[JLawrence08648]

I plugged in my wet vac in my GFI and it worked. I hit the test button and the wet vac turns off. When the wet vac shut off, I used my tick tracer, non-voltage contact tester, and put it in the hot slot and it went off. I then used my meter, black in the common slot, red in the hot slot, it showed 120v when on, hitting the reset button, Zero volts when I hit off, the Test button. I did the same with another GFI hooked to a different line/circuit breaker and got the same results. Why does it show voltage with the tick tracer?

 

[jmon]

I don't trust those tick meters. Maybe you are reading a phantom/ghost voltage. Idk.

You did the right thing by using a proper multimeter. Additionally, the wet vac turn off as well when you tripped it. That verified there is no voltage and gfci is operating correctly.

 

[longdrive]

Did you check hot to ground with your meter while gfi was tripped?

 

[joed]

There is still voltage inside the GFCI. It is just switched off to the plug points. The tester is probably close enough to the internal electrics to detect voltage.

 

[surferdude2]

I suppose those proximity voltage detectors save some lives since they often err on the side of safety. I still don't have one though. Do have an Amprobe from back when I needed something daily.

Almost any analog meter is a better real test for voltage. Even a $1.98 neon tester is better than nothing. Even then I never bet my bacon on any tester.
After full testing a wire with a known good meter or neon light, turn your face away and short the wire to the box before bare handing it. Safety First!

SD2

 

[hkstroud]

Any electrical conductor that has current on it has a magnetic field surrounding it. How far out that magnetic field extends depends on the voltage of the current. No contact voltage sensors sense this magnetic field. When you put your no contact voltage sensor in the slot it was within the magnetic field of the incoming hot conductor.