Electricity detector?

There are detectors for this, they are not cheap, they come in to pieces as a transmitter and a receiver, usually the transmitter is plugged into a dead outlet, then with the receiver you can see where the signal dies.

KenK posted for all of us...

One can use a telephone tone and probe. Also there are similar items for AC use.

For use through insulation there are non-contact testers that are inexpensive. They will detect a live cable if you place the tip near or on the cable. They won't work if the cable is inside the wall, ie it's inches away and covered with drywall, etc. There probably are more sensitive instruments that will, how practical they are, IDK. ?Usually being able to check where cables are available or at junction boxes is sufficient.

Many stud finders have built-in AC detection. Transmitter/receiver devices work, but are much more expensive. Time-domain reflectometer cable testers can tell distance to break. Some can be connected to a live AC wire, many can't. BE VERY CAREFUL.

I'd go for the stud finder.

Non Contact voltage detectors do exist and they do not require current flow. Most have a pretty limitted range (you can check a wire without disconnecting it, but you need to get into the box or into the wall) Some "stud finders" have a "live wire detector" built in as well. Otherwize you need to disconnect the power and use a "fox and hound" tester - but a bad connection can often still pass enough signal to fool you.

Called "fox and hound"

Yes, but you probably can't afford it for a one shot deal.

There is a fox? It's called an inductive probe, but not. It's electrostatic. Has a tone transmitter included. I also had a Harbor Freight device which was so great, I gave away.

Greg

On 16 Oct 2017 18:03:10 GMT, KenK wrote in

Something like this might work for you.

Good for about half an inch from the conductor - possibly an inch on a real good day of you manage to stand just right on one foot and hold your mouth just right - - - and will not detect voltage in metallic sheathed cable or inside a closed junction box.

The non-contact, no-current flow detectors use what is called capacitive co upling.

The cheapest form of this type of detector is the Christmas light detectors that you place up against the wires going to the sockets and move from one socket to the next to find out where the flashing light or buzzing sound s tops. But you have to have the plug in the outlet the correct way or you h ave to start checking from the far end of the circuit if the hot side of th e outlet does not go to the first light.