Electrical tester

[Mick Leek]

Sorry guys in advance,

I read a post the other day regarding a tester that simply plugs into the socket. i have been searching for over an hour but cant find it

I was interested in getting one of the testers, somone posted a link to an E bay guy selling them..

Cheers

and sorry if it was under my nose all along

 

[69er]

Hi

Do you mean one that just lights up/beeps? If so try www.socketandsee.co.uk.

 

[Mick Leek]

No,

The one i mean is the one you simply plug into the socket

Cheers anyway

 

[Lectrician]

So a really high-tech tester you want........

These plug in testers may as well simply be a lamp on the end of a flex attached to a plug top.

What do you actually want to test, and why??

 

[plugwash]

socket testers suck.

1: they do not detect neutral/earth reversal
2: they do not normally measure earth loop impedance (some of the best ones do but its certainly not the norm) so they won't tell you if the earth is good enough for the installation design
3: they can give misleading results in some situations (the classic being when a cuircuit is double pole disconnected but i device on another cuircuit is borrowing a neutral from it. This will show as live-earth reversal!).

the only really serious fault they detect is live-earth reversal which if its your own property you'd probablly have found out by now (either through your appliance not working or though getting a shock). neutral-earth reversal is also detected but in a RCD protected system isn't actually that serious.

edit: actually they may detect missing earth too which is serious and unlikely to be noticed but they won't detect a very poor earth.

 

[breezer]

i bet it was the one maplin sell, it measures how much current etc appliance uses and works out its cost (it also plugs in)

 

[69er]

Mick

If you look and that site you will find the ones that plug into a socket - they light up and beep.

 

[Mick Leek]

69er

Hi yes i spotted the plug one just after i posted to say not that one

I have added a few plug sockets in my house. Dont worry i did it correctly by interupting the ring main from the previous plug, added the sockets and then continued the ring to the next socket.

I read in another thread regarding no way of testing that the earth is still attached unless you take socket front off to check. Then you may disturb it all putting back together again, so i wanted to ensure the earth loop was OK

was going to invest in one BUT you all seem to agree it would be a waste of money ?

 

[sparkybird]

To honest, Mick, if taking your socket fronts off disturbs all the wiring, maybe it isn't sufficiently well secured in the first place and even if your plug in tester say's it's OK now, in 6 months time after they've been bashed with a hoover etc etc, the connections may come loose.

Just a thought.. might be worth double checking them anyway

SB

 

[Mick Leek]

Sparkybird,

I have checked the sockets and feel happy with the connections. I dabble with electronics quite a bit and build computerised firing modules for the pyrotechnics industry. I always build a self diagnosis and checking facility withing the circuit for checking continuity, last thing you want is a section of fireworks not going off when they should.

The reason i was asking with regards the socket tester was mainly because i always ensure piece in my own mind that whatever i have constructed or in this case added, will not endanger other people.

I think i may have been getting a little paranoid with regards the other thread i read, There was mention of not knowing if the earth was still intact once the screws were tightened and so on.

I think i may just get my multimeter and do a simple continuity check of the earth loop...

Thanks for all you help guys (and galls)

Keep up the good work.

Mick