voltage tester

Sonia Norman

Sonia Norman

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Hi

I am probably going to sound stupid asking this question but here goes. I have just bought a new LAP voltage tester. when testing my plug sockets using a socket test connector I am getting a reading of .410V. Now this is where I will probably sound stupid but I was expecting around the 230V as is the voltage provided in uk houses. Can someone put me right please.

sonia
 
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Sonia Norman said:
Do you know what, I have offered to work for free with numerous companies because I understand I lack the on site training. Not one company is willing to give me that chance. I'm a single mum, ex forces, reliable and trustworthy. Just trying to get back to work and provide for my family within school hours. It's impossible to get a break!
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Difficult but not impossible sonia
Try your local contractors,not by mail but in person,turn up on their doorstep and opt for paid work as a mate,don't offer free labour,it will attract the seediest type of employer,it will do you no good

Being armed forces trained that should be a big plus in your favour in your search
the training in the forces is excellent


Oh and don't listen to recommendations of garbage,get yourself a Fluke lol
 
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Sonia Norman said:
Do you know what, I have offered to work for free with numerous companies because I understand I lack the on site training. Not one company is willing to give me that chance. I'm a single mum, ex forces, reliable and trustworthy. Just trying to get back to work and provide for my family within school hours. It's impossible to get a break!
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Hi there Sonia, there are a few ex Forces on here, welcome. What were you doing in the Forces?
 
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Sonia Norman said:
Hi

I am probably going to sound stupid asking this question but here goes. I have just bought a new LAP voltage tester. when testing my plug sockets using a socket test connector I am getting a reading of .410V. Now this is where I will probably sound stupid but I was expecting around the 230V as is the voltage provided in uk houses. Can someone put me right please.

sonia
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Either user error, no voltage at the socket outlet, or a faulty tester, To finish without trying to be insulting can you confirm how you actually obtained this reading with the equipment you have mentioned?
 
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Oo you probably don't want to know what I did in the forces. I was an RAF POLICEWOMAN! And Monday i am putting a new fuse board in my mums church. I'm doing the job free and have another electrician to give advice and check my work for me.
 
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MDJ said:
Either user error, no voltage at the socket outlet, or a faulty tester, To finish without trying to be insulting can you confirm how you actually obtained this reading with the equipment you have mentioned?
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Hi I put my kewtech socket tester in my house plug socket. Put the probes into the live and neutral (correctly!) and the reading was .410 volts.
 
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Sonia Norman said:
Hi I put my kewtech socket tester in my house plug socket. Put the probes into the live and neutral (correctly!) and the reading was .410 volts.
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Well back to your earlier statement sonia regarding a voltage proving unit, I agree with you that you need to get one. If when you have tested your unit with your new proving unit it becomes apparant the unit is faulty my advice would be to replace it straight away. I would suggest with a reading which you mentioned your unit is indeed faulty, I hope though it is just user error( rookie mistake) as they are not cheap.
 
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Sonia Norman said:
The seaward prime 100 with all extensions was £359 in vat and the martindale tester and probing unit was £129 inc. phew
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Crikey relatively cheap compaired to other courses we have heard about, I have seen many posts where the members starting them have mentioned upwards of a grand for a pat testing course, you at under 500 all in have got away without being scanked, probing units are around 80 notes usually so you are not being ripped off with the price of the test kit at least.
 
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MDJ said:
Crikey relatively cheap compaired to other courses we have heard about, I have seen many posts where the members starting them have mentioned upwards of a grand for a pat testing course, you at under 500 all in have got away without being scanked, probing units are around 80 notes usually so you are not being ripped off with the price of the test kit at least.
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I think the seaward prime 100 is a pat tester, not a course?
 
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MDJ said:
Crikey relatively cheap compaired to other courses we have heard about, I have seen many posts where the members starting them have mentioned upwards of a grand for a pat testing course, you at under 500 all in have got away without being scanked, probing units are around 80 notes usually so you are not being ripped off with the price of the test kit at least.
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Mi have bought the voltage indicator and proving unit so £129 isn't that bad either. The seaward was the pat tester we used in the course and it was frat. And u agree overall a great price.
 
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Sonia Norman said:
Mi have bought the voltage indicator and proving unit so £129 isn't that bad either. The seaward was the pat tester we used in the course and it was frat. And u agree overall a great price.
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well for decent indicators and a proving unit 129 is pretty good, I paid about the same for my ethos kit, mind you the indicators were digital and also were continuity testers.
 
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Sonia Norman said:
According to GS38 this equipment meets the requirement. I need it for monday, screwfix is the easiest place for me to go. Would you recommend I just upgrade to the kewtech voltage tester.
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I use the Kewtech AVI that Screwfix sell, and I'm very happy with it, plus I also have the Kewtech proving unit. Actually I have a Kewtech MFT, and various other Kewtech accessories, I suppose I'm somewhat of a Kewtech fanboy. But as mentioned in one or two other posts, there are other brands that will do just as well.
 
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I think what we are dealing with here is another ex forces person that has been hood winked by both the RAF and the training centre into thinking that after 5 weeks of classroom training they are now competent to enter peoples homes and conduct electrical work.

It's about time the MOD make a concerted effort and provide the necessary resources to adequately re-train it's exiting personnel for civilian life, and NOT just aim for the lowest possible denominator in any trade based occupation...

The OP needs at the very least to shadow whoever this electrician is that is going to be with her for this CU board change for at least a year. Even then, she will not possess the core technical qualifications that's needed by anyone conducting electrical installation/repair work, be it domestic or any other sector!!
 
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Engineer54 said:
I think what we are dealing with here is another ex forces person that has been hood winked by both the RAF and the training centre into thinking that after 5 weeks of classroom training they are now competent to enter peoples homes and conduct electrical work.

It's about time the MOD make a concerted effort and provide the necessary resources to adequately re-train it's exiting personnel for civilian life, and NOT just aim for the lowest possible denominator in any trade based occupation...

The OP needs at the very least to shadow whoever this electrician is that is going to be with her for this CU board change for at least a year. Even then, she will not possess the core technical qualifications that's needed by anyone conducting electrical installation/repair work, be it domestic or any other sector!!
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E54,

Thank you for your thoughts on this matter. Like many other matters discussed in this and other fora over the years, at one level 'our' opinions do not matter! We are all entitled to hold opinions, even the freedom or otherwise of speech does not prevent this. Often therefore this becomes a place of complaint and bitterness. I do not know whether there are any members on here who are both listening to your concerns and in a position to directly address them. Those who do listen are almost certainly people who have been 'through the system', part of which you have a naturally abiding dislike, bordering on hatred of!

Would it be fair to say that we both as 'Engineers' look for a well presented case with suitable evidence upon which to base our day-to-day decisions in both our work and our out of work activity? I understand your use of logical argument regarding the risk that individuals with insufficient knowledge may present to the 'paying' and often blissfully unaware or sometimes plain ignorant customer. I also value your experience in this field ... I would be foolish not to. If you ... or we ... which I do, want to achieve change to improve the safety of users of electrical installations then we need hard evidence upon which to base a case. Today, a case against the MOD regarding their encouragement of ex employees to take courses that do not prepare them adequately for future employment.

Having 'been through the system' I have valuable information and direction to provide in identifying where leverage might be applied and the mindset of those who occupy and operate 'the system' that is the MOD. So too do the OP and others with whom you have textually 'jousted' over the years. There are those who have served 'Queen and Country' who have left the Armed Forces and set up successful and thriving businesses in the realm that you have committed your life to. I hope that you, and others on here would applaud the industry and commitment that we show and not stand in the way of those of us who are seeking to follow in their and your footsteps.
 
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I think everyone here is proud of our armed forces personnel, and as such the MOD should be making a concerted effort to improve those service men and women's needs when it comes to re-training at the end of their service.

Those that enter the electrical industry without any background knowledge or training in electrical work during their forces service, should not just be introduced to a MOD contracted training centre, and given training, that cannot and will not provide that person with the required technical and/or practical skills to adequately prepare them for the positions they are intending to follow.

Now it wouldn't/doesn't take too much research by the MOD to be aware that these less than basic 5 week courses and the like, cannot by any stretch of the imagination make any previously lay person competent or satisfactorily skilled to undertake paid electrical work.

I very much doubt that any lay ex-serviceman has completed one of these 5 week courses and set up thriving businesses on the back of that course. Nothing to say that they are not good business men and started companies that's core is based on employed qualified electricians, but it certainly wouldn't be based on any training gained from these worthless but money making short courses....

I applaud anyone that is willing to apply time and effort and commitment to achieving their goals in this industry, that's how i had to it and i'm sure every other qualified Engineer and Electrician out there. So no i would not stand in the way of anyone improveing their lot in this life.
 
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Anyway, let's not go down this same old path, i was merely making an observation in my post on this thread. Let's now keep this on subject eg voltage testers and how and when to use them....
 
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Engineer54 said:
Anyway, let's not go down this same old path, i was merely making an observation in my post on this thread. Let's now keep this on subject eg voltage testers and how and when to use them....
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Thanks for the 'on message' prompt ... on thread in this case. If change is wanted then it takes effort. I appreciate your response and have a reply ... I will not post it here but would appreciate your thoughts on where we might discuss. You have however, made bold statements about the RAF and MOD. I have an allegiance to these organisations though stretched very 'thin'. I also have growing concerns given my participation here and my own experience that I would like to address.
 
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GBK,

To be honest I can’t see how you can expect people differentiate between former services personnel and former office workers, etc.

Fast track training courses do not give the experience required to safely work on electrical installations. I doubt you will find many will argue the point.
 
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Tony said:
GBK,

To be honest I can’t see how you can expect people differentiate between former services personnel and former office workers, etc.

Fast track training courses do not give the experience required to safely work on electrical installations. I doubt you will find many will argue the point.
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If you are referring to customers telling the difference I do not expect that ... E54 criticism was levelled at the RAF and MOD, I assume corporately, 'hoodwinking' Sonia and others. If there is evidence that ex-serving personnel who have been through the resettlement funded by the MOD are a hazard to themselves and the public then I am almost completely certain that this is an issue that they would wish to address. The reputation of the Royal Air Force and the other services, their ex serving personnel, and the MOD is on the line here. There are routes which may allow the case to be made to restrict resettlement course attendance for certain courses to those who have adequate previous transferable experience.
 
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GB.Kayak said:
If you are referring to customers telling the difference I do not expect that ... E54 criticism was levelled at the RAF and MOD, I assume corporately, 'hoodwinking' Sonia and others. If there is evidence that ex-serving personnel who have been through the resettlement funded by the MOD are a hazard to themselves and the public then I am almost completely certain that this is an issue that they would wish to address. The reputation of the Royal Air Force and the other services, their ex serving personnel, and the MOD is on the line here. There are routes which may allow the case to be made to restrict resettlement course attendance for certain courses to those who have adequate previous transferable experience.
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That clearly is something that needs to be addressed.

Back to my last post:
I was referring to fully qualified time served tradesmen giving recognition to short courses. Why should they?

Call me bigoted if you like but I’ll never recognise someone that has spent five weeks in a training centre as a competent tradesman. No matter what their background is.
 
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Sonia Norman

Sonia Norman

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voltage tester
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