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Receptacle tester

 

 
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Receptacle tester
 
 
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A receptacle tester or outlet tester is a device used to verify that an AC wall outlet
Domestic AC power plugs and sockets

AC power plugs and sockets are devices for removably connecting electrically-operated devices to the mains electricity.An electric plug is a gender of connectors and fasteners electrical connector with contact prongs to connect mechanically and electrically to slots in the matching female socket....
 is wired properly. The tester itself is small device which looks like the "plug in" end of a power cord, with several lights on it rather than an attached cord. Although a multimeter
Multimeter

A multimeter or a multitester, also known as a volt/ohm meter or VOM, is an Electronics measuring instrument that combines several functions in one unit....
 could be used to perform a series of tests which would give the same results, an outlet tester can perform the entire array of tests by simply plugging the device into the outlet once and observing the state of the lights.






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A receptacle tester or outlet tester is a device used to verify that an AC wall outlet
Domestic AC power plugs and sockets

AC power plugs and sockets are devices for removably connecting electrically-operated devices to the mains electricity.An electric plug is a gender of connectors and fasteners electrical connector with contact prongs to connect mechanically and electrically to slots in the matching female socket....
 is wired properly. The tester itself is small device which looks like the "plug in" end of a power cord, with several lights on it rather than an attached cord. Although a multimeter
Multimeter

A multimeter or a multitester, also known as a volt/ohm meter or VOM, is an Electronics measuring instrument that combines several functions in one unit....
 could be used to perform a series of tests which would give the same results, an outlet tester can perform the entire array of tests by simply plugging the device into the outlet once and observing the state of the lights. The tester performs several tests at once but the tests themselves essentially fall into two categories: tests which determine that the outlet actually functions and tests which determine that the outlet is properly wired for safe operation.

Tests performed


Functionality

The most basic job of the outlet tester is to verify that the outlet actually provides power to a device plugged into it. In order for an AC outlet to be functional it must have, at a minimum, a live
Domestic AC power plugs and sockets

AC power plugs and sockets are devices for removably connecting electrically-operated devices to the mains electricity.An electric plug is a gender of connectors and fasteners electrical connector with contact prongs to connect mechanically and electrically to slots in the matching female socket....
 or "hot" connection to a varying electrical voltage
Voltage

Electrical tension is the potential difference between two points of an electrical or electronic circuit, expressed in volts. It is the measurement of the potential for an electric field to cause an electric current in an electrical conductor....
, and a neutral
Domestic AC power plugs and sockets

AC power plugs and sockets are devices for removably connecting electrically-operated devices to the mains electricity.An electric plug is a gender of connectors and fasteners electrical connector with contact prongs to connect mechanically and electrically to slots in the matching female socket....
 connection to complete the circuit. If either of these is not hooked up, or is damaged in some way, then the outlet will not function at all. The voltage between these two connectors also needs to fall within a certain range for proper operation, however many outlet testers only check for the presence of voltage across the proper connectors, not the actual level of voltage, which can easily be checked with a multimeter.

Safety

The much more important role of the outlet tester is to not only verify that electricity is present in the outlet but that the outlet is properly wired, with each plug being connected to the proper wire in the building's wiring
Electrical wiring

Electrical wiring in general refers to insulated conductor used to carry electricity, and associated devices. This article describes general aspects of electrical wiring as used to provide power in buildings and structures, commonly referred to as building wiring....
. There are two primary reasons for testing this. First, some devices must have a specific prong connected to the live connection or damage to the device could result. Second, and more importantly, if the live wire is connected but the neutral or ground
Domestic AC power plugs and sockets

AC power plugs and sockets are devices for removably connecting electrically-operated devices to the mains electricity.An electric plug is a gender of connectors and fasteners electrical connector with contact prongs to connect mechanically and electrically to slots in the matching female socket....
 wire is not, a dangerous situation could be created by preventing safety mechanisms from operating properly. Furthermore the ground wire is typically attached to the case of an electrical device as a safety precaution to carry away current if the insulation on the wires is damaged and the case becomes charged. Although this is an important safety feature on many devices, if the outlet is improperly wired with the ground plug connected to the live wire the safety mechanism has the opposite effect and charges the outside of the device creating the potential for an electric shock
Electric shock

An electric shock can occur upon contact of a human's body with any source of voltage high enough to cause sufficient Electric current through the muscles or hair....
 for anyone touching the device.

See also

  • Polarized plugs


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