How to Find Electric Hot Wire

By Raul Avenir, eHow Contributor X

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Print this article A neon circuit tester can help you find a live wire.

Like a train that needs a railroad track to move from one point to another, electricity inside your home needs wires to travel from the power company to your appliance. Electric current is distributed inside your home via a single wire, called a "live" or "hot" wire. In the United States and other countries, electrical color coding standards designate black wires as live wires, but there are times when another color wire might have been used. !etecting or finding a hot wire is always the first thing to do when working with electricity. "ave a #uestion$ %et an answer from a handyman now&

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Instructions ,. -indin Hot %ire in Outlet

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1
!nsert each pron of the neon circuit tester into each vertical slot on a wor#in electrical outlet. "he neon tester should li ht up since there is power in the circuit. A faulty tester can ive you the i.pression that there is no current in the wire, which is why it is i.portant to #now that the tester is wor#in before usin on other circuits. Replace the tester if it does not li ht up. Repeat the test to .a#e sure that your tester is wor#in .

2
Hold the neon tester and insert a pron into the slot at the lower center of the electrical outlet. !nsert the other probe into any of the two vertical slots on the outlet. !f the tester li hts up, the wire connected to that side of the outlet is live.

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3
Pull the probe out of the vertical slot and insert it into the other vertical slot in case the tester does not li ht up. !f the neon tester li hts up after insertin it into the second slot, the wire connected to that side of the outlet is live.

2. -ind Hot %ire A.on Several %ires

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4
"urn off the .ain power at the circuit brea#er and turn on your wor# li ht. Spread the wires apart without allowin any of the wires to co.e in contact with each other, or with any surface.

5
"urn on the .ain circuit brea#er. Place the .etal tip of one pron of the neon tester a ainst the bare copper at the tip of the reen, or round, wire, or a ainst the .etal electrical bo3.

6
Place the .etal tip of the other pron to the bare copper at the tip of each wire, one after the other. !f the tester li hts up after touchin a wire, that wire is hot. "urn off the .ain circuit brea#er to cut power fro. the hot wire and continue with your wor#

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