Customer Reviews

Gardner Bender GVD-3504A Circuit Alert Non-Contact Voltage Tester

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I purchased the GVD-504A and was very disappointed with it. In fact, I was so disappointed, I purchased a different unit.
This one is sitting in the junk pile.

Here are the reasons:

1) There is no positive on/off switch - you have to press on the clip to turn it on. This is the main design flaw with this unit.
If you don't make a good contact it can be off while you're testing and not chirp. This is a terrible design and is, in my opinion, dangerous! My new unit has a positive on/off switch. You just twist and it's on. When you're done you twist it back and it's off.

2) Requires 2 watch type batteries. These are expensive to replace and harder to find. My new unit takes standard AA or AAA batteries (I can't remember which) that are cheap and easy to come by.

Overall I would recommend passing on this unit.

This non-contact tester is well worth buying, especially if you do any home rewiring or otherwise poking around inside walls containing wiring. It will detect active current in lines, sometimes from 2 or 3 inches away. No more guessing if you turned off the right circut. This tool lets you check and know for sure whether or not a wire is hot. Thanks, Amazon!

This tool has saved me many times!! I have discovered that my lights in my living room are on TWO DIFFERENT circuits even though there is only one switch for them both. I turned the breaker off for the lights and one of the light sockets still had power going to it! I would have been shocked for sure without the Circuit Alert!! It is SO helpful because you don't have to actually touch the live circuit to test it, you only have to touch the wire, light switch or even the light socket and it will tell you if there is power going there. If you do any electrical work, it is a good tool to have on hand!!

this tool is awesome, good thing is no direct contact needed, beeps are loud enough to warn you...good price too!

The product is typical cheap China construction, slap it togeather so it works out of the box, no consideration for durability. With a tool that can save your life, this is NOT up to par.
Mine stopped working after about a year of light use.
I was able to repair mine, what had happened was the batteries were not connecting to the flimsy internal connection that has very little support. I had to prize the connection out, and place batteries and cap on slowly while testing it against an appliance cord. The beeping let me know that contact was finally being made.
There is no On/Off button, so if it gets "squeezed" in you tool box it will drain the batteries, since the metal clip on the outside is the "on" connection.
Like I typed, for a SERIOUS safety item like this, unacceptable construction. And good thing I tested the unit on other "known live" cables before I dug into the ceiling light electrical with a false sense of security. When you use it every few months, you tend to forget the self test chirp it is supposed to make.
I am going to spend some more money and get a pro model, electricity is not something to take lightly.

I purchased my GB Instruments' "Circuit Alert" at my local home improvement center and have found it to be a reliable tool. I own this tool and a Harbor Freight "Cen-Tech, Non-contact Voltage Detector". Both tools perform acceptably, but I like the slim design and slightly sturdier feel of the Circuit Alert. The Circuit Alert is approximately 5-3/8"L x 9/16"W x 3/4"H (including the pocket clip). The clip acts as a momentary switch and is used to activate the detector. Some reviewers have indicated that they do not like the clip switch but I find the design a positive element as you cannot forget that it is on and drain the batteries. The detector will blink once and make a single chirp when first activated to let you know that it's functioning--unlike the Cen-Tech detector, which requires you to test it on a live circuit first. (Testing it on a live circuit probably isn't a bad idea, regardless of the detector.) The GB runs on two 1.5v LR44 button cell batteries and I store my detector with a thin piece of cardboard under the clip to prevent it from switching on accidentally as the result of bumping against other tools in my toolbox. The detector is Underwriters Laboratories marked and is rated for detecting voltages from 50 to 600 VAC. Mine detects 110 VAC on 14-2 at a distance of 2" (compared to the 1/4" to 1/2" using the Cen-Tech tool and the Cen-Tech has to be on the hot side of the jacket). The detector does seem to produce false chirps near static electricity, as mine will chirp rubbing it against a knit sweater. As a DIY'er, I don't use this tool very often but they are definitely much more convenient than checking to see if a wire is live using a multimeter. It's a tool worth adding to your collection, even if all you do is replace an electrical outlet or switch now and then.

Definately worth the money. I am a Home Inspector and I have been using this unit for over a year with no complaints. The unit has both audio and visual indicators, a plus. It self tests each time you activate it, a plus. It is durable, a definate plus, I can't begin to count the number of times I have dropped it and I have never had a problem. I am buying a 2nd one because I don't ever want to be on an inspection without it and sooner or later I will lose it in an attic or crawlspace.

I saw some negative reviews of non-contact voltage testers of varying brands, so I was worried. So far, I haven't had a problem with this tester. Some outlets trigger the alarm within 6" and others need to be within 1", but that is still good in my book!

This thing works and is really handy to have. I really appreciate its buzzing before I get "buzzed." Now I can be sure that the juice is off before I go working on the electrics.

It does alert you if there is power in an exposed wire before you start working on it. you have to get the pen tip about half an inch close to th wire, much easier and faster than using a voltmeter. but it could not detect electric wires behing a drywall.