What electricians replace before it fails: meters, leads, and testers?

[Alan]

We’re a few days into February 2026, and I’m curious what habits people have for keeping meters and testers reliable over the long run. Not the perfect lab approach, just the habits that prevent the embarrassing moment where you’re chasing a problem and it turns out your lead was cracked.

If you had to recommend a simple routine for newer electricians, what would you tell them to check weekly or monthly? And for calibration, do you actually do it on a schedule, only when something feels off, or never. Share how you think about it, because there’s a lot of different approaches out there.

Bonus question, what do you always keep as a spare in the truck, and what spares ended up saving you the most time.

 

[General_Valeria]

Leads fail before meters in my experience, especially near the probe and the jack end. I treat nicked insulation like a replace now item, not “later.” I keep spare leads, spare meter fuses, and a non contact tester that I trust as a quick sanity check, not as proof.

 

[Gralsritter]

Weekly I look at my meter leads for nicks near the probes and strain relief. I also check the battery level and make sure the dial and buttons feel normal. If the leads look tired, I replace them. Cheap insurance. Spare that saves me most is extra leads and extra batteries. A dead meter in a crawl space is the worst.

 

[PGB1]

I keep the job site testers of all types in cases, along with the leads & spare parts, alligator clips and other accessories. It seems to help prolong life.
Meters come in the building at the end of a shift in winter. (Condensation & battery)

When I test the meter before use (every meter, every time), I check the battery indicator and inspect the leads. If no battery indicator is available, I will be honest and admit that I forget.

Calibration & NIST certification is done on a few of my meters annually, per requirements of certain jobs. Other ones, I'll test against the known-calibrated ones. (True RMS vs True RMS. Non-RMS vs Non-RMS)

Solenoid type? About every month, or after hard condition use, but only test at minimum voltage for the scales to be sure they work at the lowest voltage available.

Safety Voltage Detector (also known as Personal Voltage Detector)- Test to ensure it works before every high & medium voltage job, multiple times per job.