Klein Tools GFCI RT250 LCD Outlet Tester - Awesome Tools Under $30

[@agostinodibella9939]

This is the first time I saw this tool and it is well worth the price! I just ordered one.

[@dansanger5340]

This thing is a steal at $20. I bought one yesterday and used it today to diagnose outlets on a rental that had stopped working. I figured out where the loose wire was in about ten minutes. Along the way, I also discovered an outlet that was wired backwards. It's so much better than a traditional three light outlet tester. It tells you exactly what's wrong, without having to decode the lights, and you get an actual voltage readout.

[@bentonconstruction]

I just looked at this at Home Depot last night and was iffy about it. You just sold me on it!!! Thanks for the video!!!

[@TheDurbinCompound]

Oh this thing is worth every penny. Just don’t forget that you have to turn it on to use it. Ask me how I know!

[@Juraj037]

Greatest tool, I just picked mine up, im a new homeowner it does so so much more than a typical outlet tester. A lot of stores have it sold out and honestly if they wanted 30 I would of gladly pay it, but keep that on the hush. A great tip, take pics of the user guide and save it in your phone so you have it handy at all times.

[@woodyhayes7402]

Well, they’re $38 now….so, closing in on $40

[@terrenceflynn4117]

Just picked on of these up today. I wasn’t sure what to look for when it came to errors but this video was perfect. Thanks!!

[@nussbaumjm]

So glad to see you highlight the display hold. I install all outlets ground up, and this is a god send.

[@charu002]

I’m a third year electrician and when i check plugs the first year installs, this is helpful. Something to scold them and make them better

[@ericplatz7200]

Appreciate I'm electrician I've owned that tool for the last year now and I didn't know it showed you the time it took for a GFI to trip never paid attention thanks for the info

[@TGRRAG01]

Fantastic video. I got one of these things, but being a visual learner it was much better for me to learn its function through your clear and concise video than a manual. Appreciate the great content.

[@richardtullius6419]

Was a very interesting video, and if I was still in the business I would buy one for sure. Just one little mistake in your video, when you pulled the neutral and the tester read 30 volts, you said it was because it was going through the ground, ABSOLUTELY NOT, neutral and ground go to the same place. If you were to use your FLUKE and test hot to ground, you would get 122 volts, exactly the same as hot to neutral. My guess is that the 30 volt reading comes from resistance in the tester. Ask me how I know, because I’m a retired electrical contractor, and as pretty good one. Always happy to help.

[@jarrydee2799]

yup, grounds and neutrals land on the same bars in the panel

[@bluv4579]

Yup that's why when I troubleshoot I always use my Meter too or have with on me

[@briangraser3314]

Thank you very much I couldn’t figure out why my klein read 30 vac but everything I had plugged in was working fine. I started to think I might be trying to draw to much power with only 30 available. I was going to check and replace all outlets in that room BUT when I tried my FLUKE reader it read CORRECT.

[@velosiped135]

Just picked one up. $20 is great, and the large readout is great for photos in home inspections. Great review!

[@uliseslara2156]

This was very informative. I just started my apprenticeship, I’m green af😂. However; I just bought this tool, and was alil confused on how to use it. Then I ran into this video while taking a dump, and know im no longer confused.

[@Semper1776Fidelis]

Semper Fi brother, just picked up the RT250Kit which came with this. Prosumer, I like it.

[@youcanthide004]

Game changer, I absolutely love it for all the reasons you mentioned. Klein for the win.💥

[@TheDurbinCompound]

Absolutely! It’s cheap and great!

[@sdean4816]

I bought one today based on your video. Thanks for posting!

[@kingblondie7075]

Getting an actual number for the voltage is really handy. We had a lose bolt where the power came in and it was nice to see the voltage changing, let us know there definitely was a problem.

[@unclesam1707]

It’s a very helpful tool plus it’s quality and durable, worth every penny

[@MyClutteredGarage]

Very cool! I just got the circuit breaker finder from Klein.

[@normferguson2769]

I bought a tester at the giant outdoor market in Mesa, AZ for $.25 about 5 years ago. It has the 3 lights and explanation of each written right on it. Best and cheapest tool I ever bought. I shud have bought 10 and gave them away for Xmas.

[@ronzek3207]

They work fine, but not the same tool/tester. $.25? 25cents?

[@surferdude642]

I have the tool. Here's my pro and con over the cheaper tester: Pro: Tells the voltage, gives a reading of how fast a gfci trips. Con: Will not indicate 240v on a 120v receptacle miswired in this fashion. It only reads >30v. Will not detect a bootleg ground. I still like this tool and I think it's worth the $20.

[@TheDurbinCompound]

Do you know of any sensor that can detect a bootleg ground……they join at the main panel regardless. Only a time domain reflector could see that the ground joins the neutral at the outlet instead of the main panel.

[@wayno454]

So what happens if you press the gfi tester on a non gfi outlet. Will it pop the breaker in the main electrical panel?

[@TheDurbinCompound]

I haven’t tried it but in theory it will pop the breaker

[@tedlahm5740]

waiting for the answer. Also test on a GFCI protected non grounded outlet. The hand held ones Do Not trip the GFCI, because they rely on the ground connection. comment please

[@apfelbasket]

I'm a DIY & I chose to buy this over the basic version for these reasons!

[@general682002]

I just bought one in order for me to get which correct voltage I'm getting for the step down transformer thermal protection design, which is why the reading display is all important! Easiest tool ever! Thanks for the video!

[@HockeyGuy_in_STL]

Just got mine today and tested all the GFCI outlets in the house. And I found the hidden feature- When my wife yelled at me to get away from her side of the bathroom and quit messing with the outlets, the tester started vibrating with alternating green and red lights creating an emergency evacuation signal so I would know to RUN NOW!!!! 👍

[@wim0104]

great for TR receptacles! TR is a pain in the ass for meter probes.

[@ryangillespie1726]

At first before this video I was wondering whats so great about this. I have a cheap tester and it works fine. Well after seeing all the pros to this I'm going to buy one...

[@yeicobandresalbornozguasca322]

I would love it if it can indicate in some way if there is a high voltage between neutral-ground. it reads out individual values of hot-neutral, hot-ground, and neutral-ground?

[@Eddy63]

I have this tester and use the heck out of it ... Good vid and I subscribed to your channel ... Thx for posting ...

[@gabakusa]

QUESTION: i am using a Klein tool voltage detector and GFCI tester RT250 when measuring GFCI, when it is not tripped i have correct reading all is good (good ground good voltage 110v) but when i trip it i see a open ground reading and 30v why is that? I have everything wired correctly, where it says line i have 110v and where it says load i have the load. I have the ground properly attached. when i use my multimeter fluke i have 0.12mV so it is less than one 1volt

[@jamesagnew6512]

This video was very useful and helpful. The Klein instructions are too small for my old eyes to read. Thanks.

[@johnlevison9552]

Great tool, I just bought one.

[@estebancolon247]

Keep,them,Coming,(Happy, New,Year)

[@Junkman2008]

Aha! A fellow jarhead. Semper Fi, bro'. 🙂👍

[@TheDurbinCompound]

Errrrr raaaaaahhhh

[@alejandroalejandro2935]

Perfect Video! You forgot to show the wiring to let others see what you’re doing when you flip the wires. Some people don’t understand a open ground or reverse... 👍🏼 I give you my 💯

[@TheDurbinCompound]

Some secrets are kept! 💪🏻

[@Genesislights]

So when stick the meter to the energized GFCI, it says correct and green light. I hit test button and it tripped the GFCI but then it would read open grnd neutral with > 30VAC. There are no other receptacles downstream and upstream. GFCI is Eaton premium

[@kingofthecrease30]

pretty awesome tool for $20....especially for klein...thanks for the review...i will have to buy it

[@TheDurbinCompound]

Yeah I was pretty impressed for the quality and usefulness of it!

[@waitingforit3386]

Thank you! Just bought this for DIY because I am not comfortable using a multimeter.

[@jarrydee2799]

What sucks about this one is when you are trying to find the breaker to a circuit. The cheaper ones lights will go out when you find the right breaker, this one stays on. only thing I do not like about this one compared to the cheaper one

[@bluv4579]

That's why he never took off the hot lol cheap one and meter way to go

[@billhandymanbill2775]

This tester is really not design to test for a circuit breaker. There is a specific tester that I use that is fantastic and it is available from Klein Tools and others for about $22.00.

[@cyclops214]

Do these work if you have an older house with two-prong outlets say, could you use a three-prong to two-prong adapter with this

[@yeicobandresalbornozguasca322]

What if you connect to an outlet with 220v? Does the meter have a protection fuse? or it just can read the 220 without any issue?

[@enushalu2548]

really good overview !

[@cale9987]

How does this test the GFCI? Connect the hot to ground when the botton is pushed?

[@oldmaninthemirror]

Just got mine from Amazon. Voltage display seems about 1.5 volts high which is not important at the end of the day. Seems like a nice tool.

[@sknight0391]

Great video. Exactly what I wanted to see. 😎👍

[@bluv4579]

Electricians use the cheap one with a Meter. Always double check Voltage with a meter when troubleshooting

[@richiedorado3599]

Great vid brotha! I just bought this!

[@richiedorado3599]

Very detailed!

[@randomcuriosities8441]

Just got mine today. Good video thanks.

[@iveneverdonethisbefore8390]

Will this work to check an outlet that is second in line to a gfci outlet, to tell if that non-gfci outlet is gfci protected?

[@TheDurbinCompound]

Yes. It will be able to trip the GFCI and tell you.

[@cachapma99]

Thanks for the excellent review and info. Your video beats the instructions hands down. I do have to wonder though. If you press the test button on a standard outlet, wired on a standard breaker (not GFCI) what happens. Does it create a direct short?

[@TheDurbinCompound]

It creates a direct short to ground.

[@Dave-ei7kk]

@@TheDurbinCompound Actually this tester does NOT create a direct short between the hot and ground when you press the TEST button. If it did, it would cause a non-GFCI circuit breaker to trip because of an over current condition created by the direct short (ex: >15A on a 15A branch circuit). When you press the TEST button the tester creates a much smaller leakage path (fault) between hot and ground which will draw a current of between 6mA and 9mA. GFCI outlets or breakers are designed to trip if they detect a hot to ground fault current of over 5mA and should therefore trip when confronted with this simulated fault. A standard breaker would happily supply this leakage current, in fact any leakage current up to the current rating on the breaker handle would be supplied. And if that leakage path was through your body core that is more than enough current to potentially kill you at 120v. But a

[@tedlahm5740]

Does it test a Non Grounded GFCI Protected ( one downstream ) outlet?

[@ANOTHERSAVEDSOUL]

Great video. I went out and bought me one of these from Home Depot yesterday and started testing my outlets. I live in Ca. in a house that was built in 1962. I know the codes were a lot different than they are now. So, when tested I got the open GRD in a bedroom and Hot/NEU Rev. When I took out the outlet from the wall, I noticed that the ground in the bedroom was grounded to the metal gang box. The Hot/NEU Rev was in the kitchen. Is there a lot to worry about and get an electrician? or is this common in these old houses? Any help would be appreciated.

[@surferdude642]

Apparently the box in the bedroom is not grounded. Adding a wire from the box to the receptacle won't help in that case. Are the other receptacles grounded? Do all the receptacles except for the one in the kitchen show correct polarity? If the answer to the first question is yes, then you can put a GFCI receptacle in there. If the answer to the second question is yes, then remove wires (power off) then check for hot wire (power on) using a multimeter with one probe on ground wire or metal box and the other on a wire. The one that reads approximately 120v AC is your hot wire. Alternatively, use a non contact voltage tester for this, which would be easier. You could also just swap the wires and retest, but testing first is more conclusive and leaves no doubt.

[@sont77]

How about I’d a outlet is Gfci protected? How can you tell ?

[@traviscover590]

I like your video you did a really good job today buddy

[@traviscover590]

Happy Halloween too you guys buddy

[@traviscover590]

Good night too you guys please pray for my son is sick a can we do know y my son is sick please pray for as buddy

[@classifiedrestricted6547]

What if I am showing 117 volts ac and the wiring is correct?

[@hollywood6867]

Great video I'm getting one for my bag

[@amidgetonamoped8637]

Great video! I just got this and use it daily on home inspections. Sometimes, when I test a GFCI outlet, after it trips/reads correct, it will then display the "Open ground/neutral >30VAC." Can you explain to me what this is telling me? Is it indication of a faulty outlet? So far, it doesn't seem to do it on every GFCI that I test. I want to make sure I'm calling out faulty outlets if they need to be replaced. Thank you!

[@TheDurbinCompound]

The GFCI outlet when tripped is removing the neutral and hot connections. I think the outlet tester is recognizing this after it has been tripped.

[@juanantonio4837]

really good video!

[@TheOne48815]

Does this tester point out bootleg grounds? As a home inspector I sometimes come across this in pre 1963 homes that switched out the two prong to three prong outlets.

[@jefflebowski918]

Yes it does. The RT250 is light-years better than the three light testers.

[@wim0104]

much more complete explanation than the Klein video. Theirs got better music though ;-)

[@robertmilsom9998]

Will it detect a bootleg or false ground?

[@Dave-ei7kk]

No. I don’t think so.

[@ericmotso2091]

No plug checker will. That’s why electricians make false grounds so it passes the plug test on inspection

[@frankrodriguez8520]

Thanks for this videos

[@tysonterry8034]

Great video

[@TheNathanBorgman]

What does the "H" in the black sqaure mean? It shows up when you're moving the wires

[@TheDurbinCompound]

That means “HOLD” it will keep the displayed on the screen for longer so when you unplug it, and in the case of needing to flip it over, you’ll still be able to see what it says. Does the same thing if you plug it in and unplug it. I moved the wires, it lost power, went into Hold Mode

[@joesshows6793]

You sold me man. Thanks

[@emickkart25]

Can you use the gfci test function to trip a breaker?

[@TheDurbinCompound]

I would not recommend. It takes a lot to trip a regular breaker

[@bfoust3488]

I have a outlet that randomly stopped working. I bought this tool and get 30 vac open nue. What does this mean? I haven’t been able to trace the wire not knowing witch direction it travels threw the drywall. Any help I appreciate

[@TheDurbinCompound]

Open neutral is sometimes caused by a wire nut that has come loose or a bad connection somewhere along the white wire. The wire is most likely not damaged in the drywalled area. I would open up other outlets in the room or the current outlet you are working on and check the connection of the white wire. If that is the only outlet that doesn’t work, then the problem is most likely right there

[@bfoust3488]

@@TheDurbinCompound ok thank you so my focus is the white wire. I will try to find where it’s jumped from. I did check one other box but all looked well I’ll continue my search. It’s odd cause the outlet is right beside the breaker box

[@Dave-ei7kk]

@@bfoust3488 it is possible that the white wire fault you’re looking for is that the white wire for that circuit is not securely connected to the neutral bus INSIDE the circuit panel.

[@veronicacameron1703]

Do they make something like this to show you whether the outlet is 15 or 20 amps?

[@TheDurbinCompound]

No, you won’t be able to measure that

[@caryburns4263]

How would you use this if you live in an older house that only has two pronged outlets?

[@Dave-ei7kk]

You wouldn’t use this on a two prong (non grounded) outlet. It requires a 3 prong outlet with a correctly wired hot, neutral, and ground.

[@midwestengimaker8443]

Great review!

[@adirondackjim5678]

great video!

[@ArizonaGuyone]

Excellent tool...just bought one

[@ocnightflyer1359]

Bro, Bro, You rock! Thank you!

[@Domenooch]

Can you leave it plugged in continuously?

[@ThuraMAung]

great video

[@Harleyforever20]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Leeproeun]

Thanks 🙏

[@sixtoabrego2692]

Thanks good is intructive

[@AnthonyChukreyev]

Great little tool. And I must add, if you’re primarily a residential electrician, there are literally 0 instances where you will need the decimal point when determining AC 120/240 voltage. Zip. Zero. Nada. There’s not a single circumstance where that value is relevant in any possible way. There is NOTHING inside a residential circuit that necessitates that degree of accuracy.

[@josearriaga9081]

Thanks!

[@michaelpoczynek]

Very cool thanks!!!!

[@theflyerpr40d]

Would this tell you if there a GFCI on the circuit? Or only way to find out is to press the Test and see if one trip. I think the flex room don’t have a GFCI and I need something to find out for sure. Thanks.

[@karensylvia9423]

Nice video thanks.

[@djjoeykmusic]

Great Video! Thank you Very helpful

[@pollydor07]

Thanks

[@felipea1844]

What does "Stand Alone" mean?

[@TheDurbinCompound]

Means it does not need power from the outlet to work. Traditionally, these testers only work if there is power somewhere at the outlet

[@HerbertAtkinson]

Are these testers even legal to use?

[@erniebiggs8343]

Thanx

[@jeffkardosjr.3825]

But can it test a GFCI without a ground?

[@jessen5152]

From other videos I've seen, it cannot.

[@leoavila4931]

Yes it does, it will display, "open ground"

[@surferdude642]

Yes, but the test button on the device will not work without ground. The test button on the GFCI will work.

[@normferguson2769]

Amazon Canada has them for $45 CDN.

[@mrrich5466]

Can it test a 240 v outlet?

[@cachapma99]

Nope

[@mayatapia602]

NICE TOOL I WILL TELL ALL MY MEXICAN 🇲🇽 FRIENDS AND HOMEBOYS 😎😎 TO GET ONE AND BECOME ELECTRICIANS 💪🏽😂🎉😂🎉😂🎉 😂

[@sabirkhasanov6826]

Awesome Tool

[@tfun101]

I pass on all Klein tools these days but 20 bucks isn’t that bad

[@--JohnDoe]

You are not testing an outlet, you are testing a receptacle. The outlet is the box. I'm stunned klein got that wrong. They named it rt250/ im assuming that means receptacle tester.

[@fernandoangeles6496]

🙏

[@godfreyappliance5585]

Only checking outlet voltage with no load. Only true way to check any voltage is under load.

[@oldmaninthemirror]

So does my killawatt meter have a load and that’s why this device seems to read about 1.5 volts higher?

[@tedlahm5740]

No clear EXPLANATION as to where the 30 volt reading is coming from? With open neutral and ground.

[@mattsmith6828]

Did they stop making this? I really want it..... but........ if they stopped making it.... eeehhhh IDK.

[@TheDurbinCompound]

This is a new product. Still readily available everywhere that I know of

[@TheDurbinCompound]

GFCI Receptacle Tester with LCD www.homedepot.com/p/313832938

[@mattsmith6828]

@@TheDurbinCompound Home Depot seems to be the only place that I can find.

[@TheDurbinCompound]

HomeDepot is one of the only Klein tool dealer. I know my local electric supply house carries their full line as well

[@mattsmith6828]

@@TheDurbinCompound oh nice!

[@michaelreyes6761]

00:47

[@konamanstudio2447]

🍻🍺👍