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Plug in Electrical socket outlet tester.
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Just a note a RCD does require an earth connection itself it monitors only the live & neutral. It detects current flows to earth even in equipment without an earth of its own. This means the RCD will continue to give shock protection in faulty equipment
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Sorry meant RCD does NOT require an earth connection (my typing skills are not the best)
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It is simpler to edit your post rather than correct it in another post.
Click on the serrated double circle top right.A man walked into a car showroom.
He said to the salesman, “My wife would like to talk to you about the Volkswagen Golf in the showroom window.”
Salesman said, “We haven't got a Volkswagen Golf in the showroom window.”
The man replied, “You have now mate".1 -
donemedosh said:Just a note a RCD does require an earth connection itself it monitors only the live & neutral. It detects current flows to earth even in equipment without an earth of its own. This means the RCD will continue to give shock protection in faulty equipmentThis (with the edit) is correct - however, if there is no 'earth' connection on an appliance which needs one, and there is a fault which has made/would make the casing of the appliance 'live', the RCD won't trip as soon as it is plugged in and/or energised - because initially there isn't (necessarily) a path to 'earth' for the current to flow through. So the washing machine could sit there with a 'live' casing, waiting for someone (or something) to come along and touch it.We'd then hope that the RCD is working properly and cuts the power before the person recieves a lethal electric shock... but that isn't something I'd want to gamble on, and I'd also be aware that domestic RCD's are designed to protect humans in normal conditions - there are other cases (for example four-legged family pets which are more vulnerable than humans) where even a fully working RCD won't necessarily give the protection we'd want.Hence the importance of having an effective 'earthing' system with adequately low resistance, so that a fault of this type causes the power to be disconnected rapidly as soon as it develops, rather than remaining 'live' and dangerous until someone or something comes along and is put in a dangerous situation.This is why a plug-in tester which confirms the 'earth' is correctly connected is such an important thing to use when carrying out work, and/or using equipment (e.g. extension leads) which you don't already know are Ok.1
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plug in testers are good, but my take on the matter is to be wary of cheap products. I have had a Martindale CP501 (£18 currently) for about 5 years and I use it almost daily( had one before that for 5+ years too but they inevitably go missing from time to time) and the point is, it still works and has never broken on me or provided a false of confusing reading.
bottom of the range plug in testers from screwfix (or other plug in meters around the same price bracket that claim to do loads of tests but in reality don't) on the other hand are a constant source or problems. I used to buy them for apprentices until I realised they are false economy. lost count of the times I've been told by a customer there is something wrong with a socket because "their plug in device" is telling them that, but in reality there's nothing wrong, and the device is faulty because either A) it's being produced a price point that is too low to guarantee quality for any length of time, or B ) it somehow claims to be able to pick up on dozens of specific faults(it can't) but in reality all it does is provide wildly inaccurate results, therefore rendering it useless.
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My Martindale EZ150 has given many years of service
Sometimes goes walk about but always seems to find its way home
Retailed at around £45 when purchased
Do not compromise on electrical safety
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Well I didn't know you could get a loop tester that cheap. I remember my old Clare one and doing calculations long hand to get the completion certificates for the council done.0
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There's a higher risk of the Earth not properly terminated, because ironically its usually the only conductor which doesn't come insulated and requires a loose sleeve over the top of it, which can come loose and slip between the terminal screws and prevent a connection. I've only caught this in the past by way of the tester.1
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dontmess666 said:There's a higher risk of the Earth not properly terminated, because ironically its usually the only conductor which doesn't come insulated and requires a loose sleeve over the top of it, which can come loose and slip between the terminal screws and prevent a connection. I've only caught this in the past by way of the tester.
thanks.0 -
If the earth wire got exposed by minor damage, it's safe to touch. Whereas the live and neutral are dangerous if they get exposed. So the live and neutral are double insulated (the outer pvc and then it's colour coded insulation) whereas the earth wire is just held inside the outer PVC.
Indeed in some older cables the outer sheath was lead and it is the earth conductor.
So it's not necessary to have the earth insulated at all, and it's cheaper to not insulate it all the way along just for marking it.1
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