Master electrician here. Personally I use the NCV tester. Even still I always treat every wire as a live wire, yes even when hooking up devices. It's a good skill to master. When disconnecting wires from a device: hot, neutral then ground. When connecting: ground, neutral then hot. Be careful and be safe.

Master Electrician here. The pen tester is a great tool for most applications. It uses induction to detect a live wire. However, because it relies on induction it will not detect voltage stored in capacitors. Please use responsibly and always discharge your capacitors.

My step-father is a licensed electrician and uses the non-contact voltage tester daily and has taught me to use it as well. We had an instance in our home in which a 220V outlet was installed but was not connected to a 2-pull breaker. So one breaker was shut off, but the outlet was still powered from the second breaker. When I used the multimeter, it showed zero voltage but the non-contact was still going off. This allowed me to re-test with the multimeter from the hot to the ground where I found the 120V. While this is a specific case, the non-contact tester provided enough of a back-up for me to re-think what I was doing before disassembling the outlet. There are always pluses and minuses to every tool, but I agree that it is a great tool especially since it is so easy to carry with you. Thanks for all the great videos.

Avoid false negatives by checking every time on a known live circuit, such as a lit bulb. EVERY TIME immediately before/after. NCV testers are great for quick checks but do not replace a multimeter, best to have both.

I was a safety officer at an military hospital in 1980. I used a early version of the non-contact voltage tester on inspections. I was shocked on an inspection in the waiting room of the obstetrics department. I got indication on a metal table. There was a TV on the table, right next to a sink with metal fixtures. I unplugged the TV and called the engineers. It turned out that a plywood plate was screwed into the chasis of the TV. The screw went through the protective plastic case of the TV to the hot chasis of the TV. That experience made me a believer in the technology. We may have saved a life (or two!) . I am happy to have false positives! I have given the tool to my son and son-in-law. Excellent video

After I got the shock of a lifetime I always use my tick tester 3 or 4 times before I handle wires! Good tip on testing the unit on a known live circuit, that’s one I always do.

Long time handy man here: I once got called out because someone got shocked when they touched the air conditioner. I started my testing with a NCVT -- what I call a voltage sniffer -- and found that it activated three feet away from the aircon unit where it would normally activate only a few inches from a hot wire. It turned out that a nail had been driven into the wall that had contacted a hot electrical conductor and the metal lath behind the plaster, and the whole wall was hot behind the plaster. The window style aircon had been installed in a hole cut through the wall without being boxed in properly so the metal AC housing also made contact with the plaster lath, so it was hot too. My voltage sniffer gave me immediate notice that something was very wrong. When using a voltmeter to check for voltage, to get a positive reading, there has to be voltage AND a ground; if you get a zero reading, you don't know if it's a lack of voltage or the lack of a ground/neutral. Use of a voltage sniffer can eliminate that ambiguity if used correctly.

Heres another thing a multi-meter can’t do: A friend said their outside light stopped working sometime around the time they hired a handyman to do some electrical elsewhere in the home. I opened up the light, old wiring, 2 wires, no ground, plastic box. White to black measured 0 V with meter. NCVT was going off like crazy though. Confused, I set up a super long multimeter lead to a known ground, and there was 120v on both the black and white wire. NCVT saved me. In fact, if I brushed it off as a false positive, things would have been very bad.

I use a NCVT anytime I need to know if a circuit is hot/not. I use a multimeter if I need to know voltage. The NCVT is quick, one-handed, and you can wedge it on the wire and try breakers until the audible tone stops. Very useful and has never done me dirty.

Always test your test equipment. I spent an hour trying ti find why a 12v circuit was dead only to find one of the leeds on the multimeter was bad. I now always do a check on the leeds by doing a continuity test on the leeds.

As a long time renovator and general contractor I can’t think of a single reason why a person working around or with electrical circuits would be reluctant to use a non-contact tester. I’ve used it dozens of times to locate wires behind walls, to determine direction of the run and to do a precursory check of outlets, switches and fixtures. Like a stud finder there is no downside to using it, yet I still know old fools who go about tapping their knuckle on walls to find studs…even on plaster walls!, or testing an old fuse panel by screwing in a lightbulb instead of carrying a simple neon tester. Old habits die hard.

Master electrician here. I always carry an NCVT, Flir to be exact. The NVCT is just a tool to quickly test for voltage, but I always verify with a Fluke tester prior to touching the conductors or electrical equipment.

35yr electrician here. By far, my favorite is fluke. The entire tip of the tester glows. It's stupid proof. The tip blinks every few seconds while it is on. It auto shuts itself off if it's on and inactive more than a few minutes and the tester beeps twice to signal it's off. I've had Klein Greenlee and most of the others. It's great for working on branch circuits. I always use a meter when I work inside breaker panels.

Scott, because of your recent recommendations I bought a Klein electrical test kit consisting of an RT105 receptacle tester and and an NCVT-2P non-contact voltage tester. I have tried them out, and so far so good. I greatly value your advice and appreciate your calm, clear presentations of issues we as homeowners often face. Thank you.

Scott: I for one appreciate your willingness to share your skills and knowledge. Please don't be put off by constructive critique. These guys, regardless of their motivation, are taking the time to praise, correct, redirect, etc. The information they provide gives us all a complete picture of the issue or process. Keep doing what you're doing. 89 million views must mean you're doing something right!

Great video Scott. Thanks for taking the time, much appreciated!

Electrician here.... we use NCV testers practically everyday. You shouldn't ever trust your "tic" 100% but it's a damn good indicator if there is or isnt power present.

Well the real problems are: cannot detect DC, cannot detect non grounded circuits, depends on your ground connection. They are usefull tools, but not for determing that a circuit is safe to work on. Multimeters are also not the way to go, they depend on the battery being charged. Way to go to determine a circuit is not live is a Duspol.

Apprentice here. Dude! I learn more from you and your videos than I do from the journeymen and foremen on the job. Thanks for all you do. You're making a difference.

THANK YOU! DIY'er here with one of those NCVT-1 testers. I was not happy with the tester and was about to buy a different brand until I saw your video. The recall was approved by Klein and I thank you for sharing this information. It pays to watch your channel!

I worked for nearly 42 years in a generating station. Part of my job was to establish safe working conditions for maintenance staff. We always verified our pot checkers on known live circuits before and after a test to confirm isolation (company procedure). When loads had to be physically disconnected (e.g. for a motor replacement) it was also our procedure that the electrician would test for potential at the load, immediately prior to disconnecting the cable. In higher voltage applications we applied grounds at the circuit breaker cubicle and they still had to check for potential at the load before any approach to exposed (possibly live) terminals or conductors.

Hey, 20 year industrial electrician here. I use this as my go to for my troubleshooting once i get on site. Because the one of the first things you do when troubleshooting an electrical issue is check if the equipment has a power source. This is also good for finding open lines.

Excellent review Scott! And a lot of great comments in here, especially from Bret Green. I don’t understand any pushback on the use of one of these? I personally use the one you mentioned. I tried 3 or 4 before settling on that model. Like any tool, proper knowledge and usage leads to success. And hats off to all the great comments in here! Take care and stay SAFE! 👍👍👍✌🏻🇺🇸🔨

Thank you for the informative video. I have the Klein NCVT 1. I immediately checked the recall information and was happy to see mine was not recalled. Thanks again.

I have been in the electrical trade for 36 years now and hold a masters license and I am a licensed electrical contractor in Florida and California. This video was well done and nicely hit upon the pros and cons of non contact voltage testers. I have been using them for many years now and have owned just about every single one that has been manufactured, some good, some not so good. The points made in the video are very good and relevant. I usually refer to the non contact voltage tester as a "tweeter" and mostly use it to detect the presence of live conductors within a j-box , device box or panel board of which I am working on since it is so easy to test without having to undo or open up connections or splices. Then if I am troubleshooting the wiring, I will switch over to my multimeter for an exact evaluation of what is going on. With that being said, it is my firm opinion that only qualified personnel should work on electrical systems period. I have seen too many DIY projects that were done incorrectly by untrained persons and by the " Jack of All Trades " handyman. It is true that there are lots of different ways to connect wiring together to make the "light come on", but only one or two ways in which it can be done correctly. Anyway, great channel and good job on showcasing the quirks of using this invaluable tool. 👏

My single most important "go to" when working on any electrical circuit... ALWAYS ASSUME EVERY WIRE IS HOT AT ALL TIMES. This has saved me from shock because of faulty equipment/methods on more than one occasion.

Thanks for the informative video. i actually have a NCVT-1 Voltage Tester and submitted a Klein Recall this morning based upon your video (THANKS). Additionally, I am a residential home improvement DIY'er and really see loads of value with your videos. Much appreciated.

I have had the Klein NCV 3P for a few years and it is my go do. I have had other brands have faults detecting voltage in circuits. I got this along with the RT250 outlet tester. Best set of testers I have ever used.

As a first-year apprentice, I am required to have a non-contact voltage tester, and it was the first tool I purchased. They don't make you 100% safe, but they can improve safety to varying degrees, depending on use and conditions. I'll take any improvements to safety, but I also follow best practices and never take chances. I use mine dozens of times a day. Comes in really handy when trying to fix someone else's connection mixups in pull/junction boxes with large numbers of joints where they mislabeled some of the conductors. I'll even use it as a breaker locator as I always carry 2 cellphones (work + personal) and can hear the status of the tone over the phone while flipping breakers (as long as the signal reaches). Knowing that instruments are fallible, I always keep a second one in my kit, plus my multimeter, and plug tester. Several sets of spare batteries are also part of my kit, and I test each cell to make sure they're good. As mentioned in the video and on the tester, always test the NCVT on a known live circuit, and make sure you take advantage of adjacent circuits to verify. Be safe everyone!

It's fairly common especially in boxes in a garage, basement or attic, to have runs from different breakers transiting the same box and then going to an outdoor receptacle or fixture. You may be working on a receptacle or switch where you turned off the breaker and confirmed no voltage with a multimeter, but you'd never know there were still live wires in the box connected to a different breaker unless you also used a NCVT. A NCVT definitely has its place but it won't substitute for good practice. Like Fluke says on the side of the tester, "For use by competent persons only."

Great video. I use these around home. I do my own electric work unless it’s major. I have a tacklife VT 02. Works great. I found this useful when I was looking for a broken wire in my attic. I found exactly where it was broke with power on but not getting power to a room Upstairs. A contractor was cutting on outside of house and nicked wire. This tool helped me where a voltage meter was useless.

I really appreciate the video. I am in the early stages of selling my house and want to take care a number of repairs before it hits the market. One of them was to check the outlets and also replace a few so I purchased the RT250KIT which includes the RT250 line tester, the NCVT3P non-contact tester, and a case for $41.99 on Amazon. Your videos have given me the direction and push to become proactive on home repairs before they get written up in a house inspection when I sell.

As a person who worked in the communications industry for over 30 years I had to make use of a noncontact detector regularly. We also had to use multimeter and another unit that all linemen should have on their belt. I've gone to plenty of homes that had voltage back flowing into the ground and or voltage riding on other utilities due to some bad wiring or a ad piece of equipment. The Klein testers had a procedure by which you turned them on correctly it gave a true reading. You could test them by using your index finger and thumb that would let you know if it was ready . If turned on while trying to test they would give a bad reading everytime. Also every so often we would send them off to be trued by the manufacturer. We had a backups when we needed to send them.

I would always use a multimeter when carrying out circuit isolations. I do use an NCVT as a quick and dirty test for circuits being live when a fault has been reported, but would then follow up with the multimeter to check the neutral and live Voltage. I also use the NCVT in cable trunking where you have many cables from different supplies to double check all have been isolated before starting work. The NCVT certainly has its place, but I would never let my life depend on it.

This is what makes this a great channel. I’m always learning new things. Thanks for the great work you do

Thanks for this video. We do a validation test of our hi-pot tester with a known good and bad sample before running surge tests on our products. Always good to validate a testing tool prior to use.

Good summary. I use my NCVT most of the time because it is easy to fit into my bag and you can use it one handed. However I have a multimeter and use that when I need certainty or when wires are packed to gether in a box and I am concerned about false positives

Also, i learned recently through a British channel of meter proving units. Fluke has one under the model PRV240. They are battery powered known good voltage sources for testing before and after you use the meter.

Mine is a NCVT2 I have had no issues with it also use a circuit tester and occasionally a multi-meter for continuality and voltage. Thanks for the tips !!

Hi Scott, I want to thank you for recommending using NCV tester. I have bought one and I use it all the time. It has warn me a number of times upgrading the wiring on my boat. It is really useful in finding the bad light in a Christmas string as you can find where the power stops then flip the plug for the lights to confirm your findings.

This is one tool I do not own. However, living in an older house it would make sense to have one as not all boxes have a ground wire and evidence of originally being wired knob and tube. Next trip to Lowe's...

The multimeter is great, but when I'm working on simpler electrical-only projects, I just carry a simple neon tester along with the non-contact tester. The non-contact is great for first line checks, but the neon tester verifies power is off at the terminals/conductors before anything is touched or handled.

Love this tool, use it every single day. Has saved my butt

I have one I got from lowes and one from Harbor Freight , I use both but I always treat all circuits as live first . So far so good , Thanks for all your advice , I learn a lot from your videos .

I totally agree with Bret Green. I'm not an electrician but I did study electrical engineering, power systems, electronics repair and had a degree in physics with over 30 credit hours in labs, not including professional work and I use NCVT but I never rely on a single measurement and use multiple instruments when I can't. Bret's advice about treating every wire as live is always good practice, especially if your handling house voltage which starts at 10 Amps and only goes up from there.

I've been doing electrical work for a few years now. I use both a NCVT, and a multimeter to check if a circuit is off. If I open a box I'm not sure of, I'll use an NCVT, but I never rely solely on the NCVT. Been a few times where I use my NCVT to test a receptacle before touching it, and when I tested it with my multimeter, the multimeter went off. If I'm LOTOing a circuit, every company I worked for said to never use a NCVT to determine if it was off and to always use a multimeter. All the Journeymen and foremen I've worked for would kick me off the jobsite if I ever used an NCVT to verify if a circuit was off. Get a good one. Klein multimeters aren't the best. Most of their test equipment isn't the best as a matter of fact. I use a Fluke T5-600. It's pretty expensive, but fluke is probably the most trusted out of all the brands that make test equipment.

I'm a retired Motor Mechanic and Auto Electrician who does a lot of diy and I regularly use my Kaiweets HT100 ncvt for proving a dead circuit but always double check on known live feeds before I start work on that particular circuit,I use multi meters as well but like you mainly for continuity tests,I'm in Scotland so our electrics are different from yours but sometimes I'm a bit envious of the simplicity of some of your components and the ease of fitting or installing them,great video,good to see someone with a sensible approach to NCVT's

Very good safety recommendations. The sandwich technique is excellent.

I like the non contact because I only need one hand to use it. The multi meter can be a bit clumsy at times.

Kudos to stressing testing and working on a dead circuit. I have a fluke. When on a ladder, I've found it much easier (and safer from a fall standpoint) to be able to use the ncvt with one hand to reach and test overhead. Also less chance of accidently becoming part of a live circuit if one of your multimeter test leads slips and you make contact. I've found that the advantage of the multimeter can be for detecting voltage from a conductor to ground, or for detecting a short. In buildings with steel structural components or with operating hvac equipment and metal conduit, a multimeter can show the voltage potential caused by magnetic fields and/or shorts to the metal components. You don't want to become the path to ground.

I use the same but the added info is real good. Thanks. I can always trust you.

I've been using NCV testers for about 25yrs now, #1 tool in my pocket. I do I&C work, PLC's but also around single and 3Ph equipment. #1 tester to see if any AC voltage is live on contactors, VSD's, solenoids, etc. Found a neutral that was hot with it, wires had broken in a neutral path making the upstream N's live. Great tool along with a meter, and common sense.

I’m a retired 40 year industrial electrician. The common ac voltages we work on is 120/240 , 3 phase 480v, 3 phase 600v. I do use a fluke model of that. I will use that and teach my apprentices to only use them to check for the presence of power, not the absence of power. Never use it to verify that it is dead to work on something. Always use a contact tester that you first tested on a know live power source, to verify something is dead.

I was the engineer on a diesel electric paddlewheel gambling boat a few years ago. Our propulsion was 480 three phase AC converted to DC through oilfield style SCR panels. Whenever we had to work on these (there were four on board), you had to make absolutely sure that you had killed_all_power to the SCR panel, as there were multiple sources, and some of the breakers were outside of the machinery spaces. I equipped each of my helpers with NCTV's as a way of assuring that all of the power was off before anyone put their hands inside a panel, and they were trained to always test them first on a known live circuit. Several times we found that a breaker had been missed using these, and the issue was promptly corrected before work began. We never had either an injury or a near miss in my 3.5 years there on the SCR drive panels, and I credit the proper use to the NCTV's for this.

@Everyday home repairs Thank you for talking about three point dead checks.

Good of you to review this. Advice given to me was "this is used to confirm the presence of electricity, not the absence." I would do known live testing, then check the circuit I was going to work on, open it, test it, close it again & test again, then open & test again. I've never been shocked performing any electrical work.

Master electrician, I use NCVT frequently, I don't rely on it as an absolute, but it has saved me from unexpected shock or burn many times. I find false positives in dead wires that run parallel to live ones such as in a conduit, or a three wire Romex such as a 3-way switch. Even digital multi-meters can show a "ghost" voltage". This is due to induced voltage or capacitance on the "dead" wire". I once had an electric co. employee tell me the 3/0 wire was shorted when he read ohms on a new wire I had just installed. I proved him wrong by connecting it to a live 20A 120V circuit. This would have prevented a catastrophic incident Rather than hooking it up to a 200A circuit.

My dad was an electrician but didn't trust these. He told me to always use a meter. But they are just to convenient. I had a Klein but it failed me when I really needed it. I replaced it with a fluke and been going 7 years now with it. Great tool and you can't be to careful

I actually use one of these testers on old stereo equipment. Very good for showing leakage in the power supplies!

Used it last week. Had a dual switch box I forgot was on two circuit breakers. NCV reminded me, very easy.

You have to understand the limitations of each tool. False readings with a NCVT are quite rare but possible. But a false negative is possible with a tester dongle or multimeter, too. If your circuit fault is between the box and panel on the neutral, a multimeter will show 0v live hot to neutral. Older house without a ground? Multimeter will show 0v from live hot to the box, too. An NCVT will catch both of those. For maximum safety, you need BOTH.

DIY'er here and would not go without my NCVT. Even though I know the wiring and circuits in my house. One example people should know about: A couple receptacles in my house are fed by two circuits. Two breakers need to be switched off. I suspect a lot of places are like that, with multiple, mystery circuits running around. And for me, a "false positive" is not a problem. If I get an unexpected one, then that is a warning - what these devices are for - to investigate further.

Good stuff, like you I use the non contact tester, as my go to and, usually have on hand the outlet and multimeter. Great information. Keep them coming sir!

I'm a DIY'er too and I use the Klein NCVT-2 religiously. Never a problem. Great video, BTW!

20+ year field service technician. Always, ALWAYS, perform a live/dead/ live test with a good multi meter. You are trusting your life to your test equipment.

In no way do I trust a single tester to determine if it safe to touch. I know that any tester can work just a few seconds ago and then not work at any given moment. That is why I do the double no trouble testing. It amazes me how thick so many are.The non contact voltage indicator is so reliable. As a master electrician for 20 of my 44 years I have not experienced any quality device to not work. Yes I did carry two or three different brands and even a couple or three of the exact type for comparison. If a non contact tester doesn’t indicate the presence of voltage you test with a meter to verify. It is a time / labor saving tool nothing more.

I have a non contact tester and swear by it. If at any time I question the validity I first recheck with the Non-contact tester AND than follow up with a multi meter. I love that thing! It's great!

I’ve been an electrician for about 38 years now and I always have my non-contact tester on me. If I’m going to be opening a panel or a device or need to check the voltage then I will have one of my meters. My go to meters are alway Fluke. I find them to be the most reliable and rugged. Great video by the way.

I'm not in favor of using anything battery operated to test to see of a line is live. For what I do as a DIY'er, the outlet tester or the tool with the two probes suit me fine.

You don't own an electrical tester as required by code and guidelines. Neither your Multimeter, nor your deathstick nor your socket tester is suited for it. Get a proper electrical tester. Neither expansive nor difficult. Examples: Fluke T+Pro, T5, T6, T150, T130; Ideal 61-547, Vol-Con; Klein ET40, ET45; Beha-Amprobe 2100 ... and many others Yes, I repeat myself. But you get so many views and people will go by your dangerous suggestions. Please educate yourself before teaching others!

Love your videos, love your instructional style! Great calm, even, slow pace, clear enunciation, so easy to hear and understand. Great visual aids and demos and show 'n' tell (or tell 'n' show). Updating my previous comment (from 8 months ago) now that I've read the current on-line instruction manuals for the NCVT-2P and NCVT-3P. They both have the spade nose now, like my NCVT-2, not the dolphin nose my NCVT-3 has. They both have the same dual operation, same ranges, same indicators. Now the 3P is simply a 2P with a light. (I agree with the comment(s) saying it's better to have a headlamp to keep your hands free, but I respect different strokes for different folks, all good.) Great tip to check before AND after with a known live circuit. Question - I don't understand your issue with the NCVT-3. Mine has a small blue LED "PWR" indicator. If my batteries are low, I'd see a single light on the power bar at start-up, indicating approx. 20% power. I trust (!) the blue PWR LED would go out if the batteries died in use. I agree having a larger, green (or blue) light always on in the tip is a much better power indicator, but your video sounds to me as if your NCVT-3 had NO power on indicator, no small blue PWR light - is that correct?

one of these things saved me a couple times on simple DIY light switch and outlet changes. . I ALWAYS test the box/wires/switch multiple times before i touch it with my hands and I ALWAYS test the tester on an outlet I KNOW is live. Which as you say is what they tell you to do in the instructions.

Off topic but I love your tool pouches. I have a bunch. I even added the clips to the sides of my ladder to get my tools off my waist when I’m installing fixtures. Oh and I’ve never had an issue with a ncvt.

You convinced me to get this Klein Tools NCVT-3P. As a DIYer, I use an auto ranging multimeter that does Non contact and also Single lead contact detection but doesn't have sound and flashlight and is not as easy to use as the NCVT-3P.

Thanks for the input Radiorich. I guess it's just my judgement call between staying stable on the ladder using one hand to test and the other to hold onto a truss or whatever I can to stabilize myself versus having two hands up in the air while testing. Of course, the two hands up in the air may still occur when trying to install or remove something from the overhead fixture or junction box.

I relied on the Ideal Mini Volt Tick for a few years, and then they quit production and I bounced through a few before settling on Milwaukee. it still burns through batteries faster than the old ideal, but it's pretty consistent in its performance. my biggest issue with the one you have is how wide the stick is. the milwaukee is slimmer all around and tapers over the last 2 inches to get into tight spaces. my current one (cat #2203-20) is auto ranging for 10-1000VAC. it's a little annoying because it's a little sluggish responding, but it also gives me a better idea whether I'm picking up a live wire or just induction voltage. as for the "professionals don't use them" claim - rubbish. it is usually the most commonly used diagnostic tool, because it is fast and convenient.

22 years in maintenance here and I agree. It's a great quick check if you are trying to figure out whether you have a localized or ballast issue or if the switch is broken. I wouldn't bet my life on it, but that's not what the tool is designed for. I also carry a small voltage tester and I always treat everything as if it's hot anyway.

my go to is Klein NCVT-5 and Fluke 179 meter. I use both allot on jobs when working on residential circuits.

I just bought a Klein Tools NCVT-3P to assist in installing my Nest Protect hard wired smoke alarm. The wires were already in place but not connected. A battery detector was in place. Since pulling the breaker for the alarm put me in the dark, the built in flashlight came in very handy.

Neon tester has always served me well , always carry two and test them regularly. My ammeter has a non contact sensor , but I just use it as an ammeter .

I love it. Is another tool in my arsenal. For me every wire is a live wire. Check and double check.

I always test something I know is live, then test what I'm about to work on. I am a pro and I use that tester often. Thing is, there are times where we just lose track and think we did something we didn't, or get something mixed up etc. Therefore, I think it's worth the 'safe not sorry' approach.

I love this tool. I have the Klein you have there but I prefer the Milwaukee 2202-20. It's smaller and it has an awesome light on the end. It will beep on ghost voltage so it always good measure to double check with multimeter.

Hidy & THANK YOU for an excellent informative video!!! I was pro. electrician, for my main career, and I carried an analog Tripplet 310 VOM multi-meter, a fluke digital meter, (I don't remember what number it was), a "Wiggie" it was LIKE a Wiggins voltage tester, but I liked the Ideal 61-065 Voltage Tester. It reads from 120 to 600 AC or DC. Most of the time you weren't worried about the voltage when chasing a circuit to see where you loose it. It has a spring loaded weight that JUMPS to a certain voltage and has, not only a visual line and an LED showing you have voltage, but it jumps in your hand. The test leads store inside the outer edges of its 1 piece body. You pull the probe out of its holder and turn it around and the case holds it and acts like a handle. Tgen you have your other probe in the other hand. The tip, of the probes have spring loaded covers that all for testing in tight places. Or you can pull them up and give them a twist and the covers stay retracted. It is heavy duty enough to make you feel confident when probing up in a motor control cabinet. It's safety yellow. The test leads are pared and plug in in one right angled plug, in the bottom of the unit. It was designed very well. When I retired, I went to an electrical supply store and bought one for myself. YOU CANT BEAT IT for testing circuits. I have an AMES "Squeaker" non contact voltage sensor, like you're talking of. Its great for finding wires inside walls. It's also great for informing you which wire is HOT. If you separate the wires out a tad, and lay the tip on each wire's insulation, it will tell you which wire is hot. I did have an Ideal, twice; but each one was stolen, right out of my METERS DRAWER in my hobby shop! So, I got a cheaper one and it's stayed for several years! Lots of the time you're NOT worried about what the voltage is...just that you have some there

The one I had was so cheap that hated every time I used it. I guess you get what you pay for. I always used the plug tester but as you said not good enough. Great valuable information and thank you for sharing

I have both Fluke and Klein NCV testers and I use either one, both works great.

I found a device that is the best of both worlds, it's a clamp meter with a built-in Non-Contact Voltage Tester.

My dad is a master electrician with 50 years of experience and swears by his NCVT. He uses a simple Santronics 3000 and advises to couple them with common sense practice like checking each conductor twice and using a traditional meter when it really counts, etc. (and always treating every wire like it's potentially live, connecting and disconnecting in order, etc., like many others have mentioned)

Been wiring/re-wiring homes for 45 yrs and I use a NCVT all the time. And so did the guy who trained me. They’re not perfect but used properly they’re useful.

My multimeter has a NCV setting built into it. When I'm confirming that something is off before working on it, I always use the leads. But when I'm trying to pick out one hot wire from a bundle of several, the NCV setting does come in quite handy. Mines actually sensitive enough that I can use it to trace wires through drywall.

You are very Well EXPLAINED on everything you do and Thank you

Very good video I am a licseened commercial electrican. Yes very good tool. Many times a electrical box did have several source's of power in the metal gutter. With 480vac, one leg is 277 or more to ground and just a nick or a stray stran of wire could find you. Always check and recheck any time you open a disconnect.plus always check your tool or meter on a live circuit.

I’m a retired master electrician 42 years in the trade. I used Fluke non contact all the time, they do need to be replaced every now and then if used professionally. I also used a Fluke T Pro tester and a Fluke 87. I had a customer use a budget non contact tester and it kept beeping on his basement foundation and he was confident it was energized. My series of Fluke testers said otherwise. I suggested he toss his in the trash and get a Fluke.

You and I think and work alike. Your tutorial on the Klein multimeter was excellent. I really enjoy your channel.

As a facilities engineer, that tools is in the bag with my meter. Use it daily. Great tool.

I have two cheapie ones, Ultimate AC Sensor and All Sun. Neither of them have a battery LED, and neither say to do that known-circuit test. That's probably why people are saying not to advise homeowners to use these, only the top-of-the-line ones have the safety features that you're used to.

Good topic. I use a NCVT to get a feel for what is going on in a covered wire/circuit, but never for a safe to touch decision for a bare wire. I use a two prong touch tester with the tiny light at the junction after I verify it's condition on known live circuit.

Thank you, this is very helpful.

Very informative and well explained especially about it's limits and applications. I'm a handy DIY'er but definitely not a pro. Videos like this are helpful. Thanks, Be Safe, and God Bless.

I use a Fluke 1AC-A 11 regularly and love it