Fault Finding with Continuity Tester Only!

[whazza22]

Would like some advice/methods for dead testing:

Central Heating System
Ring
Radial
Lighting
CO2 Detector
3 Phase Motor

Can only use a continuity tester to locate faults.

Thanks

 

[Jonesy83]

youl be looking for open circuit fualts and cross connection fualts i take it this is for the am2

best advice i can give you is take a deep breath and dont panic think rational you wont think practically if your panicing becuase you cant find the fualts and watching the seconds go by

i was stressing out waiting for my turn to be called for the fualt finding but found it easy

 

[whazza22]

Yeah its for AM2.

Just worried about trying to find faults on the central heating as there is so many components and don't really understand it all.

 

[Jonesy83]

never done central heating i did the old am2 but you should get a discription of the fualt plus your doing an install of the system on the installation part of the test so you should get an understanding of it there

 

[whazza22]

Yeah, I have done everything apart from fault finding.

Few people had problems with it.

 

[whazza22]

How would you find a short circuit using a continuity tester?

 

[robsparky1975]

My advise would be get your continuity tester out and try making some faults of your own on a practise board,then you will pick up what you need to look for and why,its not as difficult as you may think,just relax and think methodically,heating systems with motorised valves? Simples,only have permanent live,neutral and switched live(which is switched via a room thermostat or cylinder thermostat,have they not taken you through fault finding,if not how do they expect you to do it,try looking up google for continuity tests maybe

 

[whazza22]

Bit late now, got exam tommorrow

Was shown some simple fault finding but nothing to do with heating system

 

[whazza22]

"MCB trips when heating sensor is called" would this indicate a short circuit between the sensor and programmer (or wherever those cables go)?

What about "No insulation reading on carbon dioxide detector" ( would that also be a short circuit)?

 

[Golden_Boy]

How would you find a short circuit using a continuity tester?

Firstly learn how to use it and then apply that knowledge.
That may sound pompus but it is the truth. No-one can tell you how to find a specific fault, its down to knowing what to test and how to interpret the results.