Rigged a temporary ground wire with a paperclip in a pinch last Wednesday, caught a 28V short I would have missed otherwise

The short was so intermittent that my meter kept showing open until I bypassed the broken ground lug with that clip. Makes me wonder if we rely too much on expensive test gear instead of old school troubleshooting tricks. Has anyone else rigged a janky workaround that ended up finding a fault faster?

3 comments

3 Comments

oscar74328d ago

Tbh I once spent 45 minutes chasing a ghost voltage on a PLC input, only to realize the wire nut I was using had a crack in it from when I dropped it in a puddle that morning. Fixed it with a twist tie from a loaf of bread and the system worked perfect. Guess my Fluke doesnt have a setting for 'desperate bread tie hack' yet.

umar5924d ago

I heard a guy say he keeps a bag of twist ties in his toolbox for just such emergencies, sounds like you found the same trick.

the_nathan28d ago

Oscars trick with the bread tie actually makes sense. Those plastic wire nuts crack way easier than people think especially if they get cold or wet. Next time try putting a dab of dielectric grease inside the nut before you twist it on. It seals out moisture and keeps the plastic from getting brittle. Also the real pro move is to keep a bag of assorted wire nuts in your truck not just one size. Ive had more ghost voltage issues from loose connections than bad wires honestly. A good rule of thumb is if you see a voltage that shouldnt be there check the mechanical connection first before you start chasing grounds. Something as simple as a slightly loose terminal screw can cause all kinds of weird readings.