Fiddle-free detector tracks circuits

A technique for taking the guesswork out of identifying which circuit-breaker or fuse will isolate a particular circuit, has been developed by Kew Technik.

The company`s Socket & See fuse-finder consists of a transmitter which is plugged into a socket outlet or light fitting on the circuit to be isolated, and a handheld receiver. The transmitter sends pulsed signals along the cable to the distribution board where the operator runs the receiver across the breakers or fuses. The receiver remembers which breaker is emitting the strongest signal.

The operator then runs the receiver across the protective devices a second time, and the correct circuit is identified both audibly and by a green LED.

Although similar devices have been available before, most have required the operator to adjust the sensitivity or gain of the scanner to ignore the bleedthrough signals in other conductors and to detect the strongest signal. This process is time-consuming and error-prone. With Kew Technik`s fuse-finder, the microprocessor-controlled scanner adjusts its gain automatically.

The fuse-finder is available in different versions costing upwards of £49.95.