Live Cable Detector Recommendation

I bought a mains cable detector from Toolstaion and admittedly it was el cheapo ..£8 or so but it's very erratic ..it sometimes beeps for cables that are not live and sometimes doesn't beep for cables that are .. Can anyone recommend one that they use and find good . There don't seem to be many in either Toolstation or Screwfix ...

Reply to
Usenet Nutter
Loading thread data ...
1 - Place one hand on the wall whilst using

2 - Bosch DMZ-100-Zoom-Thingy-Ma-Bob

Do a search on Ebay, about =A330-35-40-45 from memory some years ago.

How old is the house?

- If it is pre 1960 (and even a little later) it is not uncommon for plaster over doorways to be reinforced with chicken wire where it spans say wood-to-floorboard/joists above. As a result you can get induced voltage and other weird effects.

- Also realise that lighting circuits have a fair distance carrying just Live so can induce voltage.

- Similarly cables running alongside one another can induce voltage via inductive & capacitive effects, put your arm along a cable and you can feel a tingle for this reason and IR testers may complain a circuit is live when it is disconnected at both ends but run alongside several other cables which are loaded.

Reply to
js.b1

Do you mean the kind that find cables in walls, or the type that tell you if an exposed cable is live or not?

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

In message , Usenet Nutter wrote

Although I haven't used one, the Zircon devices are often recommended when similar questions have been asked

Approx £45 to £140 from RS

Reply to
Alan

The former

Reply to
Usenet Nutter

Thinking about it should the one that does the former not also do the latter ... or does it just find cables live and dead ?

Reply to
Usenet Nutter

One detect metal, the other detects metal which is live or has a potential upon it.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.