Electrical Tools
Electrical tools, or tools used by electricians, include simple and sophisticated tools. Working with electricity requires a number of specialized tools that ensure the electrician's safety and the safety of his finished work product.
Electrical wiring tools include wire cutters, insulation strippers, and crimpers for various connectors and terminators. Stiff but flexible metal tape called "fishing tape" is pushed through the hollow spaces between walls to find a path through which electrical wiring can be pulled; the electrician is said to be "fishing" for a path. Long-nose pliers are useful for twisting the ends of wires together, and side-cutting pliers have both gripping jaws and twin cutting shears built into the same hinged tool. Some multi-purpose electrical hand tools combine pliers, cutter, stripper, and other functions into a single tool.
Screwdrivers are part of an electrical tool set, of course, to secure clamps to wiring, screw down the lids of splice enclosures, tighten screw terminators around the ends of wires, and screw face plates over electrical outlets. These are just a few of the screwdriver's uses in electrical work.
A tape measure is one of the essential electrical tools. Tape measures are used to measure off exactly the right length of wire for a particular run. Too much, and wire bunches up in unsightly and potentially dangerous loops. Too little, and the wire is stretched and stressed to the point where it may break over time -- or it may not be long enough at all.
An adjustable wrench is on the electrical tools belt of most electricians. Wrenches are used to grip nuts while bolts are tightened, or to turn a bolt or nut. Wrenches are also used to tighten connectors around sections of aluminum conduit. In a pinch, a wrench can be used as a hammer to shape the ends of conduit or get a stubborn terminator to seat tightly on the ends of twisted wires.
A multi-meter is an electronic electrical tool that measures several characteristics of electricity. Its first function is to tell the electrician if a wire is "hot" -- that is, whether electricity is flowing through it. Multimeters also measure the voltage and amperage in the current carried by a hot wire, and the polarity or direction of the electricity's flow.
Electrical tools can cost a couple of dollars or several hundred, depending on the quality and size of the electrical tool set you wish to build.