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Hot take: using a non-contact voltage tester on old cloth wiring is asking for trouble
I tested a line in a 1950s house last Tuesday and the pen lit up on a dead circuit because the insulation was so degraded it gave a false positive. Almost started cutting without verifying - has anyone else had this fail on vintage wiring?
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milaw142mo ago
False positive" got me - once tested a lamp cord and it lit up through my finger.
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wells.olivia2mo ago
Did you at least get a nice buzz from the lamp cord through your hand?
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torres.grant2mo ago
Are you sure it wasn't just the insulation coupling through, not a false positive? @wells.olivia's right about the buzz, but those pens can also pick up phantom voltage on old wiring if it's not completely isolated from the pipe.
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