Wire Tracing Tool

[Salmon Troller]

We all have occaision to chase a wiring gremlin, especially with an older boat. Last week my bilge pumps died, no power to the switch. No obvious sign of the problem. Friday I went to Harbor Freight and picked up their $20 Wire Tracer Tool http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94181 (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94181)
You clip it on the wire, it sends a signal down the wire, and the magic wand picks it up as a tone. It worked like a charm, I was able to find a 1" spot in the line where the insulation had failed and the wire had corroded. The spot was in the bottom of the bilge, at a wire hanger. As long as I was down there, I used the new toy to identify & tag a variety of mystery wires. I still have more wires to explore, but this is one cool toy and well worth the $20
Jim

[pkrogh]

Jim,
I forgot to mention, over at BOC, that you might want to check that wire for corrosion quite a distance away from where the break was. I've had 'black wire disease' show up a couple of feet along the original wiring in my '83. Had to replace a lot of the wire low in the engine room.

Pete

[Go Aweigh2452]

Now we know it pays to go with marine grade wiring today... tinned individual strands keeps it from corroding or at least slows it down significantly....

[pkrogh]

Yeah, the original wiring in my '83 isn't tinned. :mad:

Pete

[Salmon Troller]

Pete -
Thanks for the good advice. When I cut it out & stripped it back, I gave a hard look for the creeping crud (at least as good as I could see while standing on my head in the bilge). Everything looked clean & bright, but one never knows. This was right at a tight 90 degree bend, at the edge of a metal wire hanger and just off the edge of a stringer that is a natural footstep. My guess is that 30 years of vibration and foot traffic took their toll on this non-tinned wire.

Come on spring! I'm tired of working on the boat, its time for some hours in the log book!
Jim

[Stray Cat]

Yeppers, it's called a toner. And we've used it in the IT Telecom industry for years. $20 is a great price though. I think I'll pick one up for that price.

[pkrogh]

Pete -
Thanks for the good advice. When I cut it out & stripped it back, I gave a hard look for the creeping crud (at least as good as I could see while standing on my head in the bilge). Everything looked clean & bright, but one never knows. This was right at a tight 90 degree bend, at the edge of a metal wire hanger and just off the edge of a stringer that is a natural footstep. My guess is that 30 years of vibration and foot traffic took their toll on this non-tinned wire.

Come on spring! I'm tired of working on the boat, its time for some hours in the log book!
Jim

It sounds like the wire is still good then. From what I've seen, when the crud starts up a wire it doesn't 'skip' a place and then start up again. It's continuous right from where the wet got in.

My bilge pump wire failed in a similar place. When I replaced it I rerouted it so it won't be stepped on. Need to move a bunch of other wires but haven't got round to it yet.

Pete