Changed my mind about using a multimeter for every call

I used to think a voltage pen was just for a quick check, but after a tricky call in an old Denver apartment building, the pen's speed saved me. I found a reversed hot and neutral in a j-box in about 30 seconds, where fumbling with the meter would have taken longer. Anyone else find a specific job where the simpler tool was the right call?

3 comments

3 Comments

fiona74916d ago

That pen wouldn't catch a bootleg ground though.

max_schmidt7716d ago

Ever have one of those days where you're just happy you found the problem at all? I once spent twenty minutes with my meter trying to figure out why a light wouldn't work, only to realize I never actually turned the switch on. The pen would have at least told me there was power there and saved me from my own dumb moment. Speed is king sometimes, even if the tool isn't perfect for every single situation.

angelamurphy16d ago

Yeah, that speed is a game changer on those old buildings. I had a call like that last week where a switch leg was tied into the wrong bundle in a crowded ceiling. The pen lit up and I traced it back in a minute flat. Like max_schmidt77 said, sometimes you just need to know power is present to point you in the right direction fast. It's not my only tool, but it sure saves the meter for when I really need the numbers.