Socket tester

[1stfix2ndfix]

One of my jobs is to walk round and test all the sockets at the house were working in. I use my little socket tester that has the lights to show everything's ok. Or something's amiss. Well when I put it into the cooker socket the rcd protecting it tripped. It also tripped on another socket (single) in the dinning room which again was on the ground floor. All the others were fine and no problems on the top.

Does anyone no why this has happened ?

 

[1stfix2ndfix]

I've literally just got in from the job and I'm not sure the guy I was with new

 

[Rockingit]

And what were the results of proper tests?

 

[Geoffsd]

They (socket testers) can't distinguish between Neutral and Earth.

 

[Rockingit]

They (socket testers) can't distinguish between Neutral and Earth.

Some do - just depends on how much you want to spend on one!

Product Details

 

[Richard Burns]

Testers should only take a minuscule current and should not normally trip an RCD however if the circuit is close to tripping and or the tester is one that takes about 10mA then this could happen. I know some people on here have said that their voltage indicators take out RCDs, so the same thing should apply to testers.

 

[trev]

Socket testers have their uses. For example, the ones that give an audible tone are useful for circuit identification. There is absolutely no substitute for properly testing a new circuit/addition to an existing one.

 

[elliot123]

Had voltage indicator trip an rcd other day was abit confused first time for me

 

[Geoffsd]

Some do -

It doesn't say it can detect N-E reversal. How could it?

 

[1stfix2ndfix]

I use it for what trev says. Identifying the circuits. Then I'm given the tester and have to go round and do the earth loop impedance for the lights (especially metal ones) and then the sockets reporting back with my highest readings. It's pretty dull and I always seem to end up doing these two parts of the testing at the moment. I just wondered why my socket tester (no multifunctional) tripped out the rcd on 2 of the 12 sockets it was protecting. It's bugging me as I don't know why. I know a rcd is there to detect and imbalances between what was sent out and what returned. How does that relate to that tho?

 

[shanky887614]

I use it for what trev says. Identifying the circuits. Then I'm given the tester and have to go round and do the earth loop impedance for the lights (especially metal ones) and then the sockets reporting back with my highest readings. It's pretty dull and I always seem to end up doing these two parts of the testing at the moment. I just wondered why my socket tester (no multifunctional) tripped out the rcd on 2 of the 12 sockets it was protecting. It's bugging me as I don't know why. I know a rcd is there to detect and imbalances between what was sent out and what returned. How does that relate to that tho?

Think about it.

what would happen if say n-e was swapped on the back of the socket?

instant trip when you plug it in

 

[trev]

Was the polarity checked on these 2 sockets?

 

[Lucien Nunes]

I know a rcd is there to detect and imbalances between what was sent out and what returned. How does that relate to that tho?

To test that the earth terminal of the socket is connected, the tester must pass current through it. That has to come from line and doesn't go back via neutral, so it creates an imbalance, i.e. a deliberate earth leakage. The more effective they want to make the test, the more current it has to send to earth. The tester makers make a compromise between tripping RCDs (and causing danger if the CPC is broken at source) and doing a useful test.

 

[nickblake]

did you switch the cooker on if you did and it didnt trip then that rules out a earth and neutral reversal ,unlikely but possible could well be a clipped neutral with the face plate fixing screw, only way you'll really identify the fault would be to carry out the proper tests r1r2 insulation, Zs, etc

 

[Richard Burns]

I have just gone to sort a N/E fault on a socket circuit and when plugging my tester in to any socket even one not on the faulty circuit then the RCD would trip as there is an alternative path for the current through the fault.