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View Full Version : Circuit Breaker Tracers

PhilG.
04-11-2006, 06:24 PM
Who makes a good one?
Polar Sparky 1224
05-01-2006, 10:50 PM
I don't own one yet, but I was given this,http://us.fluke.com/usen/products/AccessoryDetail.htm?cs_id=34478%28FlukeProducts%29&catalog_name=FlukeUnitedStates
In most Electrical supply houses it cost $20. I have used it to find buried outlets and lights, without making tons of holes.

IMHO, Fluke makes the best!
PhilG.
05-02-2006, 01:23 PM
PolarSparky,
I'm referring to the gadgets that make finding the circuit breaker (on the panel) from the outlet - easier.

IE - I need to deactivate THIS outlet - how can I find the breaker <gadget>

I guess I could use my telco toner and inductive probe in the neutral and ground sides of the outlet.



Do you get my drift?

Have you ever used such a thing?
Polar Sparky 1224
05-02-2006, 01:30 PM
My co-worker had a GB, It worked really well. to bad your toner needs to have the power off. I still use my Greenlee Voltage ( which makes a high pitched beep) tester and flip breakers until it goes quite.
PhilG.
05-02-2006, 07:37 PM
I still use my Greenlee Voltage ( which makes a high pitched beep) tester and flip breakers until it goes quite.


Dude, you can't always "flip breakers" indiscriminitly until things go off. You probably could at your house, but at a college or a hospital, you can't.
In fact, BAD idea...

I see a cool one from Ideal (http://www.idealindustries.com/tm/ElectricalTesters.nsf/61-534%20Frameset?OpenFrameSet).
Polar Sparky 1224
05-02-2006, 07:52 PM
[QUOTE=PhilG.]Dude, you can't always "flip breakers" indiscriminately until things go off. You probably could at your house, but at a college or a hospital, you can't.
In fact, BAD idea...QUOTE]

Have you been taking lessons form s______1? One of my co-workers has one, and most panels at hospitals and schools are labeled correctly. And if i worked on larger jobs like that I wouldn't just flip breakers like a crazed lunatic. In a house you can do that but in a hospital or school you couldn't hear the beeping anyway over the background noise.

I have seen Ideal's and it is cool having the gfci/outlet tester as part of the tool as well. If I had the money i would have bought it at EWS.

Sorry for any confusion when i didn't say i only do that in a house.
PhilG.
05-03-2006, 09:39 PM
Yep,
Labels are nice, when they're used. If this is one of those things they inspect for, then some of the inspections were made by a blind man.
briselec
05-29-2006, 06:05 PM
PolarSparky,
I guess I could use my telco toner and inductive probe in the neutral and ground sides of the outlet.

I doubt very much that that would be of much use. What if you had a crossed neutral or common ground.
BigThom
05-29-2006, 11:02 PM
I've got one in the truck, don't remember the brand. I find it does not clearly isolate the correct breaker. I've talked to others with other brands with the same experience.
briselec
05-30-2006, 02:37 AM
Maybe not what you're looking for but I've heard good things about this
http://www.tasco-usa.com/CMT24S.htm
PhilG.
05-30-2006, 02:00 PM
Maybe not what you're looking for but I've heard good things about this
http://www.tasco-usa.com/CMT24S.htm

$895.00!
Ouch!
Rocky Mountain Sparky
05-31-2006, 07:50 AM
[QUOTE=PhilG.]I guess I could use my telco toner and inductive probe in the neutral and ground sides of the outlet.[QUOTE]
That shouldn't work. Both conductors are grounded, so there shouldn't be a signal this way.

I suppose if the toner was expensive enough, it could work. My $40 GB will not function with the hookup described. :)
PhilG.
05-31-2006, 10:24 PM
That shouldn't work. Both conductors are grounded, so there shouldn't be a signal this way.

I suppose if the toner was expensive enough, it could work. My $40 GB will not function with the hookup described. :)

I have eight toners, in all price ranges.

Heck, in a pinch, I downloaded a software "tone generator" with the output through the sound card on my laptop! Had surprising good results out to about 2500 feet.
Uhm, I think that would make it the "most expensive" tone generator. :D
Hector B
06-01-2006, 10:22 PM
I've got one in the truck, don't remember the brand. I find it does not clearly isolate the correct breaker. I've talked to others with other brands with the same experience.

I've had the same experience, and find that the calibration thumb wheel can be touchy. If you're patient they can be set just right to give a proper indication. I think I spent $20 for mine at HD, plus it came with adaptors, alligator clipped leads terminating in a plug for testing bare wires and a medium base screw in plug for bulb socket. The one with the gfci tester was more expensive. The brand name was Sperry. Hope this helps