A multimeter is a handy thing to have.
http://www.harborfreight.com/7-funct...ter-98025.html
The meter will measure AC and DC voltage, current, and resistance.
Set it to the highest resistance scale (Ohms, the Omega symbol) and touch the probe ends together. It will read near zero, demonstrating continuity.
Touch the probe ends to the phasing line and ground, and the reading should be near infinite. If the reading goes to zero or a low value you have a short.
There are lots of tutorials on YouTube about how to use a multimeter. It's a very handy thing to have in your tool kit.