12V live charge on sockets

simon333

Hey,

I bought a little screwdriver in B&Q that has a display on it for checking voltage.

In three of my rooms upstairs, it shows that there's a live charge of more than 12V (and much less than 36V) when I touch the screws on the sides of the plug sockets.

Downstairs, I get no such reading.

Any ideas/suggestions as to why this would be?

Simon

RoundyMooney

Is this like a phase tester or summat?

If it works on the principle of detecting an electric field, then it's simply being fooled by the proximity to the live conductor.

Thing is, you say it isn't happening downstairs. Seems to me that, like a phase tester, it may be using your body as a rudimentary ground of some sort. If so, you may (will) have a greater resistance to ground upstairs than you would standing on the ground floor, which may be effecting matters. Has this thing a metallic body, or end terminal?

simon333

It's "voltage mains tester".

As for its construction, it's got a plastic body, with the end sticking out as a screwdriver.

It looks pretty much like the black voltage test you see here:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170294185800&indexURL=#ebayphotohosting

Hagar

I have one of those, kept giving weird readings, it's now at the bottom of the toolbox.

simon333

Hmm, ok. Might have been better off just getting one of those insulated scredrivers with a little light on top, but I couldn't find one in the shop.

RoundyMooney

You're better off with a phase tester (that's the clear plastic one in the picture).

Actually, you're better off with a decent set of test lamps-even for diy use, as the two items above are invariably crap, a bit like the cheap ass "wire detectors" that were selling for a while, and were claimed to detect all manner of twin and earth and slab nails inside a wall.

simon333

Thanks for setting me straight

Stoner

simon333 wrote: »

It looks pretty much like the black voltage test you see here:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170294185800&indexURL=#ebayphotohosting

I've one of them too, it's muck, phase testers are handy for checking switching on something, over and above an on or off reading they are not much use.

fishdog

the two items above are invariably crap

+ 1
They are banned from most large sites for this reason.

Board Walker

Stoner wrote: »

I've one of them too, it's muck, phase testers are handy for checking switching on something, over and above an on or off reading they are not much use.

i wouldnt use them even for that.