Fluke 116 vs 117: HVAC Microamps or Electrical Troubleshooting?

Choose the Fluke 117 for electrical troubleshooting when you need AC/DC amp ranges and built-in VoltAlert non-contact voltage detection; choose the Fluke 116 when temperature and flame-sensor microamps are purchase requirements. The decisive current difference is the 116's 0.1 µA resolution versus the 117's 1 mA finest resolution—they cover different jobs. Both have AutoVolt and LoZ, so those features are no reason to choose one over the other, according to the 116 manual and the 117 manual's model columns.

• 0.1 µAFluke 116 current resolution for small-current work
• 1 mAFluke 117 finest current resolution on its amp range

Quick picks: match the job to the function

Compare specifications and all conditions

Flame-sensor current and contact temperature

Our pick

116

What decides it

Microamps and a Type-K temperature function

Electrical troubleshooting with direct AC/DC amp measurements

Our pick

117

What decides it

Amp ranges and VoltAlert

HVAC functions plus AC load current with a clamp

Our pick

116/323 kit, after checking its manifest

What decides it

The 116 supplies temperature and microamps; the separate 323 supplies AC clamp current

Ghost-voltage rejection, capacitance or continuity

Our pick

Either bare meter

What decides it

These functions are shared; choose by your other requirements

Full comparison table ↔

Swipe to compare. Row labels stay visible.

Your requirement	Our pick	What decides it
Flame-sensor current and contact temperature	116	Microamps and a Type-K temperature function
Electrical troubleshooting with direct AC/DC amp measurements	117	Amp ranges and VoltAlert
HVAC functions plus AC load current with a clamp	116/323 kit, after checking its manifest	The 116 supplies temperature and microamps; the separate 323 supplies AC clamp current
Ghost-voltage rejection, capacitance or continuity	Either bare meter	These functions are shared; choose by your other requirements

Your requirement	Our pick	What decides it
Flame-sensor current and contact temperature	116	Microamps and a Type-K temperature function
Electrical troubleshooting with direct AC/DC amp measurements	117	Amp ranges and VoltAlert
HVAC functions plus AC load current with a clamp	116/323 kit, after checking its manifest	The 116 supplies temperature and microamps; the separate 323 supplies AC clamp current
Ghost-voltage rejection, capacitance or continuity	Either bare meter	These functions are shared; choose by your other requirements

For an apprentice, start with the required tool list from the training provider or employer. Do not buy the 117 simply because its model number is higher, or the 116 simply because the work involves heating equipment: specify the functions first. For choices across brands, use our Fluke vs Klein comparison.

Fluke 116 vs 117: the comparison table

These are manufacturer specifications, using the 116's own manual and only the 117 column in its shared manual. The family safety sheet confirms the category markings.

Neither is the universal winner. The matching DC-voltage accuracy is another reason to choose by function rather than model number. Fluke specifies accuracy for a year after calibration at 18–28 °C, with additional conditions in the manuals; a headline percentage is not the specification for every range.

Best for HVAC temperature and flame-sensor work: Fluke 116

The Fluke 116 is our pick when the job explicitly calls for temperature and flame-sensor current. Fluke identifies microamps for flame-sensor testing on its product page; this is a buying requirement, not a furnace-service procedure.

Its 600.0 µA range has 0.1 µA steps. The manual specifies DC current accuracy of ±(1.0% + 2 counts) and AC current accuracy of ±(1.5% + 3 counts) from 45–500 Hz. AC specifications start at 1% of range, so the smallest display step does not promise specified accuracy all the way down to zero.

The limitation is equally important: the 116 has no direct amp range. Its manual describes extending current measurement with a compatible optional mV/A-output current probe. That is an additional accessory to select and interpret, not a hidden amp setting. A separate clamp meter is the other route; see clamp meter vs multimeter before assembling a kit.

The standard package includes a temperature probe, but the meter's temperature range and the probe's limit need separate checks, covered below.

See the standard Fluke 116 package at Fluke

Best for electrical troubleshooting: Fluke 117

The Fluke 117 is our choice when direct amp measurements and non-contact voltage detection matter more than native temperature and microamps.

The 6.000 A range resolves 0.001 A, or 1 mA; the 10.00 A range resolves 0.01 A. Thus, the answer to “does the Fluke 117 read milliamps?” is qualified: it can display milliamp increments on its amp range, but it has no dedicated mA or µA range. Do not substitute it for the 116 when fine microamp readings are required.

Treat the 117 as a 10 A meter. Its manual describes above 10 A up to 20 A as 30 seconds on, 10 minutes off, with accuracy above 10 A unspecified. That overload allowance is not a continuous 20 A measurement rating.

Temperature is a documentation trap. The 117 product page contains temperature text in a comparison table and stray temperature footnotes. Its own manual's function matrix and accuracy rows provide no 117 temperature function. We follow those model-specific rows; adding the 116's thermocouple does not create a temperature mode on the 117.

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AutoVolt, LoZ and VoltAlert: separate the names

AutoVolt selects AC or DC voltage automatically. LoZ is low input impedance, used to reduce false ghost-voltage readings. Both manuals describe these together in AutoV/LoZ, with approximately 3 kΩ input impedance. This is different from autoranging, which chooses the measurement range.

Low impedance is not appropriate everywhere. Fluke's safety sheet warns against Auto Volts on circuits that its low input impedance could damage. Select the function according to the manual and the circuit requirements, especially around sensitive controls.

VoltAlert belongs to the 117. It is built-in non-contact AC voltage detection, not the AutoVolt function. The 117 manual warns that voltage can still be present without an indication and says not to rely on VoltAlert with shielded wire. Its convenience does not establish that a circuit is safe to touch.

Buying guide: probes, ratings and exact packages

Temperature: do not confuse the meter range with the probe range

The 116's Type-K input covers −40 to 400 °C. Fluke's 80BK-A probe page specifies −40 to 260 °C, a lower upper limit. The 116 product page also says temperature uncertainty excludes thermocouple error; display resolution is not the accuracy of the complete meter-and-probe combination.

Check the probe's exact label. The bare 116 page names 80BK; the 116/323 kit overview says 80BK-A, while that same kit's contents list says 80BK. Preserve that distinction when ordering: the cited probe specification is for 80BK-A, and the documents do not justify promising that every supplied probe reaches the meter's full range. For a pipe or surface requirement, confirm the probe type, connector or adapter, and its own temperature limit.

Bare meter or 116/323 and 117/323 kit?

“Bare” here means the standard meter package with its listed accessories. It does not mean a clamp meter is included. Compare the full package name and part number on Fluke's 116/323 page or 117/323 page.

Confirm the 117 kit manifest. Its overview names TL175 and TPAK, but its box list gives generic silicone leads and does not name the hanger. Do not assume an optional accessory is supplied merely because it appears beside a meter online. The 116 kit's probe naming discrepancy also needs confirmation against the actual package.

The 323 itself measures up to 400 A AC with its jaw and has no DC-current range. It is marked CAT III 600 V / CAT IV 300 V. Those are the clamp's ratings; buying it in a kit does not upgrade the 116 or 117 to CAT IV.

Choose the 116/323 kit if you need the 116's HVAC functions and a separate AC-current clamp, subject to the accessory checks above. The 117/323 kit serves the corresponding electrical-troubleshooting choice. If you already own a suitable clamp, buy the required standalone meter instead. For DC clamp current, neither kit's 323 fills that requirement; use our clamp meter buying guide.

1. 1

   Match the complete package name

   Distinguish the standard meter, combo kit, CAL package and reconditioned version.

2. 2

   Confirm the accessory manifest

   Resolve lead, hanger and temperature-probe descriptions against the exact package.

3. 3

   Check the measurement requirements

   Match current type, probe limits and CAT markings to the work and employer requirements.

CAL and reconditioned are separate choices. Fluke lists 116 CAL and 117 CAL with a traceable calibration certificate and data. It identifies R-FLUKE-116 and R-FLUKE-117 as factory-reconditioned meters. Calibration paperwork and condition are different purchase decisions from adding a clamp or temperature accessories. For a gift, our electrician gift checklist helps avoid duplicating tools the recipient already has.

How we choose

This is a document-based comparison, without physical product testing. We read the official product pages, the dedicated 116 manual, the 117 rows in its shared manual, the family safety sheet, the probe specification and both kit manifests. Ranges and accuracy are Fluke's claims, not measurements from thisMETER.

Our recommendations prioritise required functions and a usable package. Where Fluke's pages disagree, we identify the conflict and use model-specific manual rows for measurement capability; accessory conflicts remain items to confirm before ordering. Buyer reviews are not evidence for a missing range or safety rating. The method is explained further on How we choose.

Verdict

Get the 116 for native temperature and flame-sensor microamps, adding the 116/323 kit only when its separate AC clamp and confirmed accessories meet your needs. Get the 117 for direct amp measurements and VoltAlert, or its 117/323 kit when you also need that AC clamp. Both already provide AutoVolt and LoZ; the deciding question is which missing function would force you to carry another instrument.