Hello,
Many times facilities do not have updated or any one lines of the facilities. In order to identify many circuits, one has to trace the conduit run to the end device starting at the breaker. Has anyone used circuit tracers to accomplish this at the 480V level?
Thanks

I took wbd's question and made it the "Question of the Week". You can see what other's think and cast your vote at:
[url='http://arcflashforum.brainfiller.com/threads/2635/#post-12582'][CIRCUIT TRACER THREAD][/url]

WBD,

I have used the Amprobe Advanced Tracer kit (AT-2005) for years. We use it for 120V up to 480V. There is an "ART" to using this tracer. The user must get a "feel" for sensitivity settings. I would not hand it to someone who has never used it and trust the results. Once an operator becomes familiar though, it is very reliable. It will trace deeply buried cables, breakers and individual wires and will work on energized circuits from 9 to 600 volts AC/DC. It can also be used on de-energized circuits.

A word of caution. During a survey, you may find many circuit (especially lower ampere rated circuits) that are very difficult to locate. I started using the Amprobe Advanced Tracer. It works OK after a lot of experience. But it took a lot of time to connect and trace. Also, it added risk due to the connections to live equipment. Now, I specify in my quote that if I can't locate a circuit in 30 minutes, I report it as Untraceable and move on to the next circuit. If I keep investing time in locating these difficult circuits, my survey time will escalate to a prohibitive cost.

Thank you. I will be trying an Ideal Circuit Tracer #61-957 over the next couple of weeks. We will usually specify in the proposal that a person familiar with the electrical system is available to locate panels. That approach has been hit and miss.