Professional tool reviews for professionals

Since the circuit finder is the main tool of the electrician's toolkit, it is one of the tools you must use correctly. Southwire uses Circuit Finder Tester with GFCI to solve this problem.

Every time an electrician opens the service panel, he knows that the list of circuit breakers on the inside of the door is clear and accurate. Service work can begin immediately, without the need to trace the circuit to the circuit breaker. No need to waste time walking back and forth from the service panel to the relevant light or socket to determine if the correct circuit breaker is turned off. When their electrical appliances or computers must be turned off, customers never have to feel inconvenient. In this day and age, there is no need for Southwire circuit breaker finder with GFCI, right?

Wrong! But don't we all hope?

Fortunately, we have tools like Southwire 41210S Circuit Finder, which can save time and reduce inconvenience in most cases where there is no accurate or clear catalog (if any).

In terms of design, there are not too many differences between the circuit breaker finder, although the circuit breaker has a non-standard GFCI tester on the transmitter. However, we will investigate the difference in accuracy soon. Otherwise, the transmitter has a red LED to indicate that the circuit is live.

The handheld receiver has a translucent red nose with an LED inside, a green LED on the top of the receiver, and a reset button. It's all very simple-the transmitter is designed to send the signal through the wire that the receiver traces to the complementary circuit breaker in the service panel. Southwire also produces screw-in adapters for sockets and alligator clip plugs for bare wires, although both products are purchased separately.

The Southwire circuit breaker finder with GFCI package includes a 9V battery to power it, and a two-pin adapter for old sockets. I left my usual circuit breaker detector on the truck and walked into the historic auditorium of a local school, where I installed some new lights on the wall.

As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, being able to quickly find the correct circuit breaker in the panel can save time and avoid inconvenience, but these two things do come from the basic rules of electrical service-make sure to turn off the power! The second rule-once you turn off the power, make sure you have turned off the power!

Many professionals use a non-contact voltage tester (NCVT) to make this decision, which is a good idea. The function of Southwire Circuit Breaker Finder with GFCI is different from NCVT, but it can easily detect live voltage. I plug the transmitter into the socket where I need to find its circuit breaker and see the red LED light up, indicating that there is current flowing in the circuit. When you press the GFCI test button on the transmitter, the LED will also light up to indicate that the GFCI socket is working. Building this kind of power to flow where I expect it to be is the key. I cannot perform any operations on the circuit until I find a complementary circuit breaker that can turn off the power.

Verify that the socket is powered off by confirming that the red LED on the transmitter is off.

To do this, I grabbed the receiver and went to the service panel in the next room. Before I started scanning the circuit breaker, I pressed the reset button on the top of the device, and the LED inside the camera head lit up, indicating that the correct circuit breaker was not detected. Then I gently and slowly drag the translucent red nose of the receiver onto each circuit breaker until the red LED on the nose turns off, the green LED on the top of the receiver lights up, and a steady tone sounds. I turned off the circuit breaker, the green LED light dimmed, and the sound became silent. I went back to the transmitter and found that its red LED did not light up-this confirmed that the Southwire circuit breaker finder with GFCI could easily detect the correct circuit breaker.

Since the circuit breakers are so close, it is easy to understand why it is so important for the receiver to provide accurate readings. It must accurately locate the circuit breaker without erroneously indicating the circuit breaker above, below, or next to it. I found that the receiver is very accurate throughout my use-more accurate than my regular circuit breaker finder-although a short instructional video provided by Southwire says that sometimes a second scan of all circuit breakers is required ( Do not press the reset button in the middle) to determine the strongest signal. I don’t need a second scan, but keep this in mind.

By quickly connecting the socket and the circuit breaker together, the circuit breaker finder can save time and money and ensure work safety. Except for the GFCI circuit tester on Southwire Circuit Breaker Finder with GFCI, there is not much difference in design from other testers. The real difference between them is accuracy. Because the circuit breakers are so tightly grouped together, the receiver of the circuit breaker finder must pinpoint the correct circuit breaker through which the transmitter sends the signal.

So far, the Southwire circuit breaker finder with GFCI has worked flawlessly in my use. In fact, it is more accurate than my normal viewfinder. The receiver picks up and indicates the correct circuit breaker quickly and easily. Even if the instructions say that a second scan may be necessary in some cases, I don't need it.

$35.98 is a very reliable price for an accurate tester that includes GFCI socket compatibility. There are many options, and it is great to find an accurate one at a reasonable price. The Southwire circuit breaker finder with GFCI is better than my usual finder, guess what? Be hired!

As an electrician for 30 years, when Dean Amicone is not on the job site, you will find him behind the drums of Gold's Gym or Nextlevel.

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Or buy this. https://www.amazon.com/HTP-7P-Digital-Circuit-Detective-90-280VAC/dp/B001IVPAU0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1496808234&sr=8-2&keywords=circuit+detective

Have everything you need and beautifully packaged. Southwire...again, DOA.

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Professional tool reviews for professionals

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