Wiggy and Volt Stick

[randynavarro]

Two questions:

I've never had a wiggy. Is it a brand or just a type of device? Any recommendations? The smaller the better.

Non-contact volt stick. I know I can get them anywhere but any recommendations? Again, the smaller the better (without sacrificing reliability.)

[Jim Katen]

Two questions:

I've never had a wiggy. Is it a brand or just a type of device? Any recommendations? The smaller the better.

Wiggy is a brand name for a solenoid-style volt meter. Read all about them here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiggy

Pretty much every electrician out there owns & uses a wiggy for basic go/no-go testing of circuits. That's really all they're good for. I find them bulky, cumbersome and very primitive. I think I own one but I have no idea where it is and I'm sure that I haven't used it in over 20 years. I certainly don't carry one on inspections.

Some electricians I've known really love them because you can, literally, feel the electricity in your hand. If I recall correctly, Kurt Mitenbuler is a fan of wiggys. Maybe he'll chime in and give you a less biased view of them.

As far as I'm concerned, wiggys have only two virtues: they're nearly indestructible, and they pull a significant amount of current so they won't confuse you with induced current readings.

One place where a wiggy is indispensible is in troublshooting three-way or four-way switches. With a digital multimeter or, God forbid, a volt stick, you could chase phantom voltages around all day. With a wiggy, it would just tell you what was hot and what was not. If I were an electrician, I'd certainly keep one handy on every job.

Non-contact volt stick. I know I can get them anywhere but any recommendations? Again, the smaller the better (without sacrificing reliability.)

I like the Fluke best.

Just remember that those things give both false positive and false negative readings. I'd never trust one with my life.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Richard Moore]

Also like Flukes. Randy, in case you haven't found them, Stoneway Electric carries most of the better brands of the electrical testers we use (Ideal, Fluke, etc) and has very good prices. Your closest branch might be Totem Lake.

[randynavarro]

Thanks Jim. Re: the Wiggy, that's what I thought, big and cumbersome.

Thanks also, Richard.

I've lost my volt stick (again) and just use it to give me a better idea if the k & t I find in attics or basement ceilings are still hot or not.