Growing concern for public safety and the increasing complexity of today’s fixed electrical installations in domestic, commercial and industrial premises places extra responsibility on electrical test engineers who are charged with verifying conformity to South Africa’s Certificate of Compliance (COC) safety standards.
That’s according to leading supplier of testing equipment, Comtest, which said local electrical contractors are well versed in the verification requirements of the COC, and that the audit should be carried out in the following sequence:
- Visual inspection
- Testing of the following:
- continuity of protective conductors;
- insulation resistance;
- protection by separation of circuits;
- floor and wall resistance;
- automatic disconnection of supply;
- polarity;
- functional performance;
In addition to this the following tests are under consideration:
- electric strength test;
- voltage drop.
The basic requirements for test equipment used in installation testing consists of general requirements for test equipment, specific requirements for combined measuring equipment and the specific requirements for measuring/testing:
- Insulation resistance
- Loop impedance
- Resistance of the earth connection
- Resistance to earth
- RCD performance in TT and TN systems
- Phase sequence
- Insulation monitoring devices for IT systems
According to Comtest, the Fluke 1660 Series Multifunction Installation Testers fully fulfil the requirements. “They are specifically designed to carry out the tests specified, and all local standards and regulations in the safest and most efficient way,” the company said in a statement.
The series includes the 1664 FC, which Fluke says is the only installation tester that helps prevent damage to connected appliances during insulation tests, and also allows users to send test results wirelessly via smartphone directly from the field.
It is also the only tester with patent pending Insulation PreTest. “If it detects that appliances are connected to the system during test, it will provide a visual and audible warning and stop the insulation test, avoiding potentially serious/costly mistakes and eliminate accidental appliance damage.
“They are lightweight, and feature a unique ergonomic ‘curved’ form that, when carried by the neck strap, makes operation in the field more comfortable.”
