Electrical Testing Equipment

[Young & Keen]

Can anybody please tell me why some voltage testers trip MCB's when the prongs are placed between live and neutral terminals and which brands do not cause it to trip and give a voltage reading?

 

[brman]

Really? trip an MCB? that would need a seriously low input impedence...... are you sure someone isn't putting his multimeter on the current setting?

 

[Silly Sausage]

I hope his test gear is insured!

 

[Dizzy_Maskell]

Sound like something wrong here buy a new meter maybe

 

[GLENNSPARK]

some voltage indicators can be used to test RCDs by `pre charging`...

the Metrel springs to mind...

but MCBs?...i think not...

 

[ChrisElectrical88]

Tell us the make and model of meter, could help you a bit further.0

 

[Young & Keen]

Thanks, I'll get the multimeter out then. I've had these test lamps a while!

 

[Young & Keen]

I'll have to get back to you on that. Can anyone tell me then, which voltage testers are guaranteed not to trip MCB's or RCD's but aren't too expensive? Company are paying but they won't get Flukes!

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Does the MCB trip at the same time as the ends of the probes get blown off? If so, pull the red lead out of the 10A socket and put it in the V socket!

E2A: sorry, did not realise this was a test lamp but the same applies. No tester will trip an MCB without something spectacular happening. A tester with only two probes on live and neutral won't trip an RCD either. The problem comes with testers that test to earth at the same time. If the test current is high, they will trip the RCD. If it is low, you can't trust that the reading isn't just leakage. You can't have it both ways!

 

[Young & Keen]

I'm using voltage testers, not a multimeter!

 

[brman]

are we getting confused here? No voltage tester should trip a MCB, even if it is the old fashioned bulb type. However I guess (*) they might trip an RCD if used between earth and live. For that any modern voltage indicator will be fine.

(*) I say guess as I have never actually tried this.......

 

[GLENNSPARK]

I'll have to get back to you on that. Can anyone tell me then, which voltage testers are guaranteed not to trip MCB's or RCD's but aren't too expensive? Company are paying but they won't get Flukes!

Di-Log...
i use one every day....always been OK..

- - - Updated - - -

mind you...i`v got 2 metrels & 2 fluke T100s as well...

 

[Engineer54]

Purchase any good manufacturers voltage tester and you'll be fine!! Preferably one that indicates the actual voltage being measured rather than one with LED indicators... And while you're about it, also purchase a budget analog voltmeter, worth it's weight in gold if you happen to be measuring induced/phantom voltage (currentless voltage) that's throwing you off course!! ...lol!!

 

[PEG]

What size MCB is that test lamp tripping? and when it works,do you need sunglasses on?