To work as an electrician there are certain tools that you must have in order to work efficiently and safely. Having the right tools can help an electrician work more comfortably, faster, and have fewer mistakes. They can also warn you of hot circuits that are nearby along with protecting your eyes and face from potentially dangerous saw fly-offs and sparks and help to insulate your body against an electric shock.
• Screwdrivers that are insulated-having a set of these types of screwdrivers can help you work on everything from the mounting light fixtures and outlet boxes to wall plate removal and installation. The part that is insulated is the handle, which will give you an extra measure of protection against an electric shock if it should accentually slip and make contact with an energized component or circuit. Sometimes the shaft is also insulated. Blade coatings and dielectric handles is what give the screwdrivers the power to buffer your body against direct contact with an energized component or circuit up to one thousand volts. You will not be electrocuted although you may feel a little sting or bite.
• Wire strippers-these are what an electrician uses to correctly strip wires. The wire stripper is normally gauged with graduated holes along the length of the wire stripper jaws. You use these holes to match the particular size wire that you want to strip. Because of these stripping notches are carefully sized an electrician can remove the insulation from the wiring without causing damage to the conductor underneath. By using these types of wire strippers your job will have a better chance of meeting code.
• Voltage sniffer-although an electrician knows that they have already shut things off at the breaker box it is still a good idea to make sure that the circuit is not live before they start to work on it. Some electricians use a receptacle tester but if the wires leading to it or the receptacle is damaged and the tester can give them a false negative even though electricity is still present. The tool does not need to make contact with the outlet prongs or wires but they do have the ability to detect live power.
• Hole saw-for a specialized job such as hanging light fixtures or recessed lighting an electrician will use this saw to make fast neat round cuts. The kits come with different size circular blades.
• Protective eyewear-these are must to protect their eyes from drywall dust, flying sparks, and other debris that can fall when an electrician is using a hole saw.