Go to the electrical department at Home Depot or Lowes and buy what I
call a "squeaker". More properly called, I think, a non-contact voltage
tester. It looks like a fountain pen. When you squeeze the pocket clip
against the body, it chirps once. Then if you hold the tip near an
energized wire, it chirps continuously.
There are two variants. One is labelled "100-250 volts". You must hold
it within an inch or so of a 120VAC wire to make it chirp, so this may
not work for you if the wires are buried back between the wall studs.
But there is a "low voltage version" - mine says "12-90 VAC" that can
detect a 120 VAC wire from considerably farther away. This is probably
what you want. Mine is made by GB Instruments, model GVD-504LV (the LV
suffix meaning "low voltage").
If you don't have a Home Depot or Lowe's near you, the standard version
of these things is often available at Ace Hardware, etc - or on eBay -
but I'm not sure about the low-voltage version. Still, they are not
expensive, so try it out.
Bill Jeffrey
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