ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Circuit Tracers

Hey Guys, does any one use a greenlee power finder circuit tracer and have had trouble with it? {mainly false readings} the other week I was tracing a circuit in the main panel and it would light up and beep on the wrong breakers. I would go to the right breaker and it would do nothing. Thanks Ed

That happens with all of them I think. They don't always pinpoint the exact breaker. You just have to try others nearby, when you get the right one the signal will stop.

The greenlee tracer that I have comes with a video tape that says to run the tracer down the breakers on each side of the panel twice and it will take the strongest signal and it will usually be accurate. This assumes that there are fresh batteries in the transmitter and reciever.

I ran the tracer down all the breakers at least 6 times and it will give a max signal on 2 separate breakers on the right side and on the left side where the correct breaker is it does nothing .I can't trust it .

Some times there could be interference on the line, or a bad neutral connection, bad ground conn. http://www.mygreenlee.com/products/det.cfm?id=3195&upc=00521 this is the tracer I have, and while I have run into the same problems as you have, for the most part it has paid for itself over many times. Sorry I don't have much more info to give, but it is always a good tool to have.

Thanks guys!

Thanks guys! Rich thats same one I have.

As in a non-contact circuit tracer?.
I would not let my dog use a NC Circuit tracer, let alone a fellow worker or myself.
Reason I say that is because EM fields cause non-contact voltage detectors to go hay-wire.
Use a contact thing like a Wiggy.

O, great and powerful moderator Trumpy:

I must be having a senior moment, or my utter lack of real experience is showing (now, that's a given!). How would a Wiggy stand in for a circuit tracer? Are we talking repeated trips to the breaker box, and back to the test site?

In our house, the dog was not allowed to touch any tools (admittedly, he showed little interest in such).

That greenlee tracer has a lifetime limited warranty, and they will recalabrate it free, although you might have to pay the shipping