Copper Line Test

AlanE · 20 Jul 2010

My internet connection drops out occasionally, sometimes after a few days ir it could be 2 or 3 times a day. My ISP has carried out a Copper Line Test this morning 3 times and each time comes back as faulty with 'battery contact' which I need to report to BT.

Question is what does 'battery contact' mean and will BT need access to property or is it an exchange fault?

Thanks

OwainDIYer · 20 Jul 2010

The two wires for the telephone line (A and B wires) are connected in the exchange. The A wire is connected to Earth, the B wire to a -50V battery.
Somewhere along it's route, your telephone line is making (partial?) contact with another, causing it to pick up some of the voltage from its neighbour.

Note · 20 Jul 2010

most likely there is a wet joint somewhere outside. meaning a joint with water in it causing your line to pick up voltage from another line. you will need to get an engineer out. probably wont need access to your house

simonpolly · 21 Jul 2010

AlanE said:
My internet connection drops out occasionally, sometimes after a few days ir it could be 2 or 3 times a day. My ISP has carried out a Copper Line Test this morning 3 times and each time comes back as faulty with 'battery contact' which I need to report to BT.

Question is what does 'battery contact' mean and will BT need access to property or is it an exchange fault?

Thanks

When you ring your isp about a bb fault the first thing they do is run a basic line test,if this fails THEY should arrange for openreach to fault the line.Like the others have said your line is picking up battery(d c voltage from other lines) the voltage is not the problem its the contact that causes big adsl problems as it in effect increases your line length because it effects the capacitance of each leg,both legs should be balanced if one is far higher/lower than the other this will effect your bb

AlanE · 22 Jul 2010

Thanks for the answers and info. I was surprised that ISP didn't arrange for Openreach to also carry out checks.

Have decided to go away next week for a few days but will then report fault to BT, who supply line, and see what they say.

Will post back what they find.

Racundra · 5 Jan 2011

AlanE: I have the same problem you had back in July. Did BT rectify it and if so did they charge you? Thanks (also thanks to others for explaining the problem).

Alarm · 5 Jan 2011

I had similar with my line a while back.
First engineer said no fault, I got my test meter out and proved the fault.
He siad he would return, he didnt.
One phone call later another engineer turned up and again siad he cannot find the fault. I showed him were the line ebtered, the joint box and the street cabinate.

Funnily he found the fault at the joint box.

No charge.

simonpolly · 8 Jan 2011

Alarm said:
I had similar with my line a while back.
First engineer said no fault, I got my test meter out and proved the fault.
He siad he would return, he didnt.
One phone call later another engineer turned up and again siad he cannot find the fault. I showed him were the line ebtered, the joint box and the street cabinate.

Funnily he found the fault at the joint box.

No charge.

Battery faults are quite common on long lines,wet joints and tree rub on overhead aerial cable are the usual suspects.To check a line for a battery fault you need to disconnect the exchange conditions and put a loop on the line ,How can you do this using your multi meter ? Battery faults also have a habit of disappearing when the joint drys out.

AlanE · 8 Jan 2011

AlanE: I have the same problem you had back in July. Did BT rectify it and if so did they charge you? Thanks (also thanks to others for explaining the problem).

No problem seemed to go away which confirms the theory of wet joints.

Random disconnections have started again, but we have had a lot of rain. Need to get BT involved now really.

simonpolly · 9 Jan 2011

AlanE said:
AlanE: I have the same problem you had back in July. Did BT rectify it and if so did they charge you? Thanks (also thanks to others for explaining the problem).

Click to expand...

No problem seemed to go away which confirms the theory of wet joints.

Random disconnections have started again, but we have had a lot of rain. Need to get BT involved now really.

Where your line is picking up the battery it is probably corroding this will lead to high resistance disconnections,a good engineer will find this when he does a pair quality test.

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Copper Line Test

Alarm

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