Calibration Costs?

[Mike Johnson]

Thread has not been updated for ten years, what cost are people paying now?

 

[M4rtyj]

I have mine done by calibration centre in stafford they collect, test, drop off for £75
3 day turnaround

 

[telectrix]

I have mine done by calibration centre in stafford they collect, test, drop off for £75
3 day turnaround

they have a good reputation. they also do repairs much cheaper than megger.

 

[littlespark]

I don’t know about this year, but wholesalers may have a calibration day with discounted costs. I take mine to cities when they do.

 

[richy3333]

Just been quoted:
Rexel £65
YESSS £57

for an MFT

 

[Julie.]

Just been quoted:
Rexel £65
YESSS £57

for an MFT

Last year I used testermans via an eBay offer at £29 Inc the return postage, this year its £34 I think, not had it calibrated this year as yet, it's overdue but as I am not using it, I am holding off!!

Mft is away for a few days, but I can time that for when I don't need it!

Calibration Service For Multi-function Testers Fluke,Metrel,Megger,Martindale | eBay

 

[Electrics]

Daft question - what's the qualification needed to calibrate and would it be cost effective to get it yourself?

 

[Julie.]

Daft question - what's the qualification needed to calibrate and would it be cost effective to get it yourself?

its not really a qualification as such, it's more about being able to compare the results from the meter under test to a standard usually 10x more accurate, so to calibrate a mft to say +/-5% you need a calibrated instrument circ 0.5% ..... and so on right up to national standards.

keeping this in line with national standards etc is the real cost.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Daft question - what's the qualification needed to calibrate and would it be cost effective to get it yourself?

It's not a question of qualifications its having the instruments to do it with, very expensive instruments, you can use a CalcCard to do it for a couple of years after getting it done officially at a testing station/ company.

 

[pc1966]

Daft question - what's the qualification needed to calibrate and would it be cost effective to get it yourself?

As above, doing calibration to traceable standards is expensive in terms of investment. It only makes sense for high end labs and folk who do it as a service.

However, in most cases you just need to know "is it broken?" and for that regularly comparing your MFT (or whatever) against something fixed is adequate. The CalCard is such an example, it is not lab-standard, but it is convenient and if you use it regularly and write down what you get each time then you can be confident (and justify if asked) that your equipment is working to specification. Basically it has not changed.

True it is not properly testing your MFT for RCD trip times, etc, but if you have a circuit at home or work that you can trip without narking your kids wifi use then using that as a "known trip behaviour" would do.

Still, form time to time (say year or two) you ought to get it done professionally if for no other reason that gluteus maximus cover for litigation.

 

[1Justin]

Just been quoted:
Rexel £65
YESSS £57

for an MFT

Did Rexel give you a turn - round time on that?
My local Rexel has more or less shut their doors.
I "stretch" a cal out to a couple of years with regular test-card checks etc, but with everyone closing their doors and insisting on mail-in of instruments that's got difficult. This is the busiest year I've had ever, and to spend what might be a week without it is not possible. (They mostly offer a rapid one for +££££).

I've been waiting since last summer to find a local place doing a cal-day but as soon as it looks like it might happen, everything closes again.

 

[richy3333]

Did Rexel give you a turn - round time on that?
My local Rexel has more or less shut their doors.
I "stretch" a cal out to a couple of years with regular test-card checks etc, but with everyone closing their doors and insisting on mail-in of instruments that's got difficult. This is the busiest year I've had ever, and to spend what might be a week without it is not possible. (They mostly offer a rapid one for +££££).

I've been waiting since last summer to find a local place doing a cal-day but as soon as it looks like it might happen, everything closes again.

Quoted 1 week.
Yesss did it 1 week.

times not such an issue for us as we have spare test equipment

 

[Moley]

We use Alpha Electronics in Newport (branches in Maidstone, Manchester and Newport) They are still open to drop off/collect. Turn around depends on how busy they are. I've had next day in the past but it's normally 3-4 days.

 

[pc1966]

Quoted 1 week.
Yesss did it 1 week.

times not such an issue for us as we have spare test equipment

Was that a special event "day", or do Yesss offer themselves as a drop-off point for some calibration service all the time?

 

[richy3333]

@pc1966 No it wasn't any type of event. Just rang them and arranged it. I think most wholesalers do the same. Certainly around here, Yesss, CEF and Rexel do