used voltage tester and part of it melted

**Mechanic688** · 02-22-2015, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by mike1

i used a voltage tester to see if this wire was live or not like i always do but when i touched it to yellow romex it sparked and blew a breaker i think and it melted what looked like to be brass part of the tester. why is that is it because the wire i was testing had more voltage than it counld handle or what it kinda scared me. it was a garden bender.

Not sure what a garden bender is but it sounds like you might have had the setting on DC instead of AC, or maybe OHMs. That kind of voltage will short things out if it's not on the correct setting. It's not like testing 12 volt DC

**billygoat** · 02-22-2015, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by Mechanic688

Not sure what a garden bender is but it sounds like you might have had the setting on DC instead of AC, or maybe OHMs. That kind of voltage will short things out if it's not on the correct setting. It's not like testing 12 volt DC

Exactly. I used to make a living as an electrician and I did that once myself. Wasn't paying attention and I fried the darned thing. I'm guessing you had the continuity tester on and it shorted out the circuit.

**Jax** · 02-22-2015, 03:47 PM

Like the above said. Check to make sure it's on ac. Also I've seen meters that were for DC only and fried one.

wasn't mine and a client handed it to me and sparks went flying when i tested an outlet Sounds like you just need to go buy that tester that you touch the wire to test voltage through the insulation

**mike1** · 03-01-2015, 10:20 AM

it was a ac/dc it was not electronic it had a max voltage of 460 i think maybe the wires i was testing was past that voltage? it lookked like this

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71TQ9T9XRGL.gif