CTEC intermitant zone fault

[John Hope 1970]

Hello can any body help I have been pulling my hair out for 2 days in a carehome we have a ctec conventional panel that is coming up zone 6 fault the problem is its in fault sometimes for 2 seconds then clears sometimes 5 to 10 mins which is not giving me enough time to properly investigate. I have ruled out the panel by changing zone 6 for zone 5 and the fault moved to 5 I have been round every head and tightened connections. The EOL seems fine because I fit it in the panel and no fault. I thought I had sorted it as the last fault was 11.30 am then on my way home at 5 was phoned by home to say it had gone in fault for about 30 sec then cleared.

 

[tazz]

Intermitant faults can be a pain....and can be avoided if treat like any other cable on installation, with a full insulation test. Back to basics bring the eol cap forward in the zone circuit say half way. if fault clears start moving the eol cap back at each device until fault appears again. this will give you the location of the fault....suggest then carry out insulation test between the last device to prove cable.

 

[John Hope 1970]

Thanks but its the shortness of the fault that's confusing me as I said sometimes a sec sometimes 10 mins which gives little or no time to trace fault as soon as I get my tools out its cleared and was ok for 4 hours this afternoon

 

[telectrix]

looking at the basics, it appears to be possibly a poor connection, maybe at one of the detectors.

 

[tazz]

Thanks but its the shortness of the fault that's confusing me as I said sometimes a sec sometimes 10 mins which gives little or no time to trace fault as soon as I get my tools out its cleared and was ok for 4 hours this afternoon

This is why you need to move the eol cap to prove devices. Only other way is to disconnect devices and proceed with an insulation test.