How to Test Electrical Current With a Voltage Tester

Insert end of voltage tester in both slots of the live receptacle. Depending on your model, the tester should flash, beep, or both flash and beep if the current is live. Do not skip this step. The reason for this step is that you want to make certain that the voltage tester is working. Dead batteries in the voltage tester may give the impression that a receptacle is safe to work on, even if it is not.