Success! Meter fitted.

[DPG]

But Percyprod said that he used a voltstick

That cannot be true. Unless you are happy to make the assumption that any conductor must be neutral if it doesnt light up the voltstick.

Am I reading it wrong? Or has someone invented a "novoltstick" that only lights up when near a neutral?

He's just proving which is which as far as I can tell. Not testing it as such.

 

[DPG]

I suppose he has a point, if it lights up it's a live phase conductor, SOOOOO the other cable Must be a neutral phase conductor, ergo the said voltstick has identified the Neutral, I think.

That's how I read it yes.

 

[Percyprod]

Pete999 is right, you've already shown you have live and neutral with test lamps. Therefore the one that lights the volt stick is live. You also do a neutral loop test, which will be the same as ze on pme. If both conductors are live, then test lamps won't light, so treated as no supply or phase to neutral fault, either way next piece of equipment is JCB and a shovel.

 

[Taylortwocities]

You didn't mention the presence of test lamps until later.
In my opinion, if you have test lamps, you can only need the voltstick to determine which of the two conductors is the line.
But you said it was to tell you which one is NOT the line. Maybe my head is on backwards.
Luckily it is nearly beer o'clock.

 

[Pete999]

Pete999 is right, you've already shown you have live and neutral with test lamps. Therefore the one that lights the volt stick is live. You also do a neutral loop test, which will be the same as ze on pme. If both conductors are live, then test lamps won't light, so treated as no supply or phase to neutral fault, either way next piece of equipment is JCB and a shovel.

You didn't mention the presence of test lamps until later.
In my opinion, if you have test lamps, you can only need the voltstick to determine which of the two conductors is the line.
But you said it was to tell you which one is NOT the line. Maybe my head is on backwards.
Luckily it is nearly beer o'clock.

Mrs Pete999 where are my Co Codamol? my head hurts, 2 of them with a glass of red job done.

 

[Percyprod]

You are showing which is live and which is neutral. What you are NOT doing is using voltstick on its own to show which is live or neutral, it is a polarity check, not a test as such. It's easier than running long leads and having two people on the job. You are not checking what the voltage or ze is at that stage. Now about that red wine.

 

[Pete999]

You are showing which is live and which is neutral. What you are NOT doing is using voltstick on its own to show which is live or neutral, it is a polarity check, not a test as such. It's easier than running long leads and having two people on the job. You are not checking what the voltage or ze is at that stage. Now about that red wine.

What about it? Cotes du Rhone Tesco £4 a bottle not bd really.

 

[Percyprod]

£4 a bottle? I usually pay that for a gallon. We're very fussy oop north

 

[snowhead]

You didn't mention the presence of test lamps until later.

Test lamp mentioned in Post #3,, not exactly later.

 

[Octopus]

Test lamp mentioned in Post #3,, not exactly later.

Must get some before my annual assessment in the Spring - I can't imagine the NICEIC will be too impressed......................

 

[davesparks]

It seems everyone has got so excited by the use of a volt stick to check polarity on what is, at that point, a TNC supply that nobody has mentioned the other obvious issues in the picture.

A BS951 earth clamp to connect to the means of earthing?
Where is the cable gland for the outgoing SWA (assuming it is SWA as it goes underground)?
And what is behind the flap on that plastic-looking CU?

 

[davesparks]

Must get some before my annual assessment in the Spring - I can't imagine the NICEIC will be too impressed......................

I thought you were with Stroma? What made you switch to NICEIC?

 

[Octopus]

I thought you were with Stroma? What made you switch to NICEIC?

I should have written Scheme.....

 

[Percyprod]

CU from Screwfix, amendment 3 compliant, plastic conduit outgoing not swa.

 

[davesparks]

CU from Screwfix, amendment 3 compliant, plastic conduit outgoing not swa.

Amendment 3 compliant CU? I thought this was a non-domestic installation?

 

[charlie76]

He checked the polarity with a neon tester? Very professional, those things are only good for stirring your tea and stabbing holes in plasterboard walls...

Lucky he had that. Last one I had out on a job to install a DP Supply Isolator asked to borrow my tester because he had forgotten his. I was gob smacked.

 

[Percyprod]

You saying you can only use amendment 3 on domestic?

 

[Percyprod]

Don't think anything wrong in using clamp on earth rod, it's not on the supply cable, and it certainly won't cause any crush damage. Using clamps on a lead sheath cable is a bit no no. Oour policy was if you came to a job and it had a clamp on the sheath, provided it was sound, no visible damage and ze ok then leave in situ. We had to use the tape and mesh type for the last few years I was working. I have seen some badly damaged cable by the old clamps, lots of them very loose, and the result of them going bang! We would not go looking for them, too many to change, same as metal clad cut outs, which changed if we find them. Still got some 30 amp rewireable cut outs up here, even some with fuses in live and neutral. To change any of them it's a make the service dead job, can't be worked on live.

 

[davesparks]

You saying you can only use amendment 3 on domestic?

No, but I wouldn't have thought a metal unit in what looks like it has the potential to be a damp location was the best choice.
Something more corrosion resistant would have been better in my opinion.

 

[davesparks]

Don't think anything wrong in using clamp on earth rod, it's not on the supply cable, and it certainly won't cause any crush damage.

They aren't really designed for this application, and most earth rods are smaller than the minimum diameter pipe that the earth clamp is suitable for.

What is the Ra of the earth electrode? Will the clamp handle the PFC?