Street Light Testing

[Landril]

Hello all i am new to this forum but have been browsing it over the past few years and find it extremely useful, hat off to whoever runs it.
I was wondering if anyone out there does street light testing?
Senario: i have beeen asked to just change the luminaire on a few hundred outdoor street light posts on an airport carpark.
Would you do your normal IR and Zs test on the whole circuit as per usual or at every post, due to the fact each luminaire has its own breaker at the bottom of the post???

Cheers,

Landril.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Hi there and welcome to the forum.

Though I admire your dedication, why are you wanting to test every lamp post on a lamp change? Have you been asked to do this.

Personally I would be doing the opposite. ie isolating every lamppost and checking the IR, Zs of the installation Cable.

To be honest I would take each post as it comes. If there are signs of deterioration, burning, cable damage then yes I would test the post. If there is test paperwork existing that had test results on it, then providing there was none of the above I would just be changing the lamps

 

[Silly Sausage]

I suppose the least you could do is check each post is properly earthed.

 

[Engineer54]

Is the OP talking about lamp changing or light fitting change?? A Luminaire to me, is the actual fitting rather than just the lamp.

The English language can be a real pain at times, adding or throwing in a French word and were in big trouble!!

 

[chocca]

If it's a lamp change, no testing required (apart from checking they work )

If it's fittings, then our tame Niceic engineer asks us to disconnect at column bottom and check Zs from end column of each circuit and IR.

Then treat each column as a separate DB and test from cut-out to lamphead. Record results in a list on one sheet otherwise the paperwork threatens the Amazon rain forest.

 

[Engineer54]

If it's a lamp change, no testing required (apart from checking they work )

If it's fittings, then our tame Niceic engineer asks us to disconnect at column bottom and check Zs from end column of each circuit and IR.

Then treat each column as a separate DB and test from cut-out to lamphead. Record results in a list on one sheet otherwise the paperwork threatens the Amazon rain forest.

All of which was my point, if the OP is talking about fitting change. Can't think why anybody would consider that mere changing of lamps would warrant circuit testing!!!

 

[telectrix]

a long extension lead with croc clips fitted, inside the street light door. if my lights come on then it's good.

 

[Guest55]

Standard council spec for testing after a light-fitting replacement is to take a Zs loop reading at the cut-out in the lampost plus ins. res. test of cable / flex to the light.
Testing of the swa cable network itself is not usually requested for lantern changes unless specifically ordered.

 

[Landril]

Thanks a lot for all your input, it is a remomve old fitting and replace with LED fitting job, so if i enquire if they want to test from the SWA to the DB (if not bonus), just do earth cont and IR for the post and then Zs as per a minor work cert for every circuit this should be more than enough, bearing in mind over 100 posts
Not done any street light work before so thanks all for your input.

 

[i=p/u]

eic for each one as your changing the charcteristics so 5 pages x 100 = 500 pages to be filled out.. or you could do one for the lot

 

[Landril]

Why EIC ?

The EIC is to be used only for the intial certification of a new installation or for an addition or alteration to an existing installatoin were new circuits have been introduced?

I am chainging light fitting (in effect) not altering any circuits or making new ones.

So a Minor works should suffice!

 

[chocca]

Car parks tend to be a bit of a cross over area. If there's an enclosure with a DB and breakers I'd probably test the SWA's to column bottoms just for my own peace of mind. Nothing worse than putting a lovely set of new fittings up then having them fail within a week cos some hairy arse nicked a cable when they were installing the ramraid bollards.

We list the circuits, test to "end of line" for each (Zs and IR), then list underneath for each column ie. circuit 1, column 1, Zs/IR. column 2 Zs/IR etc.

 

[Thomas123]

Standard council spec for testing after a light-fitting replacement is to take a Zs loop reading at the cut-out in the lampost plus ins. res. test of cable / flex to the light.
Testing of the swa cable network itself is not usually requested for lantern changes unless specifically ordered.

The council standard around my way is called the bang test, if it doesn't go bang it's fine haha,

 

[Guest55]

eic for each one as your changing the charcteristics so 5 pages x 100 = 500 pages to be filled out.. or you could do one for the lot

Or design your own test cert that allows you to record readings for 10-20 lamposts on a single page.
not difficult , 30 mins work on a spreadsheet.

 

[Landril]

I like your idea biff and mix it in with chocca's, Thomas123 hope i never need to work with your company haha
Thx a lot guys its been great to hear different views.