What's your opinion on mains socket testers like this AlphaTek one:
Suggestions welcome.
Alexei
They work fine and are worth the money although, iirc, they don't detect neutral-earth reversed.
Also, they don't test the socket under load conditions so if the terminals aren't tightened sufficiently you could get overheating.
I wouldn't pay more than about £5 for one, btw. Maplin have them for £4.
sponix
Martindale is the best known brand - see
On 4 Oct 2005 23:22:50 -0700, "Alexei" scrawled:
Anyway, does what it says on the tin, only cost me a couple of quid IIRC.
Always worth having one in the kit just for simple checking. Obviously the ideal thing to do is test the circuit correctly as per BS7671.
Round here the sort with 3 neons has doubled as a night light (to avoid tripping over work in progress on the stairs).
Mine generates enough earth leakage to trip some 10mA RCD's. Not a good idea to leave such a load permanently connected.
Good point, but there aren't any 10mA RCDs around here.
Fairy Neuf; but if you have (as many do) a single nominal-30mA RCD covering several final circuits in say a split-load CU, slapping a 'preload' of several mA leakage predisposes your installation to nuisance tripping.
As has been mentioned a few hundred times over the years, a 30mA nominal RCD is allowed to trip at anything over 15mA - the spec's phrased roughly along the lines of 'won't trip at 50% of nominal, will trip within short_time_period at 100% of nominal'; manufacturing tolerances and manufacturer's understaning of liability means that average tripping for a largish sample of RCDs won't be at 75% of nominal but closer to
60-65% (allege).Stefek
Theyre a quick way to test for some types of wiring faults. But thats all. If connected the live to N and E pins, then earth the live pin, they would give the correct reading. But they do pick up on some faults.
Its probably quicker to put 3 mains neons into a mains plug than go to the shop and buy one of those. Thats all they are, a neon between each
2 pins.NT
Actually, they aren't.
3 neons in a mains plug between each pin (plus resistors) would only have the live-neutral and live-earth ones glowing for a correctly fitted socket. Doing a quick check for just two neons lit would be very error prone. Also, they draw significantly more current than just the neons themselves, or they would be susceptable to misdiagnosis, just like neon screwdrivers are.
They give a quick check of correct connection. But if you've just bought a new house I'd remove each and every socket and make sure the connections are good and tight. Many electrical problems are down to poor tightening of connectors on high current circuits - like a final ring main. However, if you find the first one or two you check are OK in this respect, the rest may well be OK also.
there must be 2 different kinds then, the ones I've seen are just 3 neons with Rs.
Theyre not prone to the neon screwdriver effect, because circumstances are different. If a wire is disconnected, the glow pattern wil be different. Bear in mind we're 240v and neons light on 110.
What extra do the ones youre talking about do?
NT
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