Best Non Contact Voltage testers (Safe, 2024)
You know, when it comes to working with electricity and voltages (AC/DC) no matter who you are, safety is the first priority. Because any little mistake can lead to some harmful results.
There are many measures that one can take to ensure safety. The first and most important safety measure is to check for live voltages presence. There are many ways you can perform the said task i.e. by using a multimeter or voltmeter but the preferred way is to do it by a best non contact voltage tester pen or detector. The non-contact is better than a multimeter because there will be no contact between you, your device, and the measuring socket or voltage terminals.
Sure you can go for a multimeter with a non-contact voltage detection feature. But that is investing a lot of money if you really need it for only that feature.
Now, when setting out to buy the best non contact voltage tester there are several hints and tips that can be followed to help make sure that the right product is bought. In this article, I try my best to help you in the selection of your best tool no matter if you want it for home use, electrical work, or for any other situation.
Choosing the best non contact voltage tester
When you decide to buy a tool, the best way to judge it is to understand its parameter and to learn how these parameters can be helpful. The same goes for voltage testers. There are some basic things we need to keep in mind when selecting the best voltage tester. See the following parameters:
a. Safety measures
As we might expose to high voltage, the tester must have CAT IV
b. Proper body insulation
Though you are using a noncontact tester, it is compulsory that the body of the tester is properly isolated
c. Good and easy indications
An indication is a key feature so make sure it is good. Like the indicating LED is 360 degrees visible.
d. Easy to use
Who wants to use a tool that needs special training. I would hate that tool myself, so buy the tester which is like turning it On, bring to live wire, get your reading. That’s set
e. Automatically turn ON/OFF
This function would be great to save battery power. As humans, sometimes we are so busy with our work that we forget to turn the device off even we are not working with it. So automatic turn on/off would be great significance for you if you are working all the time.
f. High beep sound
LED indication is best but along with it the beep sound would be a plus. I don’t know but the sound is more attention seeker than the LED light. Also, the intensity of beep sound is used for the indication of voltage levels like the higher the beep the higher the voltage levels. So, go for testers which have these both type of voltage indications features.
List of some amazing best non contact voltage tester
Brand recognition makes product selection a little easier. Because with the right brand there comes the trust, and trust is everything. There are a lot of manufacturers out there making a variety of meters. All of them are not good, It is hard to select which one is the best or to say that one manufacturing is just killing the market.
The best brands that I found the best for designing and manufacturing the best voltage tester pen are the following:
- Fluke
- Klein Tool
- Sperry Instruments
We got an idea about the popular brands out there for making top testers. It is so obvious that with these brands there comes quality, trust, and reliability.
Now, it’s been official by OSHA that people in the electrical work environments have to de-energize every live wire while working on it unless it is needed for troubleshooting purposes. It is so important that you first ensure no electricity is there while you are working with it but for troubleshooting there needs to be electricity so be very careful.
1. Klein Tools NCVT-2
Klein tool is an American brand: in business for 160 years. It is the brand of trust for all electrical professionals, provides not just the best products but the great products.
Talking about the specific tool, the NCVT-2, is a powerful tool you can use for both low and standard voltages. It is small, portable, lightweight, and has very useful features to save your working day.
Important features:
- Dual Range testing,
- Detects and indicates low voltage ranging from 12-48V AC) automatically.
- Detects and indicates standard voltage ranging from 48-1000V AC allowing broad application
- Non-contact detection of standard voltage in the cables, cords, circuit breakers, lighting fixtures, switches, outlets, and wires
- Non-contact detection of low voltage in entertainment, security, communications, environmental control, and irrigation systems
- The high intensity of the bright green LED indicates the tester is operational and aids in illuminating the workspace
- Automatically power-off feature conserves and extends battery life
- CAT IV 1000 Volt rating provides expanded operation and protection
- Lightweight, durable polycarbonate plastic resin construction; convenient pocket clip
In summary, the Klein Tool NCVT-2 (Amazon link) is the best safe tester that is reliable and has features that suit almost all practical situations. The price is very reasonable that it is very hard to say no to this guy. And if you are a home repair guy and going to use this tester occasionally than this is going to be your first and last shopping, it gonna last your life unless you break it.
2. Fluke 1AC-E II
If you are in electrical testing or any other related business, you may have heard of this brand. It is popular and has a proven track record for decades. Though you can use a multimeter for volts testing. But with a multimeter, you don’t get the safety and reliability as you do with this fluke specific device, the 1AC-E II.
Important features:
- Small size, you can carry it in your pocket
- Easy to carry with you
- CAT IV 1000 V for added protection
- Range 90-volt to 1000-volt
- Upon detection, tip glows and beeper sounds
- Easy to carry, it is small
- Comes with a two-year warranty
In summary, the Fluke 1AC-E II (Amazon link) is a safe tool you can use to test the live circuit for voltages. It is portable and has a reasonable price tag. I feel like this tool gonna be a life long tool for most of you.
3. Sperry Instruments STK001
Sperry Instrument is another popular brand for making quality tools for professionals. This brand is all about safety and durability. If you are a guy that looks for a life long devices, Sperry Instruments might be the brand for you.
Talking about the specific test, the STK001, it is designed to withstand tough environments of both the home and job site, Industry-leading ten feet drop rating and 200-pound crush rating ensure a good product for a lifetime.
Important features:
- Audible and 360° visual indicators, it beeps when close to a voltage source
- Non-contact sensing circuit detects 50-1000 VAC, this is a standard range for most cases
- Impact-resistant ABS housing tough enough to withstand any work-site application
- Quickly read: Bright color-coded neon lights for the easy visual indication
In summary, the Sperry STK001 (Amazon link) is the tool that will long last during your long field job. It is not that pricy and has got almost everything you would need for your job.
What is a Voltage Tester
It is a tool we can use to know the presence of voltages in a device, or wires, or any electrical circuits. It is a very useful tool when it comes to safety. Like you may seriously harm yourself if you accidentally touched a wire with live voltage. To avoid such an unhealthy situation we must assure the presence of voltages and this tool helps us to do so.
We use this guy for circuit troubleshooting as well. Like if there is any discontinuity in the circuit we can detect it by this tool, though it is not the very recommended tool for it.
By voltages I mean almost all level of voltages, the range for these guys are usually from 50 – 1000V. And they are intended to work for AC voltages mainly.
Now you may wonder what about DC voltages? So the answer might be, DC is not commercially distributed. The second answer would be, with DC there is no mutual induction phenomenon which is the basic working principle for the testers.
How To Use a Non Contact Voltage Tester
The working is simple. First, you have to know which type of tester you are working with. The recommended one is a noncontact tester. After this just follow the following easy steps. These are general steps, like you may have any manufacturer tester, but the steps will almost the same.
- Turn on the tester
- See for the battery low indication, if the battery is a full go for the third step if not change them immediately
- Hold the test from the bottom, not close to the tip to ensure safety
- Bring the tester to the wire
- If the tester beeps or the LED gets on. There is a voltage there, play safe.
- Some testers have functionality, they beep low to indicate low voltages and beep high to indicated high voltage.
- When you are done with testing please turn OFF the tester if it doesn’t have automatic turn OFF. This increases your battery life as well as the reliability of the tester.
Final words on the best non contact voltage tester
Safety is the first thing when it comes to working with live wires or troubleshooting electrical circuits. You have to make sure the presence of voltages before doing anything else first. To do this you need tools to help you if the wire you are intended to work has voltage or not.
In summary, if you are working with live voltages, you need the best voltage testers to ensure the presence of voltages. There are many kinds of testers there depending on your situation. But the recommended one is the best non contact voltage tester.
The first thing in the selection of an instrumentation tool is the brand, how many people in the field have used them and what are they saying about it. I myself taken into actions these strategies and the products in the above article are selected based on these criteria, brand signals, and people reviews.
I hope the article is kind of help to you.
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