8 Oct
2007
8 Oct
'07
8:52 p.m.
More seriously, I see no reason why a voltmeter
(analuge, digital,
whatever), used correctly -- test a known live point, test the wiring
you want to work on, test a known live point again -- is any less
safe than any other method of determining that wiring is dead.
A method (eg, neon-bulb indicators) that does not require continuity to
the possibly-live circuit is somewhat safer, because it cannot produce
a false dead indication due to bad contact between the probe and the
conductor, since there is no contact with the conductor.
No, this isn't a particularly likely failure mode, but the price of a
false dead indication is, potentially, quite high.
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