Bidirectional and data sheets.

[JohnW2]

Nothing it’s just to confirm operation you have to test with meter before going near the button ... Otherwise you don’t know if it’s working properly

I obviously can't disagree with that statement - but, as I said, virtually none of the general population have a meter with which they can test an RCD, so the Utopia you seem to seek is clearly totally unattainable.

 

[mikehammer69]

I obviously can't disagree with that statement - but, as I said, virtually none of the general population have a meter with which they can test an RCD, so the Utopia you seem to seek is clearly totally unattainable.

I mostly learn from you not the other way round

 

[JohnW2]

I mostly learn from you not the other way round

I'm pleased and flattered to hear that.

However, one thing to be learned is the need to be 'realistic', and that no matter what might be ideal in a perfect world, one has to consider what is (sensibly or at all) attainable in the real world!

 

[ericmark]

The whole point of testing with the test button, is to alert one if the mechanism has got glued up with dust etc, and to test with a meter will alert one if the device has stuck, better than the button, which in general sends more than 30 mA. It does not test speed or ½, full, and 5 times, with positive or negative cycle or a ramp test. Nor are we also testing the back-ground leakage. So also need the clamp-on meter as well.

Since the device can warp as the terminals are torqued up, it needs test after all cables and bus bars are terminated, so without the clamp-on you don't know what it should trip at.

But this is going a bit silly, today we are told no need to do the + and - tests, not sure why? But we don't test a MCB at all, so be it a full-blown RCD tester, a socket tester with a RCD test button, or the built-in test button, it does show likely it will work.

The MK socket the test button must have gone to earth, as pressing it on the 10 mA version would also take out the 30 mA and 100 mA RCDs feeding it. It did show the earth was present, where most the built-in buttons are line to neutral, so even with no earth they would show as OK.

But as to using the machine before using test button or the other way around it makes no never mind.

 

[JohnW2]

The whole point of testing with the test button, is to alert one if the mechanism has got glued up with dust etc, and to test with a meter will alert one if the device has stuck, better than the button, which in general sends more than 30 mA. It does not test speed or ½, full, and 5 times, with positive or negative cycle or a ramp test. Nor are we also testing the back-ground leakage. So also need the clamp-on meter as well.

All true - but, as I keep saying, that does not alter the fact that 99%+ (or whatever) of householders are not equipped (and/or don't have the knowledge/skill) to do anything other than 'press the test button'.