A
andy jervis
volt stick picking up voltage on pipes,radiators and walls. there is an rccb on the installtion and it is tripping when you test it but not in the normal conditions with this volt stick situation.any ideas please.
Hi Andy, Welcome to the forum. Heed the advice of the others and make some quantifiable bipolar measurements to see whether you have a real problem. I suspect you are experiencing a phantom phenomena due the quiescent electromagnetic fields or charge being sensed by your volt-stick rather than a real event.volt stick picking up voltage on pipes,radiators and walls. there is an rccb on the installtion and it is tripping when you test it but not in the normal conditions with this volt stick situation.any ideas please.
thanksTwo things you can do;Throw the voltstick in the binVisually check the services earth bonding to the water pipes, gas pipes etc.
Many people have had problems with a voltstick, me included when i first had one. The trick is understanding what its doing and how to use it as the intructions dont help you. I had this little tip given me and it really works.
It will become much less sensitive and more acurate if you earth yourself out by placing your spare hand on the wall next to where your testing with it (loose term that, lol) and you will be amazed how much better it is.
As most have said it should never be used to replace correct testing but is still great as a quick check for identifying cables/circuits.
If anyone is stupid enough to do that then they should take it back to the shop as their to stupid to own one.What if the wall was damp and really live EEEK! bad advice lol :death:
Only brought the situe up through coincidence as ex gf was stripping wall paper at new home with steamer last night and got a shock off wall, told her to pull fuse and went round this morning, found drill hole vertical to hidden socket behind radiator which obviously made the wall live, and yes have to say on this occasion it wasnt easy to foresee and just one off them things but a real hazard that a volt stick would have given wrong impression that it was false reading.True rms- Multi-meter gave 187volts from wall to earth.If anyone is stupid enough to do that then they should take it back to the shop as their to stupid to own one.
Do you test every wall before you touch it then.........![]()
25yrs on tools here so confidence high and all second nature to me, as dug out faulty cable after doing ring main tests and finding low insulation readings, looks like been like that for years but only showed its nasty head when she soaked the wall to strip paper.... sods law as i was due to weigh up an test for fitting 17th edit' board on friday.You should check the bonding. Could be a floating earth your picking up because its not bonded properly.
Volt sticks are not guaranteed but just to make a quick check. Like turning off the switch you know is the light but double checking.
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