# quick pic



## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

:thumbsup:


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Nice that poly line looks like the discharge line off a water softener.

Sent from my iPhone 10.5


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## KCplumber (Dec 31, 2009)

I think thats a ground wire


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

KCplumber said:


> I think thats a ground wire


Very well could be that, and its discharging a stray current to the copper causing that electrolysis.

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## KCplumber (Dec 31, 2009)

I hate it when theres a possibility of power being there, had a nice live one once


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## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

KCplumber said:


> I hate it when theres a possibility of power being there, had a nice live one once


You need to carry a simple non-contact AC voltage detector. If in doubt, hold it close to see if there is voltage there.

Greenlee makes a nice little pen type.


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## bcp2012 (Oct 27, 2012)

SewerRat said:


> You need to carry a simple non-contact AC voltage detector. If in doubt, hold it close to see if there is voltage there.
> 
> Greenlee makes a nice little pen type.


Yep I carry one of those with me. Saved me from getting a good jolt a few times.

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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

bcp2012 said:


> Yep I carry one of those with me. Saved me from getting a good jolt a few times.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone


Hmmmm. interesting, never dealt with this before. When should I check for voltage? Anything in particular to look for? Rat, you talking about the detector with the light on the end?


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## plumberpro (Jan 1, 2013)

yes those with the light and some models even beep goor idea to check you could get a real bad shock or worse if ground is bad or wired improperly. on job once they had line voltage on the neutral ! and ground !


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## bcp2012 (Oct 27, 2012)

I mostly use mine when I'm working on pumps and HWT's. kill the breaker and just use the pen to see if there's still voltage or not. Saves carrying in multi meter. I recently did a HWT where whoever did the wiring didnt use a double pole breaker. The HO turned off the breaker labelled HWT but it was only a single pole breaker. I always check for voltage before I start working on them and I still had voltage on 1 leg. So I knew to go check the panel, sure enough on other side of panel was another breaker labelled HWT

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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

I don't use Non contact detectors. They are flakey. Carry your meters people.


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## sburntx74 (Aug 13, 2012)

I agree. The pen lights can't be trusted. Batteries die, malfunction. Learned that lesson the hard way on a 50 gallon electric mislabeled at breaker box. Bought a 100.00 multimeter the next day.


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## plumberpro (Jan 1, 2013)

multi meters are good if they work my old boss gave me a amp probe model with needle indicator working on a 480 volt wh used that meter it said power was off breaker labels wh off. tested it with large screwdriver terminal to wh jacket it blew a big hole in jacket!! told boss what happend his meter don't work he laughs at me I threw that pice of junk out and bought my self of usi. Digital multi meter with clamp on amp draw tester


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## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

Gettinit said:


> I don't use Non contact detectors. They are flakey. Carry your meters people.


I always test mine where I know there is juice.


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