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?

3 comments

3 Comments

milaw143d ago

False positive" got me - once tested a lamp cord and it lit up through my finger.

wells.olivia2d agoMost Upvoted

Did you at least get a nice buzz from the lamp cord through your hand?

torres.grant15h 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.