Insulation Resistance Test??

[Specialist]

Thanks for that, but if you are testing at the Consumer on the 1 side of the RCD, and everything is isolated are you are doing L-N on the ringmain, will other circuits on that RCD affect the result of the circuit being tested???

If you want to do an Insulation test on a Circuit from the CU: Isolate by opening the Main Switch / RCD, Turn off all MCB's. Test from the Circuit side of the MCB with everything Switched off, if you have a low resistance between any conductors on the circuit you are testing then identify the L/N/E for that circuit & remove from the CU. Now do your Insulation test again to see if the fault still remains, if it does then re-check that everything on the circuit is definately turned off / unplugged. If you prove that everything is disconnected then you can start looking for a fault.

 

[Specialist]

what regs says you need a unswitched fused unit for an alarm ?

Pardon ? Take a look back as far as BS4737 or EN50131, basically you don't supply power to an Alarm via a Plug top or a Switched FCU. Should allways be supplied via an Unswitched FCU with a 3 amp fuse fitted.

 

[morph]

Pardon ? Take a look back as far as BS4737 or EN50131, basically you don't supply power to an Alarm via a Plug top or a Switched FCU. Should allways be supplied via an Unswitched FCU with a 3 amp fuse fitted.

where does it say this please , i would like to know what reg number

 

[Specialist]

where does it say this please , i would like to know what reg number

Sorry mate: I have'nt got a copy of the Regs here with me otherwise I would have posted it up in answer to your original question. If you fit Alarms how do you supply power to them ? You may find a Browsable copy of the Regs on the BSIA website.

 

[Mark_Burgess]

Kev2632, let us know what it is you find out, its always good to know what it was in the end.

 

[morph]

if the alarm was wired through an unswitched fused unit spurred from a rfc then where would be the point of isolation for maintenance? the cb maybe ...it inconvenient though is nt it..
i would prefere a sfu with a label myself

 

[morph]

there is not a reg for this btw :cool3: not in BS 7671 and BSIA dont have regs as such not ones that would be used in court to confirm compliance with the statutory regs such EAWR etc at least this my understanding

 

[Specialist]

if the alarm was wired through an unswitched fused unit spurred from a rfc then where would be the point of isolation for maintenance? the cb maybe ...it inconvenient though is nt it..
i would prefere a sfu with a label myself

But then your Alarm Installation would'nt conform to EN50131 would it ? I've been to many sites where Alarms are fed through an SFCU all nicely labelled & you get a call to say the Alarm is Dead, only to find after getting there that someone turned the Switch off & the Battery has now gone dead as well. What's the point of a security system where you've got a means of turning it off Right by it ? To isolate the panel you don't need to go to the Circuit breaker you just lift the fuse.

 

[Specialist]

there is not a reg for this btw :cool3: not in BS 7671 and BSIA dont have regs as such not ones that would be used in court to confirm compliance with the statutory regs such EAWR etc at least this my understanding

Don't know whats on the BSIA site now, not been on there for a long time but you used to be able to pull them up.

 

[Specialist]

Kev: Have you checked out the sticky, Testing by Megger ?

 

[SirKit Breaker]

I havent read the full thread, but has anyone suggested joining L to N and testing to earth, this will eliminate any inaccessible sockets, spurs, and plug in air fresheners.

Cheers.........Howard

 

[Specialist]

Hi Howard: Thread seems to have gone off on a Tangent mate & I have'nt got the patience to go back through all of it, but I think 1 of the boys suggested this towards the beginning of the thread.

Andy

 

[stonejenson]

Probably a bit late for comment on this thread, but I had problems with an IR test on a ring - Lives to Earth bad, so tested L to E, OK, but between N and E it was 0.17 MegaOhms - not good! The culprit was a whirlpool bath, supplied from a fused spur off the ring, that had had the fuse removed, so I thought isolated. But it's a lesson learnt now, to remove the load entirely from an FCU if there are problems.

 

[richardg]

I have to agree with the other posters, search around, there could be a lighting circuit upstairs connected to the ring. I've seen to many weired and wonderful hidden loads whils performing an IR test . Good luck