Sheath test?

[James Sutton]

Hello All

Can anyone tell me how to carry out an Earth sheath test on an SWA cable. (i think its called that).

Thanks

JS

 

[Engineer54]

Hello All

Can anyone tell me how to carry out an Earth sheath test on an SWA cable. (i think its called that).

Thanks

JS

Yes a sheath test is basically to confirm that there is no damage to the SWA cables over-all PVC outer sheath, and therefore no future corrosion problems later on, due to moisture ingress.

The test can be taken with either an IR tester or a low ohm tester. Ensure both ends of the SWA are completely isolated from any potential path to earth, and test between any earthed metalwork and the cables SWA. You can drive a temporary spike close to the cable trench run, but that's not normally necessary in runs of 100m or less. ...Any reading, will indicate damage to the PVC sheath, and will need investigating and repair