Here the first of hopefully many Top Tip for the week
A tester screwdriver is a very simple device that can be use in a basic way to see if a circuit or electrical outlet is ‘live’ and carrying and electrical current.
While they are not an ideal tool for this job they do fill a couple of useful needs, for instance if you're getting ready to work on an electrical outlet (light switch, light pendant, plug socket) and you want to make sure that you have turn the power off.
ALWAYS ENSURE THAT THE ELCETRICAL SUPPLY HAS BEEN TURN OFF BEFORE CARRYING OUT ANY WORK
Step 1
Turn off the power to the outlet, fitting, ect. and unplug any appliance.
Remove any casings or covers that may be fitted, to give you easy access to the terminal points you want to check.
Step 2
Identify where the electrical connections are for the outlet or fitting and identify all of the cables that have been fitted. When you are ready to carry out the test, hold the insulated handle ONLY and touch the tester screwdriver's tip to a screw that holds an incoming wire as this is the best point of contact.
It's important to remember that if the screwdriver tip is touching an insulated portion of the wire or casing IT WILL NOT GIVE A CORRECT RESULT.
Step 3 Look at the tip of the handle of the screwdriver there will be a button or metal plate. Either press the button or place your thumb on the plate. Within the handle of the screwdriver is a small neon light and this will light up if there is power going to the circuit.
STEP 4 Always…… always……. always…… replace all of the covers and casings before turning the electrical power back on.