Hot Panel

[Bryce W. Jeffrey]

I completed an inspection on a 33 year old house with aluminum wiring. Before opening the panel, I used my "Ciruit Alert" and covered all four corners of the panel box. I was leaning on a chest freezer directly in front of the panel. The alert indicated a current. I was surprised and tested the box again. This time I did not make contact with the freezer. The alert indicated no current. I have had the unfortunate experience years ago of going dead to ground and woke up in the hospital. In this case I declined to inspect the electrical and wrote up that a licensed electrician should be consulted.
Comments Please.

Bryce Jeffrey

[Doug Edwards, CMI]

Your call, and probably the right one. When in doubt, err to the side of caution. Chances are pretty good you would have had to defer some items to an electrician anyway with the presence of aluminum wiring in a 33 year old home. No telling what you would have found behind the cover panel.

[Speedy Petey]

I totally agree about deferring a home wired with AL branch circuits, but relying on a "no-touch" tester in this case is a bit reactionary IMO.

Those things are notorious for false positives. Heck, if you rub those things againt your shirt you get beeping.

Also, your tester indicates voltage, NOT current.

[Jeffrey R. Wicklander]

Those things are notorious for false positives. Heck, if you rub those things againt your shirt you get beeping.


I used to do that to my apprentices and tell them that they're full of potential.

Jeff

[Doug Edwards, CMI]

Petey,
You got that right..I got a Greenlee that will chirp off my hand sometimes. I have a couple others less sensitive.

[gmortensen]

Originally Posted by jwicklander

Those things are notorious for false positives. Heck, if you rub those things againt your shirt you get beeping.


I used to do that to my apprentices and tell them that they're full of potential.

Jeff

Too funny! We just send ours to Tim Hortons.

[aerb]

Yes, I think you made a good choice! by deferring to a qualified Electrician.

[Speedy Petey]

Amy, are you really from Moose Jaw?

I LOVE that name!

TRIVIA: Do you know the cinematic signifigance of it? What film was it mentioned in?