Fluke 1AC-A1-II Volt-Alert AC Non-Contact Voltage Tester
- Voltbeat technology and continuous self-test – so you always know it is working
- Upon detection, tip glows and beeper sounds
- CAT IV 1000 V for added protection
- Expanded range: 90-volt to 1000-volt AC or 200-volt to 1000-volt AC depending on model
- 20-volt to 90-volt AC control circuit model also available
Amazon.com Product Description
Simply touch the tip to a terminal strip, outlet or cord. When the tip glows red, and the unit beeps, you know there’s voltage in the line. Electricians, maintenance, service, safety personnel can quickly test for energized circuits and defective grounds on the factory floor, in the shop. Continually tests its battery and its circuit integrity with a periodic double flash visual indication using Fluke Voltbeat technology. It comes with a two-year warranty. It detects line voltage from 90VAC – 600VAC (1AC-AI-II)…. More >>
Fluke 1AC-A1-II Volt-Alert AC Non-Contact Voltage Tester
I work in a remodeling business, and this is an indispensable tool. I repeat, indispensable. The tip simply lights up when you touch it to the “hot” side of a Romex wire, instantly telling you if a wire is live or not. “Is this switch/receptacle that I’m about to take apart and work on/touch hot??” Well, now you know. It is important to use it for what it’s designed for. It will not tell you if there is an open neutral or anything of the sort, so it’s only good for minor troubleshooting (you’d need a Knopp, or something more specialized for that). If anything, it will err on the “hot” side. I.E: It will occasionally tell me a line is hot when it isn’t (if there is allot going on in a box, or near dimmers etc.), but I’ve never had it tell me a wire was NOT hot, and get zapped by it (unless you touch the neutral side of a romex, but that would be your fault for not checking both sides of it! : )
So, for everyday work in the remodeling world, tracing wires, eliminating, and adding switches and receptacles, it can’t be beat. It’s tough, handy, quick and useful. A++
Fine quality tool typical of Fluke.
The switch on this tester is much better than that found on the Greenlee tester. I am often working in cramped, dark areas and require a solidly built tester that doesn’t suffer from inadvertent switch movement-a problem with the Greenlee and similar devices.
This tester, like every other non-contact (NC) tester I have used, will occasionally provide a “false positive” indication. This is often caused by an errant voltage present on a cable which is laying near an energized cable. This is due to inductance is is probably unavoidable with a NC device.
This is one of the best tool investments you can make-absolutely essential for electrical, plumbing, remodeling, or demolition. Work safely; always test it on an energized conductor and verify proper operation before use on unknown cables.
Highly recommended!
I use this tool fairly often and it has proved to be reliable and consistent. I like it that it has a visual and an audible signal. I have owned maybe 5 or 6 of this style of non contact tester. This one works the best, is the most solidly built, is the prettiest, and it has been in my tool boxes in the hot sun for over a year and it has not melted, like ALL the others. Even if it was $50 it would be well worth it.
I decided to purchase this probe because My experience with Fluke’s products has been sincere. I mean, I have used other two brands before apart from Fluke (Greenlee and another red-one), the probes are useful but the continual use damage the switch/clip plus the red-one uses button alkaline batteries (LR-44 expensive!!!). This tool in solid, a clear sound and/or light shows the presence of an electric current and uses 2 AAA batteries. Many times with other tools the sensibility to real electricity was uncertain, simple neutral wires carrying no return load showed current alert because of electric induction. I don’t need false alarms everywhere, so better to assume that everything is hot and save the money or use a voltage tester. This tool has a digital switch and it can differentiate between a neutral and a hot wire just 1 inch apart. I don’t trust my life to any person at all (but God), but I accept the readings this probe shows as accurate and reliable, for more than that use a probe voltage tester of a respected brand. I haven’t seen any better volt alert than this one so far.
It’s funny how if like myself, you research about every single purchase online before buying. I did this with this very item and was dumbfounded at how at every single source, this item was given either the very highest or 2nd highest review able to be given. All except one single person both here and at one other retailer site. I am NOT an electrician, do not understand it so all the more reason I needed guidance. But as a person who worked in the automotive repair Field for over 22 years before I retired, I knew ALL my techs would only buy this particular brand of tester for whichever application we needed to test.
Well low & behold, I went to the manufacturers own website which CLEARLY stated (and addressed) the single dissenters “complaints” or questions regarding use of this tool. I could only assume he was unable to follow the clearly stated instruction (NOT in any way “buried”). I bought the unit and first time out of the box went to work on an overhead garage light. My wife told me she tried replacing a burned out bulb with 2 others and we needed to call a garage repair tech since the socket was DEAD. Took this tester and found it showed to actually have power. Hmmm…..So who would guess the wife had pulled out a paper bag from out closet with several bad supposedly new bulbs? Kept trying till I got one that worked. Saved me an $80.00 plus service call 1st day.
The Christmas tree lights was the same story finding & isolating bad bulb and not wasting money for a whole new set. Now, regarding a single complaint about wanting a green light for one thing, red for another for safety> Well for someone like myself who is NOT educated in electricity and the like, I actually prefer always a RED light that reacts differently to different circumstances. It makes me too scared to drop my guard and get careless.
So there you have it, a completely NON professional review by an old guy scared to death of getting zapped. But this paid for itself the first 5 minutes and before I even read the instructions. In fact, I haven’t since getting it. It is so OBVIOUS when you simply turn it off & on, how the beeper/buzzer works nobody should ever need any instructions! Really, i have no clue and it was so obvious to me, it was a cakewalk! This brand is trusted by more tradespeople than any brand I know for test equipment. I am glad I took a chance. I love this simple, easy to use, reliable, durable, with EASY to replace batteries device. Shocking huh?