My voltage pen habit almost got me hurt

I used to love how fast voltage pens work for checking wires. They beep, and you're good to go, right? But I had a job where the pen didn't beep on a live circuit. I was about to grab the wire when my buddy stopped me. We checked with a multimeter, and sure enough, it was hot. The pen's battery was dead. Now, I always use two methods to test for voltage. It might slow me down, but it's better than a shock. Don't make the same mistake I did.

3 comments

3 Comments

wendyb331mo ago

Heard lots of electricians warn about that.

charlie_butler1mo ago

Yeah, the warnings are real. I had the same issue last year. I ended up having an electrician install a GFCI outlet right at the source, which fixed it completely. He used a simple plug-in tester to confirm it was working right.

lisaf201mo ago

Come on, is it really that big of a deal every single time? My house was built in the 70s and the outlets in the bathroom and kitchen have never been updated. I've used hair dryers and radios in there for years with no shocks. It seems like electricians always warn about the worst case scenario to get more work. Sure, update things if you're worried, but acting like every old outlet is a death trap is a bit much.