Check boxes & calibration

[pyrosym]

I am due a new calibration for my MFT (Metrel MI3000) which has come to the end of its first year of service. Can anyone recommend a company that will pick up and drop off after calibration in the south?

Secondly and more to the point of posting this, once this is done if I keep regular records using my check box do I still need to annually calibrate presuming I find no deviation over the year and I record my results?

I have a Metrel CS2099 Euro check which covers all the tests performed by my meter.

I am currently a member of NAPIT who ask for a calibration certificate but is it just club rules or is there legislation regarding the issue?

Regards to all and sorry if there is a post already along these lines.

 

[telectrix]

try mike at on site calibration services. he comes to you and calibrates on the spot. tel. 07776 200146

 

[Former Sponsor TM]

Hi Pyrosym,

Make sure that you send it to a Metrel authorised calibrator - this is a stipulation within Metrel's warranty in order to keep it valid for the full three year term.

If you are unsure, call Metrel on 01924 245 000.

You will still need have your tester annually calibrated. The checkbox that you own is a way of making sure that your tester is not deviating between calibration - you can show your record of checks to your NAPIT assessor, more often than not they will be happy to see this rather than a calibration certificate.

test-meter

 

[SirKit Breaker]

As above. But with regard to annual calibration, i was once sold a calcard by Elecsa when i was Elecsa registered. I was told that if i bought it, i would be able to get away without annual calibration, great i thought, spent £20 to save £100, wrong.
My annual assessment came up, no cal cert, but i show him my Elecsa Calcard. He says that is great, show me your records, which i duly did, to which his reply was, "How do you know that it is in tolerance with live tests then", so i ended up having it calibrated anyway. The calcard has its uses though, if you get a dodgy reading, and need to compare.

Cheers...........Howard

 

[telectrix]

you can check live tests just by using the same socket at home and recording the readings each time.

 

[Octopus]

Hi Pyrosym,

Make sure that you send it to a Metrel authorised calibrator - this is a stipulation within Metrel's warranty in order to keep it valid for the full three year term.

If you are unsure, call Metrel on 01924 245 000.

You will still need have your tester annually calibrated. The checkbox that you own is a way of making sure that your tester is not deviating between calibration - you can show your record of checks to your NAPIT assessor, more often than not they will be happy to see this rather than a calibration certificate.

test-meter

Such as who? I wasn't aware Metrel allowed anyone to do it "authorised"??

 

[bigbaddave]

See I had the same with Niceic, They asked for my calibration cert and then they suggested a check box to avoid getting the unit calibrated. Again as suggested above for live tests use the same socket for each test and this will confirm (Excluding ZS if the socket is on a TT) this was not discussed however I wouldnt be happy using this as my only means of calibration on a TT)

The end of the day a calibration is the same as a Mot, only confirmed accurate on the day off the test. Next day if could be faulty and well at least a check box and regular test would prove this

 

[pyrosym]

Thank you all for your responses. I guess that means realistically I'm going the extra mile to be sure that my equipment is in good order. I guess I'll use the check box monthly and stick with annual calibration to be sure.

At least I have a way of double checking if I think a reading is off.

By the way having read the instructions of the checkbox it reads "Calibration of this check box is required annually"! FFS!

Regards to all

 

[Guest111]

Thank you all for your responses. I guess that means realistically I'm going the extra mile to be sure that my equipment is in good order. I guess I'll use the check box monthly and stick with annual calibration to be sure.

At least I have a way of double checking if I think a reading is off.

By the way having read the instructions of the checkbox it reads "Calibration of this check box is required annually"! FFS!

Regards to all

well when you get your mft calibrated bang it straight on the checkbox,that way you know if the checkbox is out.

 

[mamba]

I have just had my assesment with field engineer from my self cert do da. and this very subject came up. We really flogged the subject to death in detail. In the end he stated and we both agreed that there is nowhere that says Test Equipment MUST be tested every year. and as such he would be happy that the test instrument is calibrated at regular periods. Off the record we seem to aggree on 3 years. He did however want at the next visit to see I had kept a log / record of regular and frequent tests and that the tests are at regular intervals depending on the use of equipment. What I have done and he is more than happy with it is A] I got my equipment fully UKAS calibrated the gear is tested over a period of 2days with saturation on at certian temps etc very complicated £125.00 for test and cert- not a back of the van 10 min job, once tested I bought a CalCard on line £25.00 to inc vat and P&P this is a great bit of gear for dead tests. and tested my tester on the card and recorded the first readings after calibration. I can now test my Tester against these results every 3 weeks and compare them and log them for Live testing I have a dedicated RCD socket in my office that I do a Earth loop on and RCD tests. Mr field engineer is over the moon with this its simple and oh soooo easy and everyone is happy. Further it was suggested that if tester is dropped or damaged it should immediatly be calibrated. hope this helps as come assesment time I always ran out and got tester calibrated every year and often questioned why as I could never find where this is stipulated either in 7671 NIC hand books or any other reference or guidance books.

 

[Engineer54]

try mike at on site calibration services. he comes to you and calibrates on the spot. tel. 07776 200146

Not advisable, as pointed out in another thread on this subject!! There is no-way they can conform to the environmental temp' and humidity conditions always stated on the certificate, that a testing lab can... I'd go so far as to say the Cert issued could be construed as being fraudulently issued!! lol!!

 

[brucelee]

I was going to use mike but as he had jsut been up near me at the time and wasnt due back for another month i had to use another so sent it off to testermans 11, crab marsh, wisbech,cambridgeshire PE13 3JG
tel 01945 738112 email :[email protected] or google it even check ebay as they do deals I had my MFT calibrated for £40 I think and the gave me some freebie warning labels and stuff and a discount voucher for this year not that this was the reason i chose or because theywere cheap it was the fast turnaround and UKAS cert

they do all including metrel I believe