An experienced electrician shared some hidden tricks with me about the indicator screwdriver, and I was truly amazed! 🔧🤯💡 There’s a lot more to this tool than most people realize—check out what I learned in this article! 👇
There are different types of indicator screwdrivers, some with batteries and some without. Screwdrivers that don’t use batteries can only tell if there is voltage present or not.
However, there are also indicator screwdrivers that run on batteries and have a wider range of uses. Many people don’t realize all the things they can do.
I won’t go into the details of how these screwdrivers work; if you’re curious, you can read more about it online. Let’s dive into the interesting stuff.
Before you start using the tool, make sure it’s working properly.
Of course, you can check if there’s a live phase or neutral wire. If the LED lights up, it means the phase is present. Avoid touching the top of the screwdriver.
Determining Polarity
You can use this screwdriver to figure out the polarity of a battery.
Hold the wire in one hand.
If the LED lights up, you’ve identified the positive pole.
Checking Wire Continuity
This works similarly to a basic wire tester with a light bulb and battery.
Hold the wire in one hand and check the other end with the screwdriver.
If the wire is intact, the diode will light up.
You can also check things like fuses, light bulbs, and more.
Checking Grounding
You can use this screwdriver to test if your appliances are grounded.
For example, let’s check a washing machine. Plug it in and touch the screwdriver to the outer housing.
If the LED lights up, it means there’s no ground connection.
Finding a Broken Wire
To check wires for power, run the screwdriver along the wire. If the LED stops glowing, it means there’s no voltage in that area.
Friends, just a reminder, this isn’t an electrical engineering lesson—this advice is for home DIY enthusiasts.
