Even “IF,” a NCVT indicated an area was not energized by a downed powerline, I would not go near it. Who knows when the wire on the ground might become energized again? Just get away and stay energized or not!
One of my colleagues, who’s a lineman for the local Power Company, uses a NCVT to warn him of live power lines that might be hidden by fallen debris after a storm. He doesn’t use it to guarantee the line is dead… only as a warning that something electrically hot is in the area.
Mike, you mention that a downed power line can energize the ground up to 35 feet away. Would a Non Contact Voltage Tester be able to detect such an energized area?
Even “IF,” a NCVT indicated an area was not energized by a downed powerline, I would not go near it. Who knows when the wire on the ground might become energized again? Just get away and stay energized or not!
One of my colleagues, who’s a lineman for the local Power Company, uses a NCVT to warn him of live power lines that might be hidden by fallen debris after a storm. He doesn’t use it to guarantee the line is dead… only as a warning that something electrically hot is in the area.
Mike, you mention that a downed power line can energize the ground up to 35 feet away. Would a Non Contact Voltage Tester be able to detect such an energized area?
Yes it can…