Recommend Me A Mains Circuit Tracer

[Wendelspanswick]

Part of my job means that I have to isolate certain 13 amp sockets, usually part of a ring main, at the consumer unit. Sometimes this is easy as the sockets are labelled or the records on the CU are up to date but more often than not the room names/numbers have changed and the sockets aren't labelled.
I can't just knock circuits off willy nilly as they normally feed critical equipment.
I was going to buy a mains circuit tracing kit, the kind that sends an oscillating signal into the circuit and uses a wand at the CU to locate the correct circuit breaker to isolate, but I was hoping to get feedback from some Sparkies who have used one, good or bad.

 

[Robotstar5]

I use the Kewtech fuse finder - link will normally find an individual mcb in a board.

 

[Sidewinder]

Not accurately enough as the signal will often leak "into" adjacent breakers.

If this is a working environment, then if the records are not up to date then there is a breach of EAWR.

 

[brightspark]

Not accurately enough as the signal will often leak "into" adjacent breakers.

If this is a working environment, then if the records are not up to date then there is a breach of EAWR.

there not the most accurate of things and can be hit and miss i have a dead circuit finder ive had some good results with it tracing cables under floorboards and above ceilings sometimes good sometimes not . and as far as all boards being marked up- i wish .quite a lot arent . and in some cases power cant be turned off and then its old school do it live regulations or not were not in an ideal world

 

[BrokenBiker]

wet fingers usually find a live circuit. I have one of those fuse finders but as said they aren't the most accurate in the world

 

[sparkysy]

Hi wendelspanswick
Like bb and bs say there ok but if it is a large install with lots of parallel cables then you can end up not narrowing it down to the correct mcb. I have the martindale one and have had mixed results. For dead stuff I use a tone genny like bt use for finding lines is the best bit of test kit I've bought for ages!

 

[Sidewinder]

there not the most accurate of things and can be hit and miss i have a dead circuit finder ive had some good results with it tracing cables under floorboards and above ceilings sometimes good sometimes not . and as far as all boards being marked up- i wish .quite a lot arent . and in some cases power cant be turned off and then its old school do it live regulations or not were not in an ideal world

Shame on you, why should you risk dying just for a customer who is too tight to do things right?
Power can ALWAYS be turned off.
If not how do they manage in the event of a power cut.
If they really can't turn the power off, then they had better get some business contingency in place for the coming winter I suspect.
I think, from what I have heard, candle prices are going to rise again.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Hi wendelspanswick
Like bb and bs say there ok but if it is a large install with lots of parallel cables then you can end up not narrowing it down to the correct mcb. I have the martindale one and have had mixed results. For dead stuff I use a tone genny like bt use for finding lines is the best bit of test kit I've bought for ages!

I have a BT type toner and tracer and like you say they are brilliant bits of kit, I couldn't do my job without one. I was hoping the live mains one would be as good.

 

[brightspark]

Shame on you, why should you risk dying just for a customer who is too tight to do things right?
Power can ALWAYS be turned off.
If not how do they manage in the event of a power cut.
If they really can't turn the power off, then they had better get some business contingency in place for the coming winter I suspect.
I think, from what I have heard, candle prices are going to rise again.

put it this way minimum callouts i do is 5 per week thats 260 a year and ive done them out of hours not including daytime work for 10 years thats 2600 at 50 quid for the 1st hour ive been doing my job 45 years now . the callouts are to small factorys banks shops flats pubs clubs hotells ect office blocks and schools they couldnt give a monkeys as long as i restore the supply as quick as possible . if u had to fanny on nothing would get done . do cable jointers ever turn off ive done that as well

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Not accurately enough as the signal will often leak "into" adjacent breakers.

If this is a working environment, then if the records are not up to date then there is a breach of EAWR.

The majority of the sites I visit have inaccurate records, it might be a breach of the electricity at work regs but this is also the real world!

 

[sparkysy]

I have a BT type toner and tracer and like you say they are brilliant bits of kit, I couldn't do my job without one. I was hoping the live mains one would be as good.

Yeah I was hoping the same but I guess for 89notes that was asking too much! Even though the tone generator was 30quid from maplins work that out!! There are good live tracers around but they all seem to cost the earth!

 

[brightspark]

a decent fluke or simlar live circuit cable tracer is over t 300 quid . a bit heavy to fork out for if its not used often

 

[Sidewinder]

put it this way minimum callouts i do is 5 per week thats 260 a year and ive done them out of hours not including daytime work for 10 years thats 2600 at 50 quid for the 1st hour ive been doing my job 45 years now . the callouts are to small factorys banks shops flats pubs clubs hotells ect office blocks and schools they couldnt give a monkeys as long as i restore the supply as quick as possible . if u had to fanny on nothing would get done . do cable jointers ever turn off ive done that as well

I despair I really do, that is not an excuse.
The DNO people whilst covered by EAWR have a different set of rules.
I work with a lot of kit, electrical included, and yes I am qualified to do it.
I do feel that I am competent to work live, do I? No. Why should I?
Clients have a duty of care to their contractors also, they cannot shirk their responsibilities, if you were killed on a clients site working live, they could end up in prison, or suffering a fine large enough to put them out of business.
Look up Regina Vs Octel.
The law says whether they give a monkeys or not they are legally responsible for your safety.
Just tell them that the next time they ask you to work live.

It seems that a few years ago "kiddie fiddling" seemed to be acceptable by celebrities, not now it seems, never in my book but there you are, you only need to look in the press for the witch hunt.
Also, going back say 40 years drink driving was acceptable, not now.
Don't take the risk, stuff the client, they will hang you out to dry, why take the risk for £50, to me it just seems that you don't value your life and the feelings of your family and friends above that £50 call out fee.
Shame on you.

 

[brightspark]

I despair I really do, that is not an excuse.
The DNO people whilst covered by EAWR have a different set of rules.
I work with a lot of kit, electrical included, and yes I am qualified to do it.
I do feel that I am competent to work live, do I? No. Why should I?
Clients have a duty of care to their contractors also, they cannot shirk their responsibilities, if you were killed on a clients site working live, they could end up in prison, or suffering a fine large enough to put them out of business.
Look up Regina Vs Octel.
The law says whether they give a monkeys or not they are legally responsible for your safety.
Just tell them that the next time they ask you to work live.

It seems that a few years ago "kiddie fiddling" seemed to be acceptable by celebrities, not now it seems, never in my book but there you are, you only need to look in the press for the witch hunt.
Also, going back say 40 years drink driving was acceptable, not now.
Don't take the risk, stuff the client, they will hang you out to dry, why take the risk for £50, to me it just seems that you don't value your life and the feelings of your family and friends above that £50 call out fee.
Shame on you.

every one to there own climb down of your soap box your preaching to the un convertible . no one is asking u to do what u arent comfortable with and i wouldnt either so we will agree to disagree .end off