Inspecting and Testing

[Englishman]

I have possibly insulted one in the past but that was more of a blunt statement of fact than a nasty insult. I do sympathise with the poor people who have been mislead by their short course training providers about exactly how much they'll learn, and that's a problem with the system which I won't go into again, but some of the people who are going out to work are woefully under prepared and with nowhere near the knowledge required.

 

[ruston]

I honestly think that a lot of these posts are a mischievous wind up.

 

[Englishman]

I don't.

 

[ruston]

Yes, you are probably correct. It just seems there are a lot of detached garages............

 

[Englishman]

And a lot of people with far too much time on their hands.....

 

[vader2015]

Hi, thanks for your replies, sorry if i wasn't more clear about my experience/qualifications, i will try to explain a little.

I couldn't get on an apprenticeship scheme, but my boss said he would take me on if i was prepared to pay for all my qualifications myself and do the leg work setting everything up etc. I have done the city and guilds 2351 one day a week in college, and the 17th edition course. I have also completed the 2356 NVQ (this has been the most expensive part so far), . I haven't completed the 2392 yet, but i have enrolled on it, payed my fees and bought some meter's, which is one of the reasons why i am practising my inspecting, testing and certification.

The installation is one we have done recently, and i am lucky enough to be able to get access to it to practice inspection and testing. My boss took me through the process quite a few times, but i don't mind admitting i still find filling out the certificates a bit confusing. Im not getting paid to issues the certificates my boss is issuing them, in fact i basically get paid a labourers wage and i mainly have to practice inspecting and testing on my own time as it were, which is fine as it is all part of my training process and the main way i can get experience inspecting and testing.

We mainly do domestic and commercial work, with some occasional industrial work. Once i have completed the 2392, i hope to eventually get my full ECS card and then hopefully recoup some of the money i have spent out on my qualifications, books etc. I have been working in the industry for about 4 years, working my way up from basic labouring to installation work, i know i won't be the finished article until i get full JIB grading but i am on the right track to get there and hopefully it will all be worth it in the end lol.

Im sorry if my questions were stupid, and if i asked to many of them, i was just looking for a little guidance as after spending hours looking through BS7671, OSG, GN3, NICEIC inspecting testing and certification, and of course google lol i wasn't finding all the answers i was looking for. One of my big problems is I'm dyslexic which is why i ended up working with my hands in the first place, as a result i don't always trust what i am reading especially when it comes to tables so i seek reassurance about what i have read, which more often than not just creates more confusion, its a vicious circle haha.

Although i have been involved with inspecting and testing a few times in the past, essentially i am new to inspecting and testing, but it is something i want to understand properly and to be able to do well. `The only way for me to do that is to keep reading, practising, and completing the 2392. Not being used to filling out the EIR i am struggling with it a little and finding it a bit confusing, but I'm determined with enough practice i can get my head round it eventually.

Any help you can give me to the questions i am unsure of would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Englishman]

If you need help understanding what is written on the reports and paperwork, and your boss isn't prepared to talk you through it, try and get the paperwork from one of his tests, and look at it while looking at the installation, maybe even write what it says on the paperwork, and wrote your laymans description next to it, sort of like a little key so that you can understand it.

 

[Blademan_98]

That's good advice and basically how I taught myself

 

[Richard Burns]

Your boss really should be telling you this information before asking you to do the work, even if you are just training.
It is worth asking him to clarify but these ideas below may also help
1. The Supply characteristics for the main fuse can be difficult to identify if it is not clearly labelled then put NV for not verified.
If it only says 60A then put type as not verified and rating as labelled as 60A
I find the majority of fuses are BS1361 (which is now BS88-3), the rest are BS88-2.
Do not bother with enquiring they will not know.
2. Generally the protective measure is ADS, if there are sections of the installation that do not use ADS (not very common at all) then those protective measures should also be noted e.g. SELV
3. The main switch is the first switch isolating the installation from a supply (may be difficult to find in industrial)
The OSG specifies the main switch as the CU switch but BS7671 indicates that it is the isolator from the supply.
In this case I would use the 40A switch fuse, but you would need to characterise the RCD in the schedule of test results.
4. If other methods rather than ADS are used as the sole protective measure for a part of the installation then you would identify where that sole protective measure is used. E.g. a shaver socket in the bathroom would be electrical separation for one item of equipment. Location would be bathroom.
SELV is unlikely to be in use.
5. There are two sections for the installation test results one with a single distribution circuit in SWA and one for the two circuits in the garage. Each ought to be separately listed. (I usually combine such a small section on one sheet but your forms may not have that flexibility).
6. You have the disconnection times correct.
7. Buried in ducting is the most onerous installation method so would be D
8. The distribution circuit serves one point
9. If there is no RCD protection then N/A is appropriate
10. Nominal values for BS1361 (replaced with BS88-3) fuses do not cover 40A but manufacturers make them so the manufacturers data for that fuse is appropriate to use but remember that they may not be amendment 3 values which are 5% lower to take account of Cmin at 0.95.
11. The EFLI values are correct.
12. if you have done R1+R2 then R2 is not necessary.
13. Zs is a live test but the method you describe is measuring a dead test of R1+R2, where you do take the highest reading for that circuit as R1+R2.
Your meter measured value of Zs can differ significantly from the calculated worst case value of adding Ze to R1+R2.
The measured value of Zs is just that, the value of Zs you measure with your meter on a live installation.

 

[ipf]

Hi, thanks for your replies, sorry if i wasn't more clear about my experience/qualifications, i will try to explain a little.

I couldn't get on an apprenticeship scheme, but my boss said he would take me on if i was prepared to pay for all my qualifications myself and do the leg work setting everything up etc. I have done the city and guilds 2351 one day a week in college, and the 17th edition course. I have also completed the 2356 NVQ (this has been the most expensive part so far), . I haven't completed the 2392 yet, but i have enrolled on it, payed my fees and bought some meter's, which is one of the reasons why i am practising my inspecting, testing and certification.

The installation is one we have done recently, and i am lucky enough to be able to get access to it to practice inspection and testing. My boss took me through the process quite a few times, but i don't mind admitting i still find filling out the certificates a bit confusing. Im not getting paid to issues the certificates my boss is issuing them, in fact i basically get paid a labourers wage and i mainly have to practice inspecting and testing on my own time as it were, which is fine as it is all part of my training process and the main way i can get experience inspecting and testing.

We mainly do domestic and commercial work, with some occasional industrial work. Once i have completed the 2392, i hope to eventually get my full ECS card and then hopefully recoup some of the money i have spent out on my qualifications, books etc. I have been working in the industry for about 4 years, working my way up from basic labouring to installation work, i know i won't be the finished article until i get full JIB grading but i am on the right track to get there and hopefully it will all be worth it in the end lol.

Im sorry if my questions were stupid, and if i asked to many of them, i was just looking for a little guidance as after spending hours looking through BS7671, OSG, GN3, NICEIC inspecting testing and certification, and of course google lol i wasn't finding all the answers i was looking for. One of my big problems is I'm dyslexic which is why i ended up working with my hands in the first place, as a result i don't always trust what i am reading especially when it comes to tables so i seek reassurance about what i have read, which more often than not just creates more confusion, its a vicious circle haha.

Although i have been involved with inspecting and testing a few times in the past, essentially i am new to inspecting and testing, but it is something i want to understand properly and to be able to do well. `The only way for me to do that is to keep reading, practising, and completing the 2392. Not being used to filling out the EIR i am struggling with it a little and finding it a bit confusing, but I'm determined with enough practice i can get my head round it eventually.

Any help you can give me to the questions i am unsure of would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Seems to me that you're going about things in a decent way. Although your employer doesn't seem to be offering the a great deal of help in the learning curve, at least you are in a position of being employed and having opportunity to learn. Completing your T+I will be of great assistance. Good luck, I'm sure you've learnt a great deal having read the replies.