Choosing the right socket tester

Martindale Electric

Choosing the right socket tester

Published: 9 June 2022 · Category: Technical articles

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Choosing the right socket tester Application Note What they do (and don’t do) All socket testers check that the earth, live and neutral are the right way around. Some offer added features – they may include a buzzer in addition to LEDs to indicate a good socket or they may show a combination of indicators to identify which particular fault type is present. Only advanced and professional socket testers will indicate the quality of the earth connection. For detection of cross polarity at the incoming supply specialist socket testers are required. When selecting a socket tester it’s important to All socket testers will show the absence of an Earth; the understand the different types available and their Martindale EZ165 and EZ365 will show you how good your capabilities and limitations. earth is and the EZ2500 will give you numerical values for certification and reporting. There is one fault that a socket tester and indeed no other piece of equipment can easily find – the swapping of the This differentiation is important as some simple socket Earth and Neutral wires. This is because the earth and testers on the market have been seen to show an earth neutral are common at the substation, (if not closer), so as “good” even when the impedance is as high as 500kΩ. electrically they are indistinguishable. As 0.5MΩ (500kΩ) is normally considered a good insulation level, it’s clear that in this case the “protective” earth will Socket Tester Categories not protect. There are 3 main...