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I just acquired a new toy.
For years I used the typical 3 neon outlet tester ...OK, no ground, reversed polarity...etc.
I never really had a GFCI tester....I simply relied upon the self test button.
Well the other day I came across the KLEIN RT250 GFCI receptacle tester with LCD display.
You can see a number of reviews and operation of the device on u-tube.
It is alive! as it uses two AAA batteries.
About twenty dollars American at Home Depot.
You get an English display telling you about the receptacle under test.
Wired correctly, open ground, open neutral, open hot!, open neutral and hot, reversed hot/ground,
and reversed hot neutral....That is more than the typical 3 neon tester.
Then you get a GFCI tester....The device injects 6-9 ma of fault current yeah higher than what the NEC tells us
but this is a "tester"....
Here is the cool part... when it faults the GFCI it tells you pre-test voltage and how fast it faults....I have a GFCI that faulted in less than 0.1
seconds! Is this important? Well I now believe so. I also had a GFCI outlet that would fault when the test button on the
outlet was pressed, but would not fault using the KLEIN tester. If the fault time is greater than say 6 seconds the unit flashes
and you now know the GFCI is actually faulty or miswired [mine was correctly installed] and needs to be replaced!
The display also has about a 10 second time out, this allows you to insert the tool upside down or the display not
facing you..Then you remove the tester and read the information.
My whole approach to testing outlets has entered the 21st century.
Now a question.....Other than you folks in biomedical electronics / medical electronics
do you ever measure the pounds of pull on receptacles in the home or commercial environment?
Cactus Man
For years I used the typical 3 neon outlet tester ...OK, no ground, reversed polarity...etc.
I never really had a GFCI tester....I simply relied upon the self test button.
Well the other day I came across the KLEIN RT250 GFCI receptacle tester with LCD display.
You can see a number of reviews and operation of the device on u-tube.
It is alive! as it uses two AAA batteries.
About twenty dollars American at Home Depot.
You get an English display telling you about the receptacle under test.
Wired correctly, open ground, open neutral, open hot!, open neutral and hot, reversed hot/ground,
and reversed hot neutral....That is more than the typical 3 neon tester.
Then you get a GFCI tester....The device injects 6-9 ma of fault current yeah higher than what the NEC tells us
but this is a "tester"....
Here is the cool part... when it faults the GFCI it tells you pre-test voltage and how fast it faults....I have a GFCI that faulted in less than 0.1
seconds! Is this important? Well I now believe so. I also had a GFCI outlet that would fault when the test button on the
outlet was pressed, but would not fault using the KLEIN tester. If the fault time is greater than say 6 seconds the unit flashes
and you now know the GFCI is actually faulty or miswired [mine was correctly installed] and needs to be replaced!
The display also has about a 10 second time out, this allows you to insert the tool upside down or the display not
facing you..Then you remove the tester and read the information.
My whole approach to testing outlets has entered the 21st century.
Now a question.....Other than you folks in biomedical electronics / medical electronics
do you ever measure the pounds of pull on receptacles in the home or commercial environment?
Cactus Man
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