When it comes to identifying circuit breakers in an existing home, using a circuit breaker finder may be the easiest way to make a difficult and tedious project as simple as possible. By using a transmitter and receiver, a circuit breaker finder like the A.W. Sperry CS550A quickly and easily identifies individual branch circuits at the panel box without interrupting power. It is quite simply the easiest, if not best way to accurately locate circuit breakers. The system is compact in size and extremely easy to use and locates both AC Breakers and Fuses.
Sometimes it's nice to have a tool that simply does it all... The newly released Mastech MS8229 Digital Multimeter (DMM) is an improved and modified version of the Mastech MS8209 and does it all. It combines a multimeter, a sound level meter, thermometer, luxmeter, and humidity meter all in a single box. The unit has some very handy features. It provides temperature & humidity display and has an audible + LED warning for correct connection of the probes. The back-lit LCD Screen makes for a very easy to read screen, in dark or light rooms.
The IDEAL SureTest Circuit Analyzer 61-165 has two functions. First, it can test the physical structure of the branch circuit. The SureTest Circuit Analyzer calculates Voltage Drop and Percent of Voltage drop at 12, 15, and 20 amp loads in a matter of seconds. With its patented technology, it can perform this test even if there are loads on the circuit, and without tripping a breaker or interrupting the load. The Available Short Circuit Current, and the resistance of each conductor Hot, Neutral, and Ground are also measured and displayed. The second function is that it can test the performance of AFCI/GFCI protection from different points on the branch circuit.
For use on 110~125VAC receptacles, the Triplett 9610 Plug-Bug Receptacle Tester detects common wiring problems in standard and GFCI outlets. There's not much to say about this product. To test, you simply plug it into any standard 110V-125V AC 15 or 20-amp receptacle and observe the light pattern. Once you rule out any wiring faults, you just push the yellow button to test proper operation of ground fault (GFCI) receptacles.
With all the focus on Being Green and conserving energy, Black & Decker has some pretty cool new tools to help you save some money and energy like their Energy Saver Series EM100B Power Monitor. This tool monitors your electric usage and gives real time readings in both dollars and KWH from your electric meter. Sometimes it can be a little tricky to find where your energy dollars are escaping to. With new tools like this from Black and Decker, homeowners gain some more power to help them reduce energy consumption and SAVE MONEY.
Leaving the lights on when no one is in the room is one of the most common ways to waste energy. The Black & Decker SW100 Energy Saver Series Lights Out AutoSwitch can help to take care of this. With all the fuss about “Being Green,” conserving energy is at the top of the list of many homeowners. With this nifty new switch, movement is detected to automatic turn on the lights and then it will shut off after a preset time limit once there is no action.
The Weller WLC100 consumer-level soldering station is a great first soldering station for any hobbyist or DIYer that plans to perform basic, non-precision soldering tasks. Weller provides a bargain product for those who may want the advantage of replaceable heating elements and soldering tips and variable power (this unit goes from 5W to 40W via the 4-step front dial). A convenient iron stand an integrated tip-cleaning sponge tray makes this a nice all-around unit.
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