How to find a circuit breaker (Klein Tools)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.ค. 2024
- In this video I will be showing you how to find a circuit breaker using the Klein Tools (ET310). This tool can be used to identify a circuit with outlets on it as well as a circuit with only light. This tool can also be used to verify that the wiring is correct on most any outlet. This is a great tool for the average DIY'er as well as the working professional.
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Tool only - Klein Tools (ET310) circuit breaker finder - amzn.to/32f3fKz
Klein Tools (ET310) circuit breaker finder with Accessory Kit - amzn.to/3uQDfl4
Tools
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Timecodes
0:00 - Intro
1:18 - Outlet Circuit
2:37 - Light circuit
5:21 - Product Review
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Everyone listen carefully, you need to run the tool over each of the breakers TWICE NOT ONCE. The first time is to learn, the second time is to identify. I see so many people not using this tool correctly then bitching about how it doesn’t work. It will work correctly every single time if you actually follow the directions.
I suppose it would not hurt to make three or four passes just to confirm the second test, right?
I call my wife on the phone, hit circuits and say "did that work, how about now," until the lights go off.
The radio trick is brilliant. I have one of these tools, but that... that's just awesome.
the two prong to three prong adapter allows you to use the transmitter on older two wire systems with no ground . Like in the house I live in.. built in 1948, and I am a Commercial /Industrial Electrician. I use this item almost daily to trace circuits out in an Aerospace company. It is invaluable while finding circuit breakers on systems that have been added onto or changed over decades.
how do you test which circuit for changing out light switch? This video shows only outlets and screw in light bulbs.
The alligator clips
@@muggsspongedice6762you will have to carefully take the light switch cover off, unscrew it pull it from the wall so you can get to the line wire (black)and neutral (white). You can look on the back of the switch if you are not sure with black wire is the load vs line, it should tell you. You turn carefully attach the alligator clips to the appropriate one then plug in the transmitter (can't remember need to use the 2 to 3 prong adapter it's not in front of me at the moment) then you can go check the circuit breaker.
This looks like a awesome tool to have. Definitely gonna buy
Came for the receiver leaving with the radio trick. Thanks for saving me money lol
This novice really appreciates your video of instruction!!!
Thanks! Your video made it simple and clear. I just used my new tool to find the mystery breaker for all the kitchen counter outlets. On to the next!
Thanks for the good advice. I have a candelabra that has a bad dimmer switch that gets hot to the touch. Can't find the breaker myself and saw this tip using the screw in socket adapter to plug into. I needed to order a #12 candelabra socket adapter for the smaller bulbs to upsized it to a #26 for the standard plug adapter and used a 3 to 2 prong adapter. Lots of pieces involved but I want to change out that switch before it sparks my walls inside. May end up putting a fan w/light up later and will need to know that breaker again. Thank goodness for Sharpie markers! Thanks again.
Awesome impromptu tutorial bro. Thank you.
Thanks for the great video
Thank you for a wonderful video
Thank you for doing that video.
Thanks it’s help me a lot .
Nice video, good explanation
NICE video. I appreciate how you used all the accessories.
I appreciate the feedback
Good review
Good video 👍. Thank you for your help and presentation on the working of the products. Old house, terrible rewire job😡😡 ( not mine 😬). I am not a election. But done some " Farm Hand" wiring 😎. On the farm 🙄. I know what I am interested in now to help with circuit finding. Thank you.
I have a different one but they are a great tool for sure.
Want to use it for finding breakers for Split air conditioners. Can you use the alligator clip accessory by putting black on hot phase and red on ground?
Hey guys thanks for watching and supporting the channel. Make sure you like and subscribe and let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Thanks, man! I just picked up one of these and after the 5th or so YT video, yours was the most comprehensive and informative!
Question…
I have both halide and LED exterior floodlights about 3 stories up that I can’t access. Can I simply attach those clips onto the light switch somewhere in the box to determine what circuit it’s on?
nice job
The reason the light adapter isn't 3-prong is, as you said, lights only have the hot & neutral inside the socket. The adapter is something that's been around for decades. So basically, they used an off-the-shelf item for the kit. Yes, to put the transmitter in it, it would be nice if the 3rd hole was in it, just for convenience.
From PR nice explicación
Great video! Thank you. I appreciate the info about scanning the panel each time. The instruction manual didn't say this. As for finding a light circuit, I always use the wife! 😜
😂
And you’re positive about the clamps? Black to black red to white? I was trying out my circuit find on some home runs I needed to splice on a remodel. I did black to black and red to neutral but was getting bad false readings. Flipped them around and same thing. What am I missing?
What about a 3 way switch with the alligator hot and common neutral or a traveller?
I have a Klein "transmitter" that I purchased a couple of years ago by itself. If I purchase the Klein "receiver" alone, will it be compatible with the transmitter, meaning that it will communicate with it?
I have one similar to this one and did the same thing but there was still power going through even after finding the correct one and turning off the breaker
You asked for if anyone had any ideas on how to check a light circuit without this tool. Well you could put the adapter into the light socket and plug your radio into it.
I think the reason that the screw-in adapter is only 2 prongs is for safety reasons. For example, if the screw-in had three holes and someone left the 3-prong adapter in the light socket then it could more easily facilitate someone using a 3-prong extension cord for actual use and they could be creating a hazard for a user that does not understanding the need for proper grounding. I guess also someone could find the 3-prong screw-in adapter and just use it to plug in an extension cord which, then again, could create a grounding hazard unknowingly. Of course, there are adapters on the market that allow you to plug in a 3-prong cord in a 2-prong outlet which also seems like not a good idea. The is just my guess.
I always use to do the radio or vacuum trick but never had an easy solution to find a lighting circuit
Vacuum, hadn't heard that one before. Good idea though.
Just use the same light bulb to socket adaptor and then plug the radio into that. Most radios don't have a grounded plug...
Yez good working panama
Thanks now I just need to purchase the accessories
Will this work to check if 2 wall outlets are on the same circuit ? If I do NOT have access to the breaker box (I set up in hotel ballrooms) and need to check 2-4 outlets along one one long wall to see if they are together or on separate circuits.
That is a good question. I have never tested it. I would have to test it an get back to you.
When using the alagator clips...the ciruit its being used on is hot!.. (live).. does that platic cover on clips actually protect you against being shocked?
I haven't had any issues when using the Alligator clips. They covers are there to prevent short circuits.
@@HomeRepairHub So you can just clamp those over a live wire and be safe?
How would you check an under counter floutescent fixture controlled by a swith that has a lot of wires conected to the switch?
Outside of taking the fixture off and using the alligator clips there really isn't a great way. I am assuming that the fixture doesn't hold a bulb. Another option would be to use the alligator clips on the hot circuit at the switch. You are working with a hot circuit so do it at your own risk.
@@HomeRepairHub I gambled that it was a bad tube and not the switch and that was the problem. For some reason that corner of the house is really mixed up in what circuits the receptacles and switches are on.
How to locate a breaker for a socket that is inactive. There is no power in the socket and I am trying to find the breaker that is bad in the panel. The transmitter needs Hot wire to be transmistting and in my case this tool is not working unfortunately as the socket has no power.
I have this product on order but I'm trying to find the circuit that's not working that"s tied into an old panel with glass fuses in it? does it trace in the same way???
It has to be a live circuit.
what you mean by saying, "sound, and "have to learn every time you go in a single panel'? please.
Is the noise??
Yeah I love mine ,PERIOD!....
If I have a blown fuse in my fuse box or if the line is has a tripped GFI will it still trace back to the fuse box to identify?
There has to be current on the line and the receptacle has to be working. So if you had a blown fuse or tripped GFCI probably not.
Great video. Can the alligator clips
Be used on 2 wires for a doorbell replacement, which don’t directly correlate to black and red?
Are you just trying to replace the door bell?
@@HomeRepairHub yes
Doorbells are low voltage. askinglot.com/can-you-change-a-doorbell-without-turning-off-the-power
Just get a wireless doorbell?
How to use that tool to find what breaker is controlling the light switch?
If you can ID a light ckt you should be able to ID a switch on a ckt. In both cases you have a hot wire that connects to one prong of the tester and the other wire to the other prong. Does this make sense?
Yes. If you pull the light switch you should be able to use the pig tail to verify the circuit as well.
If the light turns off. There's no power at the Switch for that light.. You turned off that circuit lol the light is the Switch leg the Switch is the 120v
so many lights now are sealed LEDs. This system would not work on those. You would have to rip apart the wiring in the LED potlight box.
When I was 19, I bought a house and needed to label my fuse box. I was using the basement lights to let me know the main was shut off. Being the genius I was at 19, I cleared some dust out of the fuse socket in the panel box with my finger. Turned out I had pulled the fuse for the basement lights. Basement lights off means safe to stick stupid fingers into a panel box. XD
how do you test which circuit for changing out light switch? This video shows only outlets and screw in light bulbs.
Your light is going to be on the same circuit as the switch. So if you are changing out the switch and you can turn the light switch on, just put the light adapter in and see what circuit it is. If you can't turn the light on, or for some reason, there isn't a light attached to the switch yet. You can use the alligator clips that come in the accessories kit. I go over how to use those at the end of the video. amzn.to/3uQDfl4
@@HomeRepairHub Thanks for the clarification.
I tried the loud radio method once and thought I had the correct breaker turned off. But came to find out my wife got mad at the loud music and switched the radio off just as I hit a different breaker. It was a shocking experience, I never wanted to repeat.
Well good thing this tool exists then. Keep the wife happy haha
can it be used to locate a breaker for a baseboard heater 208volts
Can you plug the transmitter into the outlet or whatever the baseboard heater is plugged into?
@@HomeRepairHub it doesn't work with more than 120V, and the baseboard heater it's hardwired not a plugin
Thanks for the video. My unit keeps identifying the same breakers regardless of where the transmitter is plugged in, but not the correct breaker. I have tested it on known circuits and it isn't detecting it. Has anyone experienced this?
I have
I like the idea for lights. Don't know how many times I run up and down stairs looking to see if light went out.
I always use the vacuum cleaner, can hear that from a distance
@@charlke87lol how you connect vacuum on the light? Unless that outlet sharing same circuit with outlets in the same room.
Is there a safe way to clip to bare wires that are live?
I am not sure what you mean exactly. Just make sure the wires don't touch. You could shut off the main power I first
Whatever outlet I plug into it indicates the same breaker. And yes I go over the panel twice every time.
What is that breaker too? Have you tried flipping that breaker off? Can you see what size breaker it is? It's possible to have multiple outlets on the same breaker, and they could spread across multiple room. Do you have the light adapter? Can you put that in one of your lights and see if you get the same result?
Does it work at the furthest circuit from the breaker panel?
It should work for any circuit on the panel.
@@HomeRepairHub I have tried different ones and results sucks going the distance.
So. To identify a breaker on a light switch with a hardwired light. Open the box, which is hot, Disconnect the hot wires and plug them into the adapter?
On a light switch just plug in the adapter to the bulb Socket. You don't need to remove the light switch. The switch will be on the same circuit as the bulb socket.
👍
Thanks for the video. Where do you buy this tool?
amazon - amzn.to/3uQDfl4 or you can also try home depot. My home depot did not have it with the accessories kit.
how can i know that the outlet is not in the same breaker? if we plug 4 appliances in different outlets the breaker trip off because we don't know that they belong to one circuit/breaker even outlets were located in different parts of the house.
I am not exactly sure what you are asking. If you plug the transmitter into an outlet you can them go back to the panel and see what breaker it is on. You can then plug the transmitter into the other outlet and go back to the panel and see what that breaker that outlet is on. If the panel isn't labeled already I would definitely label as you determine what rooms or outlets are on the same circuit. Usually outlets on the same circuit are clustered to one area.
Use this tool to determine which breaker controls each of the 4 outlets.
Can the receiver and the transmitter be used to trace a de-energized circuit?
nope
Not sure why the 2 piece light adapter is an issue. Just leave them plugged together and screw it in as 1 piece. Probably easier with the 2 pieces together anyway. Having to learn the panel each time is a little annoying though.
there is no ground present in a standard light socket that is why they don't make a 3 prong adapter for a Edison base light socket
What about LED lights with no bulbs? Bad news?
What if your circuit breaker is bad ? The small transmitter won’t work? I need to find bad breaker then replace hopefully not doing damage.
I assume fixed the issue due to how long you posted this comment. But posting this in case someone else needs to know. Use a Multimeter and set the meter to AC voltage. Take black lead to the neural bar in the breaker panel. Take the red lead to the wire connect to the breaker (breakers need to be in the on position). You should read around 110-120 volts AC (this is for single pole). Double pole breaker you do two test to check it. Take red lead and put it on one of the wires to the breaker (double pole) and the black lead to the other wire that connects to the same breaker. You should read roughly 220-240AC. Second part of the test you take the black lead to the neutral bar and the red lead to one of the wires connected to the breaker should read 110-120ac. Then check the other wire the same way. Should read the same. If you don’t have any readings or nowhere near that range, then the breaker is bad.
Will this work for 220
No
@@HomeRepairHub Sir I Have 110 v but in my country 220 v is the solution do we use AVR 110 V TO Use this breaker
Tap the common to the ground and bam! You’ve found your breaker go looked for a tripped one
I just short out the wires by touching the hot to the neutral and it trips the breaker
I’ve done that but you have to be careful. I’ve seen people do it and the breaker doesn’t trip, next thing you know your wiring because a light source by how red it turns
What about for light switch
the easiest option would be if one of the fixtures on the switch can use the light adapter. Otherwise the only other option would be to pull out the light switch and use the alligator clips.
Not sure but maybe why there's only 1 light displayed on indicator when it is in the light socket is because it isn't grounded 🤔
I’m not sure either but I guess since the first adapter isn’t grounded the tester shows open ground on the lights.
My only question is range,,,I have a dead receptical outside by the ac compressor…..
If the circuit is dead, it won't trace it. It has to be a live circuit. As long as the circuit is live I don't think there is a range
Before you got this device you could have traced the breaker for the light using the socket adapter and plugging your radio into it.
I bought it all in the same kit. But yes, you are correct. I used to plug in a radio before I got this.
What if you can’t turn off random breakers? What if you only can turn off the one you are working with?
Is there a tool to do this with a circuit with no power on it?
Not that I am aware of.
If a circuit is dead/ breaker off, you should be able to just use a standard tone generator like you would in low voltage. Where it is battery powered and has a receiver. Similar concept, just self powered
How about a ceiling fan
How I do it is I just take my electrical wand, noncontact and tape the wire and put it on beep and then just listen for the beep and when I hit the breaker that has it that’s how I know
FYI: If you don't know where all your GFCI breakers are. DO NOT test them. I did and it blew all mine like it was supposed to however I had a hidden non-plug version one hidden in this house and it took me a half day to find it. It was just up in a closet in the spare bedroom behind a bunch of junk I put in there years ago. I never even use that room. I have a small upstairs game room above two of the 1st floor bedrooms and it was like well we got to put one somewhere so they just stuck it up in the closet that was below the gameroom on the 1st floor which happens to be right below the gameroom little potty room which of course required a GFCI. irritating AF cause it also happen to be connected to the outlits in the garage so I could not use my garage door opener or none of the outlits in there either. I watched this because I was like well maybe I did it wrong. Nope. Just idiot electricians.
l🤣🤣
Year later, but to be honest, a good. You will never know what you will run into. This will help people who run into a similar problem and will be able to solve it
You connect to the neutral - not the ground? What if you want to trace a single wire or a dual-pole?
What about light switches
For light switches use the light socket adapter. The switch will be on the same circuit at the light it controls. I don't remember the timestamp but I go over how to use the light socket adapter in the video.
Okay. But if you don’t have it so it screws in. It hard wired in
In that case you would need to use the alligator clips.
Thanks
Thanks
The small transmtter unit that plugs into the outlet is NOT a transceiver!! A transceiver has BOTH a transmitter and a receiver, as there is no receiver, you can't call it a transceiver!!!
Did I say transceiver, must have missed it in editing. I appreciate you letting me know.
@@HomeRepairHub No worries. Still a great product!
Kind of surprised there were no cautions regarding connecting the transmitter directly to the line conductors (using the alligator clips). Since the transmitter is LINE POWERED, that line will be LIVE. There was no mention of taking care in that regard. Not necessary for experienced DIY or electricians, but then who exactly watches a video like this in the first place...
Why do I feel like this guy is shy of beeing alive?
What do you mean? Feedback is appreciated.
Way too many false positives for me, returned it. Wound up plugging radio into outlets and flipped breakers until sound stopped. Not sure how this gets so many positive reviews.
The radio tricks works well too. Did you let the tool learn the panel first? I have seen false positives when there is a shared ground mainly.
@@HomeRepairHub Yes, I saw that you want to have it learn the panel but that didn't work for me.
This is truly some junk , you can go over the panel until you fall out its still not going to work , it peeped on two circuits every time, junk , junk going to get you killed junk 😮
How about a ceiling fan
If the fan has a light you can use the light socket adapter. If there is no light, depending on the type of fan, you can probably take the cap on the fan off and use the alligator clips. That is assuming that the ceiling fan can use a light kit.
How about a ceiling fan
If the ceiling fan has a light use the socket. If not, depending on the ceiling fan, if there is no light you can remove the cap in the center and use the alligator clips on the wires. This is assuming you ceiling fan will work with a light kit. If there is a screw on the cap in the middle of the fan I would assume it will.