Why does nobody talk about using a meter to find the hot leg on old cloth wire

I was rewiring a 1950s house out in Renton last week and couldn't get a clear read on which wire was hot with my tick tracer. Ended up using my old Fluke 87 on continuity mode between each wire and ground, and it saved me from cutting into a live line blind. Has anyone else had luck with this trick on really old stuff, or am I overthinking it?

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grant1302mo ago

You ever try the old lightbulb test trick? I used to think meters were overkill for old cloth wire, but after getting bit by a mystery hot leg that my tick tracer just ignored, I switched up my thinking. Now I always break out the multimeter before touching anything from the 50s. That continuity to ground method you mentioned is solid, saves you from guessing. Way better than trusting a no-contact tester on dusty, brittle insulation.

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richard_ramirez2mo ago

Tick testers have failed me too but a lightbulb tells you nothing about voltage drop under load which is the real killer.

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