Published: 15 August 2014
Category: Q&A
Colin asks this question, which concerns insulation resistance (IR) testing and whether every luminaire needs disconnecting to avoid damage. It has been answered by the Electrical Contractors Association (Testing, Tools and Equipment):
This Q & A is one of thousands posted in our Technical Expertise area, and answered on a daily basis by our Voltimum Experts.
Question: Can you advise on what is best practice when testing an existing installation for maintenance purposes. Is it necessary to complete an IR test on lighting circuits?
Presumably this means disconnecting every luminaire to avoid damage. This would be incredibly labour intensive.
Answer: In an ideal world all circuits would be tested fully and the results recorded on an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).
However, on large installations, the cost of carrying out a full test would be prohibitive to most clients, and that's why appropriate sampling is permitted.
If is not practical to do an IR test on part of installation, this needs to be agreed with the person ordering the work and recorded as a limitation on the report.
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