Testing snag. NIC assessment on Friday!

[rob121]

I did start this thread on the testing part of the forum but dont think its gets as much input as on here. Got my NIC assessment on friday (only phoned on thursday so cant complain at that!) and just wanted to double check one testing procedure. When doing the R1+R2 test (radial circuit), theres no issue in connecting the cpc and line together in a connector block is there? I know it sounds pretty basic but just wanted to check as all the NIC books show a flylead being used to join the earth connection strip to the C/B.

Any other advice on what to prepare for on friday will be greatly appreciated. The bloke rang me and sounded like a decent chap, went through some of the installation on the phone and he sounded impressed. Doesnt sound like hes going to bust my balls too much..... I hope!

Thanks again to you lads on here for all the support you give to us newbies.


Rob

 

[topquark]

That's a valid way to do it. The reason for the fly lead is so that you are not disturbing the circuit connections as much for the circuit you are testing (you'll still alter the line terminal screw but that's all).

 

[johnboy6083]

No problem with chock block mate. Better to use a cage clamp though. Would be quicker.

 

[tony mc]

Just take your time when doing any testing and think of safety.

If they ask you a question you are unsure of don't guess just look it up in your ref books which you will have at hand with all of your other stuff. Calabration certs public liability etc. Thats what you will do in the future when your unsure!!

I think tea and biscuits is also on the test sheet.

 

[LlandrilloSpark]

Perfectly fine, I use lever wago connectors when doing R1+R2 and also for linking L & N together when testing to earth for IR.

 

[rob121]

That's a valid way to do it. The reason for the fly lead is so that you are not disturbing the circuit connections as much for the circuit you are testing (you'll still alter the line terminal screw but that's all).

Okay thats a valid point, but you would need to connect it to the earth terminal which someone else made a point about parrell paths? Just wondering what you guys thought as thats the way I was shown to do it and it obv makes it a lot quicker just having to move it along the C/B.

No problem with chock block mate. Better to use a cage clamp though. Would be quicker.

Cheers John, what do you mean by cage clamp though? I did look at getting some crocidile clips for it

 

[johnboy6083]

theyre what "armadillo spark" was talking about in post #5. i dont like crock clips, as theyre unreliable. maybe a bulldog clip?

 

[Silly Sausage]

Which ever way you do it, as has been mentioned in other threads, you're best checking ALL the screw terminals/cables are secure before boxing up. There's been loads of pictures on here of fried terminals/cables due to loose connections.

 

[topquark]

I tend to use a 3 "port" lever wago (with a small lead in the 3rd hole, for use when IR testing) for that very reason (to avoid any possible parallel paths). Less mechanical stress on the core and it's quicker.

The same when coming to do initial IR tests (before 2nd fix) on RFC, smokes and lighting. Then when you get back on site a quick re-test tells you whether anyone has put a nail/screw through any of your cables

What follows is not generally good practice, however if you're doing an initial verification for a whole CU (as opposed to a PIR) then you'll have all circuits dead. In the PIR/EICR or additional new circuit case you may well have only isolated the one circuit under test (depending on circumstances, ie other circuits must be on). In which case you'd need to be really careful with using fly leads.

 

[rob121]

Thanks people! Will have to try and get some wago connectors before friday, if not then connector blocks will do the same job. Ill ask the assessor what he reckons on flyleads from earth terminal in regards to parrell paths.
Topquark, the spark i used to work with NEVER used a fly lead as he had it somehow (dont ask how) go into the supply side of the main switch! Gave him a bit of a jump so now he always disconnects cpc then connects it into the top of the C/B.

Archy, talking about loose connections. Had the spark from building control come out to ticket my work for my NIC assessment. Anyway left him to it, went to take the cover off the CU today (to practise my testing ) and could hear a buzzing. He had taken out the line for IR test but had forgot to tighten it back up when he put it back! Hell of a noise it was making though!

 

[topquark]

Wow, going into the supply side of the main switch is lunacy!
:willy_nilly:

 

[i=p/u]

just take you line from mcb to earth bar.thats the way we were taught .mind you only was 2 circuits on our poxy board

 

[JamesBrownLive]

I tend to use a 3 "port" lever wago (with a small lead in the 3rd hole, for use when IR testing) for that very reason (to avoid any possible parallel paths). Less mechanical stress on the core and it's quicker.

I was wondering how people used Wagos in this manner, because you'd struggle to fit a Gnat's dick in the tiny hole that Wago have supposedly allowed for 'Test Probes'. My Fluke T5-1000 and my KewVolt 2 don't seem to fit and neither do the standard Megger probes, even with the small plastic covering removed :nonod:

Not quite sure why they even bothered?

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I was wondering how people used Wagos in this manner, because you'd struggle to fit a Gnat's dick in the tiny hole that Wago have supposedly allowed for 'Test Probes'. My Fluke T5-1000 and my KewVolt 2 don't seem to fit and neither do the standard Megger probes, even with the small plastic covering removed :nonod:

Not quite sure why they even bothered?

I thought that hole was to enable the conductor to be removed.

 

[topquark]

I was wondering how people used Wagos in this manner, because you'd struggle to fit a Gnat's dick in the tiny hole that Wago have supposedly allowed for 'Test Probes'. My Fluke T5-1000 and my KewVolt 2 don't seem to fit and neither do the standard Megger probes, even with the small plastic covering removed :nonod:

Not quite sure why they even bothered?

Yep my T140 doesn't fit either, hence the little fly lead (it's only about 3cm long).