have 2 extra black leads in the companion box - they should be wired together (not to the switch). Also, traveler is generally red. In this set-up the companion is just wired to the master via the red traveler wire (not to the load/light, as with standard 3-way set-ups).

Or, check the labels on the old switches (mine said "two pole" where the master goes but where the companion went it was just a standard switch).

Turn off power at the circuit box. Test that the power is out on the outlet you're going to look at by plugging in a nightlight or something - it shouldn't turn on. Open up the outlet and look at the end of the wires connected to it. If they're silver they're probably aluminum, if they're copper they're probably copper.


Quick and easy, but not foolproof, as you're only looking at the one outlet. If your house has been remodeled it could have a mix.

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edit: btw...if you own a house or condo you should probably just buy one of these. You put it in an outlet, or touch a wire (even a lamp cord or similar) and it'll glow/beep if there's electricity to it. Something like replacing an outlet or switch with the same kind is dead simple - although if often seems there's no way all those wires will fit back in the wall, they will. This makes it easier to avoid shocking yourself.

I'll parrot my usual recommendation.

Stick it against all sides of a wire, no beep no problem.

First thing - Check the voltage range of your non-contact tester.

If the low end is less than 90v, toss that thing in the back of the toolbox. For working with house electricity, if your tester picks up voltages less than 90v you're going to run into problems with the tester picking up voltages that may or not be running through the wire you're testing. (I've had signaling on a dead wire, but the tester was picking up from another wire about a foot away.) I've picked the Fluke Volt-Alert with the 90-1000v range so that it won't pick up transient voltages.




Next - If you're testing outlets, pick up a receptacle tester. This will let you know if any problems exist. Or you can break out a Multimeter and follow these instructions.