Voltage on gas pipe to boiler - newly qualified question!!

[a1guvner]

Time to jump in with your IR tester before you rip the place to bits, get your overall IR upfront on the ltg ct if low then start seperating suspect parts of the circuit and retest and narrow it down

Your tester will give you clues quicker than exposing questionable areas and doing visuals

 

[BrightSparkPaul]

Yes mate: Thats definately a possible hotspot, something has me a bit confused. What sort of non contact tester picks up on 5 volts ?. then as a1 says i'm afraid it's time for the Megger & a nice little tracing session.

The flukes and kew techs both seem to light up around 6v.....

 

[Specialist]

The flukes and kew techs both seem to light up around 6v.....

That's brilliant for a Tester that's not supposed to light up below 100v, think i'll stick to my MK tester. What was the result of your insulation test on the upstairs lighting circuit ?

 

[La Poste]

That's brilliant for a Tester that's not supposed to light up below 100v, think i'll stick to my MK tester. :lol:

What tester do you have?
Do you have a link?
Cheers.

 

[Specialist]

What tester do you have?
Do you have a link?
Cheers.

It's the MK LN6090 the 1 with the sensitivity control, sorry mate: have'nt got a link but try the TLC website or Test-Meter.co.uk might do them. It's the only 1 i've found so far that does'nt pick up on ghost voltages.

 

[BrightSparkPaul]

That's brilliant for a Tester that's not supposed to light up below 100v, think i'll stick to my MK tester. What was the result of your insulation test on the upstairs lighting circuit ?

It's my first job when I return there on Friday. It's been great to get some ideas from everyone, thanks for he heads up. Will post what happens in this thread on Friday.

 

[a1guvner]

It's the MK LN6090 the 1 with the sensitivity control, sorry mate: have'nt got a link but try the TLC website or Test-Meter.co.uk might do them. It's the only 1 i've found so far that does'nt pick up on ghost voltages.

Fluke Ldv2 is a good little tool

 

[MarkieSparkie]

It's the MK LN6090 the 1 with the sensitivity control, sorry mate: have'nt got a link but try the TLC website or Test-Meter.co.uk might do them. It's the only 1 i've found so far that does'nt pick up on ghost voltages.

I have one too and can confirm that it's quite insensitive to phantom voltage, but it's not infallible.

 

[Golden_Boy]

Yes mate: Thats definately a possible hotspot, something has me a bit confused. What sort of non contact tester picks up on 5 volts ?. then as a1 says i'm afraid it's time for the Megger & a nice little tracing session.

Where is this voltage being measured and with respect to where? A voltage cannot just be "there" its got to be measured between two points , It is after all A POTENTIAL DIFFRENCE.

 

[BrightSparkPaul]

Where is this voltage being measured and with respect to where? A voltage cannot just be "there" its got to be measured between two points , It is after all A POTENTIAL DIFFRENCE.

The gas fitters simply stick the pen tester on the pipe, therefore it is the potential difference between the gas pipe and where they are stood. Or is that a little simplistic?

 

[MarkieSparkie]

I've moved most of the visible wires away. There's one area where some lighting wiring shares an entry point with pipe work and has been plugged with expanding foam, I'm guessing that's a possible hot spot !!

Some expanding foams (and Gripfill) have an adverse reaction with PVC cable insulation causing it to breakdown.
I had a situation a few years ago where an outgoing lighting cable shared an access hole with the incoming overhead supply cables. This hole had been filled with expanding foam causing breakdown of the cable insulation allowing leakage from the incoming line to power the lighting circuit. The first indication of the problem was when the switch cable was about to be cut to length and the cutter blades switched the lights ON even though the installation was "safely isolated" at the DB main switch.

 

[Edd]

I would be tempted to use the volt stick he left,, and start splitting the circuit up till the stick goes out,,, it may point you in the right area... split what you think is thge middle does it still light and work from there..

 

[Golden_Boy]

The gas fitters simply stick the pen tester on the pipe, therefore it is the potential difference between the gas pipe and where they are stood. Or is that a little simplistic?

Maybe the gas fitter was at a voltage and the gas pipe was at earth potential.
I would blind them with science given half the chance....

 

[Specialist]

I have one too and can confirm that it's quite insensitive to phantom voltage, but it's not infallible.

No mate: I know it's not infallible but compared to most of them it's pretty good, my first one got stood on by some lump of a Builder & the only 1 I could get quickly was a Di log. Damned thing would show the air was live, took it back & they gave me some other make & that picked up ghost voltages all over the shop. so went & bought another MK & am sticking with them.

 

[Specialist]

I would be tempted to use the volt stick he left,, and start splitting the circuit up till the stick goes out,,, it may point you in the right area... split what you think is thge middle does it still light and work from there..

Been wondering about that, what sort of Gas fitter gives up his good working tester to a client.

 

[Golden_Boy]

No mate: I know it's not infallible but compared to most of them it's pretty good, my first one got stood on by some lump of a Builder & the only 1 I could get quickly was a Di log. Damned thing would show the air was live, took it back & they gave me some other make & that picked up ghost voltages all over the shop. so went & bought another MK & am sticking with them.

I am the opinion that ALL non contact "meters" are a waste of space............

 

[BrightSparkPaul]

Been wondering about that, what sort of Gas fitter gives up his good working tester to a client.

He's a funny old sort, I met him a couple of days ago. Apparently British gas hand them out like sweets.... He's got 4!

 

[Richard]

Hi,

Can you be more specific as to what you have 5V between? You are testing between the Gas pipe - and What? to get 5V.

Thanks

 

[PC Electrics]

It's British gas, they use non contact kew sticks, then recorded the voltage using a metrell I think. The kew stick lit up, which is fail one for them and they won't go anywhere near it now!
none of my testing equipment can register a proper voltage (kewtech kt64 and fluke avi multi) but the kew stick is definitely lighting up!

The gas fitters simply stick the pen tester on the pipe, therefore it is the potential difference between the gas pipe and where they are stood. Or is that a little simplistic?

Yep, I've had exactly this with a client. Absolutley nothing wrong anywhere. In the tank area where the gas 'engineer' was waving his stick, there were wires for the immersion and also ch controls.

What voltage did you measure between the pipes and met?
what was your continuity from the pipes to met?
was bonding continuity satisfactory?
was Ze satisfactory?

There's four pages here and unless I'm blind I cannot see a single test result anywhere.

I'll put up a tenner there's nothing wrong.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Yes mate: Thats definately a possible hotspot, something has me a bit confused. What sort of non contact tester picks up on 5 volts ?. then as a1 says i'm afraid it's time for the Megger & a nice little tracing session.

this is what i thought spesh when i first saw it.....more like 120V??.....so a dangerous potential for a start....