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[Paul W. Abernathy]

depends David....is it lighting up or actually beeping.....lighting up means nothing...it has to light up AND beep to mean anything.

[David P. Valley]

Originally Posted by pabernathy

depends David....is it lighting up or actually beeping.....lighting up means nothing...it has to light up AND beep to mean anything.

It was not audible, it's simply lighting up.

I had thought that when this specific tracer lights up, it tells me that an appliance is ungrounded?

If not, why do I get a light (no audible) at some mechanicals and no light at others? It's a grounding situation...Am I right?

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Because the light may tell you of an defective ground ( week connection maybe as well ) if steady....not fluttering light...it could be other factors as well on the equipment...BUT unless the audible alarm goes off it is not truly CURRENT that we need to be concerned with in regards to LIFE....

They are TRULY voltage detectors.......shaking them make them go off in many cases....any brand....BUT the audible is the KEY with these units...

And as always TEST it on a known circuit before using on ANY circuit...this goes without saying for any tester.

The Manufacturer makes this statement below...which is probably 100% correct...the main focus of a voltage ticker is NOT to diagnose issues in a system ( thats your job )...it is really designed to ensure AC Current is not present on electrical equipment and if the presence of AC Current is imposed on the equipment then it will GLOW and give an AUDIBLE TONE as well.

Defective Grounds: Electrical equipment that has a metal enclosure
and is improperly grounded or has a defective ground will always
result in the Sensors tip emitting a steady red glow. If there is
enough electrical field present on the metal enclosure, the result
will be a steady red glow and an audible tone.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

When I said it means nothing...I am refering to the presence of AC Current that could SHOCK YOU.....not as a diagnostic tool....I am not prepared to make such a bold statement as the manufacturer is...but I think what they are saying is this....

If you have a metal electrical enclosure and the ticker goes off with a GLOW RED light....that there is a GOOD chance it is not grounded properly because a magnetic field is being placed onto the equipment...which should not happen if done properly...so it sends up RED flags...now if the magnetic field is SO great ( as it would with AC Current running on it ) then it would not only GLOW but would give an audible tone as well....this is the MORE serious of the two usages...but getting a glow red on metal equipment would make me look a little closer that the equipment...most certainly.

[David P. Valley]

Originally Posted by pabernathy

When I said it means nothing...I am refering to the presence of AC Current that could SHOCK YOU.....not as a diagnostic tool....I am not prepared to make such a bold statement as the manufacturer is...but I think what they are saying is this....

If you have a metal electrical enclosure and the ticker goes off with a GLOW RED light....that there is a GOOD chance it is not grounded properly because a magnetic field is being placed onto the equipment...which should not happen if done properly...so it sends up RED flags...now if the magnetic field is SO great ( as it would with AC Current running on it ) then it would not only GLOW but would give an audible tone as well....this is the MORE serious of the two usages...but getting a glow red on metal equipment would make me look a little closer that the equipment...most certainly.

I'm familiar with the metal enclosures that make the tracer glow with no audible...I simply call it out as ungrounded.

Are you saying that a red glow with no audible at SE glass meter enclosure is nothing to worry about? I'm literally placing the tracer on the front of the glass and it's glowing.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

I can't SEE inside your meter David...I am not going to call Mrs. warwicks hotline either to hazard a guess. The meter can is outside of my rhelm but I would venture to say if are you checking a meter with a digital reader inside of it...which could be putting off a magnetic field and that is what it is picking up.

Hell man...I use a ticker to test Ballasts all the time......just something I figured out...move it halfway up the tickers white area and a good ballast will make it glow on the YELLOW wires....but a bad ballast it wont glow....

So..point being...had nothing to do with ground in that case...was just sensing the magnetic field and I use it to let me know if a ballast is bad...but since it did not BEEP I know it is not enough AC Current to harm me...

As for the subtle readings and the worry about inside a meter can...I suggest you contact the manufacturer on them ( remember I dont make them... )