Finders Beepers
The Sperry Instruments wire tracer beeps and flashes when it locates wires behind drywall and finishes.
I’m sure electricians know all about wire tracers, but I had no idea they existed until my drywallers buried a doorbell wire in a wall cavity. I actually had a walk-around video from before the drywall was hung, but I somehow missed that spot.
I knew the rough location of the wire, but I was not looking forward to patching a hole if I guessed wrong. After a little research I discovered the Sperry Instruments Lan WireTracker Tone and Probe Wire Tracer at my local home center.
All I had to do was to hook the alligator clips to the wires in the utility room where the doorbell transformer was located, and then use the receiver to sniff out the buried end of the wire. The receiver beeps and a light flashes when it senses the wire, and the beeps get louder the nearer you move to it.
I was able to trace my missing wire to within a couple inches. In addition to alligator clips, the unit I bought also has built-in connectors (RJ-45, RJ-11, coax, and automotive fuse blade) for finding wires that already have a connector attached to the available end. This tool is only for non-energized wires.
They do make tracers for energized wires and tracers that are more sensitive than the one I bought, but for $36, I was more than happy with my purchase and took great satisfaction when I saw that wire staring at me directly behind the hole I cut in the drywall.
— Mark Petersen; tech editor
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