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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 421
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Hi Steve,
Sq D still makes the "WIGGY"
it is their trademark for the old Wigginton (sp) tester.....FYI
Tom
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 26
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I love my Ideal Vol-con. It checks voltage and continuity. Only $37.95
Samuel A Mercure
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,391
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OK, which "wiggy" would you all recommend? Any of the old type heavy solenoid type testers. The Square D Wiggy, the Knopp or Ideal versions etc. Personally I like the ones that do have continuity testers built in like wv-wire-wrangler suggested. With the volt-con you can go up to a an outlet and quickly find out if it is live, dead or even connected back to a panel at all. Use the continuity checker to test from ground to neutral, if there is no continuity you are not even tied into a panel.
Bob Badger
Construction & Maintenance Electrician
Massachusetts
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 49
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Regarding wiggies never lying... http://www.hanford.gov/rl/?page=732&parent=706 In preparation for installation of a new 120 volt electrical outlet in the 324 Building, circuit #6 of panel F was locked out. (See diagram below). An electrician performed a safe condition check with a portable voltage tester, commonly called a "Wiggy," and no voltage was found. The electricians started work and found two wires supplying the receptacle. An additional safe condition check with a Wiggy was performed to verify that no voltage was present. The cover was then removed from a junction box in that circuit, and a third safe condition check was performed with a Wiggy. No voltage was indicated. The electricians disconnected the receptacle from the existing wiring, removed the receptacle box from the wall, and installed the new receptacle. While making the final terminations, an electrician felt a "tingle" in his hand. Work was stopped, and another safe condition check was performed with a Wiggy. No voltage was indicated. Another check was performed with a high-impedance (Fluke) multimeter, and 111 volts were found in the outlet wires. What say ye?
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,391
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I say two things
1) Was the wiggy checked on a known live circuit before being relied on.
All meters should be checked before and after on a known live circuit when verifying a circuit is dead to work on.
2)If the 111 volts could only be detected with a high impedance meter then it is unlikely there was enough current behind it to hurt anyone.
What was the outcome, was it phantom voltage or was it really live?
Bob Badger
Construction & Maintenance Electrician
Massachusetts
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 49
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the link has the whole story. It was live. There was a jumper connecting that circuit to another circuit.
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 840
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Use the continuity checker to test from ground to neutral, if there is no continuity you are not even tied into a panel. Or it could be telling you that one or the other is open, not necessarily both. Peter
Peter
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Joined: Jan 2003
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Pete the gist of the neutral to ground test is that if it is open you have bigger issues than an open OCPD, relay, contactor, switch, etc. ![[Linked Image]](https://www.electrical-contractor.net/ubb/smile.gif) On a rare case it might even be that no one bonded the system. By the way, no one says you have to use the EGC as the ground for this test. ![[Linked Image]](https://www.electrical-contractor.net/ubb/wink.gif)
Bob Badger
Construction & Maintenance Electrician
Massachusetts
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,931 Likes: 34
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I have had lots of meters but I never liked a digital for trouble shooting. If you have a mechanical meter you may not get the precision answer you get with a digital but it is usually more accurate.
A digital can give you a reading, precise out to 3 decimal places and totally wrong.
You can tell a lot more, watching a needle move, than you can with the random number generator you have when a value is changing and you are watching a digital meter. Ever try to adjust a limit switch with a digital?
Greg Fretwell
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 840
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Pete the gist of the neutral to ground test is that if it is open you have bigger issues than an open OCPD, relay, contactor, switch, etc. Of course. I was just pointing out one of the many subtle issues of troubleshooting. As one of my former instructors once told me, "The devil is in the details."
Peter
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Posts: 75
Joined: June 2012
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