How to Test an Electrical Circuit!
Quick Summary
This video teaches you how to use a simple circuit analyzer tool to check if the electrical outlets in your house are wired correctly and safely. You will learn that a three-prong outlet relies on the neutral, hot, and ground wires being connected to the right terminals for safety. The video shows how the lights on the analyzer indicate proper wiring and how to identify a "half-hot" outlet, where one receptacle is controlled by a wall switch. Knowing this is essential for ensuring your home's electrical system is safe and properly functioning, and it helps you utilize outlets for switch-controlled devices like lamps.
What you'll need and what to do
To try what's taught in the video, here's what you'll need and the exact steps to follow.
What You Will Need
Circuit analyzer (or tester)
Action Steps
Obtain a circuit analyzer.
Plug the circuit analyzer into an electrical outlet.
Check the lights on the circuit analyzer. If the two amber lights light up, the outlet is wired correctly.
To identify a "half-hot" outlet, plug the circuit analyzer into the top receptacle.
Check if the top receptacle is wired correctly (two amber lights lit).
Plug the circuit analyzer into the bottom receptacle of the same outlet.
If neither light comes on when plugged into the bottom receptacle, locate the wall switch that controls it.
Flip the wall switch.
Check the circuit analyzer again; if the lights come on, the lower outlet is wired properly and is switch-controlled.
If desired, plug a lamp into the lower, switch-controlled receptacle to make the lamp switch-controlled.
Word for word video transcript
Hey everyone Brandon Nelson and in one minute I'm going to show you how to use this little gizmo to make sure all the electrical outlets in your house are wired properly and safe so a three prong electrical outlet has three different wires connected to it neutral hot and ground if those aren't put on the right terminals it's not a safe outlet but there's a way to test it so this is a circuit analyzer this is a tester that plugs into the outlet and depending on how these lights light up it tells you if it's wired properly or not what we want to see is for these two amber lights to light up that tells us that outlet is wired correctly so all you have to do is plug this in to the outlet and bam those two lights are on that means this one's wired correctly the circuit analyzer can also help us identify what's called a half hot a half hot is an outlet where the top one is on and wired correctly but if we plug it into the bottom one right now neither the lights come on this lower outlet is not broken it's just controlled by a switch that's across the roof lights come on it's whiter properly that what you can do with a half hot is plug a lamp into this lower outlet that way the lamp becomes switch control now you know how to make sure all your outlets are wired properly and save this has been Brandon Nelson for one minute I'll see you next time.
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