Maybe it’s well-known?
I work in old houses a good bit, and often on the old two-wire electrical systems it’s not immediately clear which is the hot and which is the neutral, short of finding a ground somewhere. Often both wires are black
BUT – I found that the little neon tester in my tool pouch can work. I hold one lead, and put the other lead on the suspect wires in turn. If it’s pretty dim inside, I get a faint glow from the tester on the hot wire!
Don’t feel nuthin’
Forrest – can make a lightbulb in my mouth light up
Replies
A non-contact voltage tester works too. And it's probably a little easer to read. Here's an example: http://www.amazon.com/GB-GVD-504A-Circuit-Non-Contact-Voltage/dp/B00004WLKP
-Don
I use one of those and Design should invest in one .
Tim
I used to have one of those GB brand testers. POS
Buy greenlee
Ron
Old trick, but a good one. Don't ever try that with a wiggy. No sir. Don't ask how I know that.
I think I tried it with my wiggy and got nothing so went back to mc's trick.
maybe i'm mistakenthoughFriends help you move.
Real friends help you move bodies!
Probably weren't grounded good. If you are grounded well, it will give you a jolt.
Umm. . . DW says I should go ahead and ask; not to be intimidated.
What's a wiggy? Please God don't let it be dirty - I don't want to get "the letter"
Is it when your hair stands up on end?
Forrest
Name brand of a tester.
I don't think we will get banned for that, but wedgie...........Friends help you move.
Real friends help you move bodies!
A Wiggy is a particular brand of tester aka a "solenoidal tester"... it has a solenoid buzzer that gives you a vibrating indication as well as providing a higher load on the circuit being tested (avoids false phantom voltage readings).
HTH
PaulB
Of course the tester will often light up on a disconnected wire as well.
How could a neon tester get any power from a disconnected wire? Or you mean a NC?
Forrest
I mean a wire that isn't connected at either end. If it happens to run in the same romex as a "hot" wire, the capacitive pickup is often enough to light the tester.
Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm but the harm does not interest them. --T.S. Eliot