Triplett Sniff-It 2 9601 Benutzerhandbuch

The metal housings of appliances like washing machines and dryers are
supposed to be grounded. When they are properly grounded, any dan-
gerous voltage that might appear on the metal housing is diverted to
ground. An ungrounded appliance may work correctly, but a shock haz-
ard may be present. The Sniff-It 2 may be used to detect any dangerous
AC voltage that might appear on the housing of the appliance. Tap water
conducts electricity. It may be found that voltage is only present when
the appliance is wet.

Turn on the Sniff-It 2 and set its sensitivity to maximum. Test it on a
known AC voltage source (like a fluorescent light or an outlet), to make
sure it detects the voltage. Hold the tip of the Sniff-It 2 against the metal
housing of the appliance. It should continue to chirp and flash slowly. If
it begins to chirp and flash more quickly, check the appliance’s ground
connections, or, if ungrounded, add a ground wire to the appliance to
eliminate the shock hazard.

Telephone and cablevision wires normally do not have dangerous volt-
ages on them. However, under certain circumstances, hazardous volt-
ages may appear on the wires, even though the telephone or cablevision
works correctly. The voltages are sometimes called “strays”, “leakage”,
or “power influence”. At other times, an actual short, or “line cross” can
occur between a telephone or cablevision wire, and an AC power wire.

When telephone and cablevision wires are connected to equipment, the
stray voltages are generally not a problem. But when handling the con-
nectors while connecting or disconnecting the wires, an unexpected volt-
age may cause an electrical shock.

Turn on the Sniff-It 2 and set its sensitivity to maximum. Test it on a
known AC voltage source (like a fluorescent light or an outlet), to make
sure it detects the voltage. Now place the tip of the Sniff-It 2 against the
telephone or cablevision wire or connector. If it begins chirping and flash-
ing faster, AC voltage is present. Use caution. A shock hazard may be
present.

Many stray voltages “collapse” when they are connected to a load, ren-
dering them harmless. The Sniff-It 2 does not load the voltage, so it
cannot determine if an actual shock hazard is present.  However, if the
Sniff-It 2 detects AC voltage, use caution until the degree of the hazard is
determined.

Mobile homes are sometimes built with metal frames and aluminum sid-
ing. This sometimes leads to an electrical shock hazard. If the frame is
not properly grounded, a surprisingly common occurrence, it can be-
come “live” with hazardous voltage. The occupants of the mobile home
may be shocked when entering or leaving the home, but are relatively
safe from shock hazard once inside.

An accidental short in the home’s electrical system can make the frame
“live”. One known cause is a defective or improperly installed electric
baseboard heater. If the heater is shorted to the frame, the heater may
work OK, but the frame of the home will become “live” whenever the
thermostat calls for heat. Hence the shock hazard comes and goes, and
is only seen in colder months.

To test the mobile home for hazardous voltage, turn on the Sniff-It 2 and
set its sensitivity to maximum. Test it on a known AC voltage source (like
a fluorescent light or an outlet), to make sure it detects the voltage. While
outside the home, standing on the earth, bring the tip close to the siding.
If the Sniff-It 2 begins chirping and flashing faster, the siding may be
“live”. Do not touch the siding!  It could be that the Sniff-It 2 is detecting
a “live” circuit inside of the wall instead of “live” siding. Move the Sniff-
It 2 around and try different locations to try to verify if the siding is “live”,
or a circuit in the wall is “live”.

Unshielded energized AC power wires can often be traced in wood frame
walls. Steel frame, concrete, and cinder block walls tend to block the
electrostatic field emanating from the wire, leading to reduced tracing
sensitivity, often resulting in unsatisfactory results.

To trace the wire, the Sensitivity knob will have to be adjusted during the
course of operation. This is because the hidden wires may not be uni-
formly spaced behind the wall surface.

Turn  on the Sniff-It 2 and set its sensitivity to maximum. Test it on a
known AC voltage source (like a fluorescent light or an outlet), to make
sure it detects the voltage. Put the tip of the Sniff-It 2 against the surface
of the wall. Experiment with the positioning of the tip against the wall
surface. It will usually be found that placing the side of the tip against the
wall will produce the greatest sensitivity. The Sniff-It 2 must chirp and
flash faster when positioned over the hidden wire. If this result cannot be
obtained, the hidden wire cannot be traced. If the Sniff-It 2 detects the
wire, slowly reduce the setting of the Sensitivity knob while reposition-
ing the tip…… noting where the Sniff-It 2 chirps and flashes the fastest.
If the Sensitivity is too high, the exact location of the wire may be hard to
determine. If the Sensitivity is too low, the wire won’t be detected. Adjust
the Sensitivity as necessary to trace the wire through the wall. If the wire
turns away from the tip, perhaps into an adjoining wall or ceiling, it may
not be traceable. Try continuing the trace in the adjoining wall or ceiling,
if possible.

Keep in mind that the Sniff-It 2 can’t discern one power wire from an-
other. If several power wires cross in the wall, the Sniff-It 2 may “jump”
from one wire to another when attempting a trace.

Experimentation with the Sniff-It 2 will reveal that there is a “range” in
which the sensitivity setting works best for a given situation. The user
may be tempted to turn the sensitivity up all the way whenever the Sniff-
It 2 is used. For just detecting the presence of AC voltage, this may be
OK, but if the source of the voltage is to be located, it is best if the Sen-
sitivity knob is adjusted to suit the situation.

The high sensitivity of the Sniff-It 2 allows it to detect low voltage AC
wiring. Some common examples of low voltage wiring are:
* Doorbell circuits: usually from 10VAC to 40VAC
* Thermostats: usually 24VAC
* Video Surveillance Camera power: usually 24VAC
* Control circuits: usually 24VAC

Range:         5 to 600 volts AC, 60Hz
Indicators:   Audible beeper and flashing red LED
Battery:       A23 or 23A (12 Volts)
Body Size:   5.8” (L) x 1.25” (W) x 0.8” (H) (1.15” H including Clip)
Weight:       Approx. 0.2 lb.

Made in China