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How to use a multimeter for a number, not a permit

Updated: October 2026

You have one of these meters on the bench, a battery, a fuse, or a socket in a UK house, and you want a number you can trust. The number is the job. Deciding that a circuit is dead is a different job, and HSE guidance GS38 gives that job to a test lamp or a two-pole detector, not to a multimeter. Peter F. updated this page on 17 October 2026. We did not test your installation. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The meters themselves are compared on the [Voltcraft multimeter comparison](/hub/measuring-equipment/voltcraft-multimeter). None of them is a Voltcraft.

You have one of these meters on the bench, a battery, a fuse, or a socket in a UK house, and you want a number you can trust. The number is the job.

Our top picks

VENLAB VENLAB VM-600M

Best overall

VENLAB VENLAB VM-600M
8.7/10about £26.99
View offer
Crenova Crenova MS8233D

Preis-Tipp

Crenova Crenova MS8233D
8.9/10about £22.99
View offer
VENLAB VENLAB VM-600A

Rank 3

VENLAB VENLAB VM-600A
9.4/10about £29.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Set the dial and the leads before you touch anything
  2. 2.DC volts and continuity
  3. 3.AC and non-contact mode
  4. 4.When you stop

Set the dial and the leads before you touch anything

Start off the circuit. Black lead in the common jack, red lead in the volts or ohms jack, not the 10 A or 20 A jack the VM-600A prints. A red lead left in the amp jack can short the source through the shunt. On the manual-range VM-600M, pick a range above the voltage you expect, about 20 V DC for a resting car battery. On the auto-range VM-600A or MS8233D, the dial still has to be on volts. If the insulation is split, stop.

DC volts and continuity

For a resting 12 V battery, engine off, black on the negative post and red on the positive, in the volts jacks. The figure is state of charge, not a cranking test, and True RMS does not apply. A hybrid pack is not this check. Take a fuse out of the holder before a continuity check, prove the beep with the probes together, then touch both ends. A wandering ohms reading, as one Beizkna review described, has to settle first. The buying guide checks that the meter is the brand on the listing.
VENLAB VENLAB VM-600M

Testsieger

VENLAB VENLAB VM-600M
8.7/10about £26.99
View offer

AC and non-contact mode

Use AC volts on a socket only after you accept the printed category and voltage on the CAT rating page. UK mains are 230 V. A reading near that figure is a number while you measure, not proof the circuit is dead. A chopped wave can read low on an average-responding meter. The True RMS page is that limit: both VENLAB models print the words, and the MS8233D does not. A silent non-contact test is not dead. GS38 wants a test lamp or a two-pole detector, proved before and after.

When you stop

Stop if the leads are nicked, if the Proster clips have come off, or if the meter behaves like the UK reviews of a failed coczow, a dead Kethvoz selector, or an FNIRSI relative mode that does not light. Stop for Part P notifiable work in England: a new circuit, a new consumer unit, or work in a bath or shower room. Regulation 16 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 puts the duty on the person whose knowledge prevents danger. A consumer unit or a supply head is where a competent electrician takes over.

Common questions

Which jack do I use for volts?
Use the volts jack for the red lead, and the common jack for the black lead. Do not leave the red lead in the 10 A or 20 A jack while you measure voltage. On the VM-600A that high-current jack is the 20 A position printed in the bullet. Check the symbols on your own meter before the probes touch anything, because a jack mistake is how the fuse blows.
How do I check continuity on a fuse?
Take the fuse out of the holder so it is not in a live circuit. Prove the continuity beep by touching the probes together, then touch both ends of the fuse. A beep and a near-zero resistance means the element conducts. If the reading wanders, as one Beizkna review described, wait until it settles before you trust it. Put nothing back into a live holder on the strength of a beep alone.
Can the meter tell me a socket is dead?
No. GS38 says you use a test lamp or a two-pole detector to see whether voltage is present or absent, and you prove that indicator before and after. A multimeter can show a voltage while you are measuring. Silence afterwards is not a permit to work. If you cannot do the prove-dead sequence, stop and get an electrician.
What does a silent non-contact test mean?
It means the non-contact function did not alarm. On the Kethvoz the listing claims an alarm from about 90 V, which already ignores lower voltages. A VM-600M review says non-contact mode missed a 5 V or 12 V line. Silence is not proof that a wire is dead, on a socket or on a car.
What should I do if the leads are damaged?
Stop using them. A UK review of the VM-600A reported failed lead insulation and intermittent readings after that. The Proster reviews say the crocodile clips detach. Replace the leads with ones rated for the category you actually work in, or replace the meter. Do not tape a split and carry on at a socket.
When do I call an electrician?
Call one for Part P notifiable work in England, if you cannot prove a circuit dead, if the leads are damaged and the circuit may still be live, or if you are facing a consumer unit or a supply head you are not competent to test. Regulation 16 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 is the competence line. A meter reading is not a substitute for that.

Related pages

Multimeter comparison

Voltcraft multimeter

Best multimeter in this amazon set: shortlist 2026

Voltcraft multimeter UK: brand, price and listings

CAT III 600V multimeter guide: category and voltage

True RMS multimeter: dimmers, drivers and sine waves

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest for this comparison: Rapid Electronics for the Voltcraft brand and the VC191, VC232 and VC-86 pages, the separate amazon.co.uk VC-86 listing, HSE GS38, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and Fluke. Listing prices, star lines and review themes for the 12 models are the stored amazon.co.uk figures, not a fresh page view. Updated 17 October 2026.

  1. Rapid Electronics, Voltcraft brand (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  2. Rapid Electronics, Voltcraft VC191 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  3. Rapid Electronics, Voltcraft VC232 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  4. Rapid Electronics, Voltcraft VC-86 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  5. amazon.co.uk, Voltcraft VC-86 listing (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  6. HSE GS38, electrical test equipment for electricians (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  7. Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulation 16 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  8. Fluke, true measurements of non-linear loads (retrieved 17 October 2026)