Hot? Neutral? GROUNDED?
Written: Apr 12 '04 (Updated Apr 12 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Simple to use. Inexpensive.
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: Rent or own, you need one of these like you need a screwdriver, pliers, and a hammer.
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| caradoc's Full Review: GB Electrical GFI and Circuit Tester GFI |
As a computer systems professional, I work with computers all day, then come home and work with them some more.
Electricity is required. Very weird things can happen to your computers if you're on an ungrounded outlet, or if you have hot/neutral or hot/ground reversed in the circuit.
Most Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS's) and surge protectors have little indicators on them that the circuit's good or bad - but they don't tell you exactly what's wrong with the circuit.
If you've got the hot lead and the neutral lead swapped, and you're using older equipment that uses the neutral as the "chassis ground," you could be a Darwin Award waiting to happen.
The GB Electrical GFI and Circuit Tester is simply an electrical plug with three neon lights. The tester works for six possible conditions:
1) Correct. This is good.
2) Hot/Neutral reverse. This is bad. This could lead to a shock.
3) Hot/Ground reverse. This is also bad. See #2. It can also make some equipment explode if it's plugged in.
4) Open Hot. This is a dead circuit with no power at all. This could be because the breaker's open, the fuse is blown, or a switch is off. The situation could change at any time, so just because the tester says it's dead doesn't mean it'll stay dead...
5) Open Neutral. This means there's power to the hot lead, but it isn't really going anywhere - unless you short the hot lead to ground with, say, your hand. This is bad.
6) Open Ground. This is unfortunately one of the most common problems. People replace two-prong outlets with three-prong outlets, then don't bother to connect the ground wire. Sometimes this is because they believe that the screw into the junction box grounds it. This is not true with plastic junctions.
Several times, when friends have reported bizarre computer malfunctions, I've plugged in the tester and determined that the outlet wasn't providing electricity in a fashion that would make things work. I've seen several cases of reversed hot/neutral, and an awful lot of open ground - without the ground wire, your computer can easily be destroyed by static shock. In one case I saw, a friend's computer would reboot itself randomly when the neighbor keyed up his ham radio station. Without a ground, the computer's "shielded" case doesn't have anywhere to send the stray radio waves.
The "GFI" portion of the "GB Electrical GFI and Circuit Tester" indicates that the unit can test Ground Fault Interrupt outlets (which are required by building code in most "wet" areas like bathrooms and kitchen counter areas).
The "Ground Fault Interrupter" is an extra circuit in an outlet that provides a circuit breaker in case the ground wire is disrupted or "faulted." No ground == no electricity. It's a safety feature designed to keep you from bridging the hot lead to the water puddled on the floor with your body.
To test the GFI outlet, just stick the analyzer in it and press the little black button. This shorts the outlet, and if the GFI doesn't trip, it fails. You'll need to replace the outlet in that case, or get an electrician to tell you what's wrong with it.
This is a very simple tool, but I believe no homeowner should be without one.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
caradoc
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Member: John Groseclose
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Reviews written: 182
Trusted by: 133 members
About Me:
System admin, technology addict, knife thrower, and dog "caregiver."
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