two-pole voltage detector Guidance Note GS38

[Gringoking88]

All,

I have my niceic inspection coming up soon and am a little confused about the requirements for a 2 pole voltage detector. According guidance note 3, a multifunction tester, multi meter or a volt stick can't be used which is fine, but what I want to know is if a clamp meter capable of measuring voltage with two probes is sufficient? I'm trying to slowly build up my equipment as am on a budget and don't want to have to buy another tool just yet if I don't need too. The clamp meter I have is a lap digital meter, yes I know it's not the best but as I said I'm on a budget. LAP Digital Clamp Meter 600A | Clamps & Jaw Testers | NoLinkingToThis if I do need a sperate tool what would be the cheapest option?

Thanks in advance,

Martin

 

[Guest77]

All,

I have my niceic inspection coming up soon and am a little confused about the requirements for a 2 pole voltage detector. According guidance note 3, a multifunction tester, multi meter or a volt stick can't be used which is fine, but what I want to know is if a clamp meter capable of measuring voltage with two probes is sufficient? I'm trying to slowly build up my equipment as am on a budget and don't want to have to buy another tool just yet if I don't need too. The clamp meter I have is a lap digital meter, yes I know it's not the best but as I said I'm on a budget. LAP Digital Clamp Meter 600A | Clamps & Jaw Testers | NoLinkingToThis if I do need a sperate tool what would be the cheapest option?

Thanks in advance,

Martin



What wholesaler do you use? basically go into the store, aske the branch manager you have a relationship with about this and I bet he or she will have several indicators they can tempt you to buy.

 

[Pete999]

All,

I have my niceic inspection coming up soon and am a little confused about the requirements for a 2 pole voltage detector. According guidance note 3, a multifunction tester, multi meter or a volt stick can't be used which is fine, but what I want to know is if a clamp meter capable of measuring voltage with two probes is sufficient? I'm trying to slowly build up my equipment as am on a budget and don't want to have to buy another tool just yet if I don't need too. The clamp meter I have is a lap digital meter, yes I know it's not the best but as I said I'm on a budget. LAP Digital Clamp Meter 600A | Clamps & Jaw Testers | NoLinkingToThis if I do need a sperate tool what would be the cheapest option?

Thanks in advance,

Martin



What need is something like this https://www.google.com/search?q=martindale+voltage+indicator+and+proving+unit&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

 

[Richard Burns]

The intent for a voltage detector is to be as certain as possible that there is no voltage on an item you are to work on.
The reason for not recommending multi meters and such is that the setting could be incorrect and so give you a false indication of safety.
A similar effect occurs with non contact voltage detectors that can easily give a false reading.

This is why you should adhere to the recommendations in GS38.
However there is also no need to go overboard on your tester, you just need it reliable, it does not need to do continuity and have extra features it just needs to indicate voltage.
If you are worried about price then you could go for something like this to start with and upgrade when you have the money.

 

[amlu]

2 pole means live and neutral (earth) from circuit to instrument. Unlike a voltstick (neon lamp) where theres only 1 live and return path is capacity of your body.
Something like fluke t130 will do and last for years if you look after it.
A good multimeter will do too (just make sure it has properly insulated leads and probes). If someone is too lazy to set up their meter they should not be messing up with electrics...

 

[assegayer]

However in some situations i have been in i have had no other choice but to use a volt stick. This is because after the installation of all the cables they turn the power on and each cable coiled up is live. therefore i would have to strip the cable first (while its live) just to get my two probes on the earth and line conductors. which obviously gives you a belt unless your careful enough but still dangerous...how would you get over that with just two probes and no where to put them when u want to cut into a cables but dont know if its live or not?

EDIT: its very bad practise, however im not the one who done it or made the decision to do it, just do as im told

 

[amlu]

those
Fluke 1AC-II Voltage Detector Pen | Voltage Testers | NoLinkingToThis
are very useful. got mine in the toolbag and is been used very often.

but its for a quick check, if you need to be sure that circuit is dead then use a proper instrument.

btw leaving coiled live cables not connected to anything on the other end is a bad, bad practice!

 

[IzzyS]

those
Fluke 1AC-II Voltage Detector Pen | Voltage Testers | NoLinkingToThis
are very useful. got mine in the toolbag and is been used very often.

but its for a quick check, if you need to be sure that circuit is dead then use a proper instrument.

btw leaving coiled live cables not connected to anything on the other end is a bad, bad practice!

Not just bad practice - it's a breach of the EAWR,

Disused electrical equipment and systems

75 Before electrical equipment is decommissioned or abandoned for any reason it should be disconnected from all sources of supply and isolated. Isolation (as defined in regulation 12(2)) requires taking effective steps to ensure that it is dead and cannot become inadvertently re-energised or charged by induction or capacitance effects. (Regulations 12, 13 and 14 are also likely to be relevant.) Suitable labels or notices to bring people’s attention to the state of the equipment are likely to be necessary in preventing inadvertent re-energisation.

 

[assegayer]

Not just bad practice - it's a breach of the EAWR,

Disused electrical equipment and systems

75 Before electrical equipment is decommissioned or abandoned for any reason it should be disconnected from all sources of supply and isolated. Isolation (as defined in regulation 12(2)) requires taking effective steps to ensure that it is dead and cannot become inadvertently re-energised or charged by induction or capacitance effects. (Regulations 12, 13 and 14 are also likely to be relevant.) Suitable labels or notices to bring people’s attention to the state of the equipment are likely to be necessary in preventing inadvertent re-energisation.

im talking about new installation cables when they are left coiled to be terminated into something.

and indeed it is bad but in a situation like that u would need a volt stick

 

[amlu]

im talking about new installation cables when they are left coiled to be terminated into something.

and indeed it is bad but in a situation like that u would need a volt stick

and they just laying there, live? hopefully you at least using some tape at the end of cable...
:cowboy::cowboy::cowboy:

 

[assegayer]

and they just laying there, live? hopefully you at least using some tape at the end of cable...
:cowboy::cowboy::cowboy:

hahahaha cowboy remark was going to pop up any second..lol im just the mate working on the site they do have tape on thougg

 

[shanky887614]

correct me if im wrong but arnt they supposed to be unfused now? i know the martindales have a resistor in them (probably more like a resetable fuse)

 

[telectrix]

hahahaha cowboy remark was going to pop up any second..lol im just the mate working on the site they do have tape on thougg

then someone wants their arse kicking. those cables should not be energised until the sockets or whatever have been fitted and the circuit/s dead tested.

 

[shanky887614]

All,

I have my niceic inspection coming up soon and am a little confused about the requirements for a 2 pole voltage detector. According guidance note 3, a multifunction tester, multi meter or a volt stick can't be used which is fine, but what I want to know is if a clamp meter capable of measuring voltage with two probes is sufficient? I'm trying to slowly build up my equipment as am on a budget and don't want to have to buy another tool just yet if I don't need too. The clamp meter I have is a lap digital meter, yes I know it's not the best but as I said I'm on a budget. LAP Digital Clamp Meter 600A | Clamps & Jaw Testers | NoLinkingToThis if I do need a sperate tool what would be the cheapest option?

Thanks in advance,

Martin

multimeters are allowed as long as they have a 500ma hrc fuse inside

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/gs38.pdf

this is the information distributed by the hse

its the fourth edition published 2015


im sure my fluke 179 has a hrc fuse inside but i dont know the rating

 

[telectrix]

the problem with mulimeters is thst they are battery dependent. flat battery = no reading. an approved voltage indicator should not rely on batteries to give a measurement of voltage.

 

[shanky887614]

the problem with mulimeters is thst they are battery dependent. flat battery = no reading. an approved voltage indicator should not rely on batteries to give a measurement of voltage.

true, im just saying that when the nic say no multimeters that is there own opinion and nothing more.

personally i prefer a martindale

 

[telectrix]

i use a fluke T3.

 

[IzzyS]

im talking about new installation cables when they are left coiled to be terminated into something.

and indeed it is bad but in a situation like that u would need a volt stick

Thats OK then, the EAWR don't apply to dangerous situations if it's new work

 

[R G]

Approved voltage indicators mean a set of leads that are not battery driven and also have fused test leads incorporated , such as the Drummond test leads I use , from the DNO days ...
These then are to be tested by a proving unit..

 

[shanky887614]

Approved voltage indicators mean a set of leads that are not battery driven and also have fused test leads incorporated , such as the Drummond test leads I use , from the DNO days ...
These then are to be tested by a proving unit..

nope, dont need a proving unit just a known source