The danger of multimeters!!!

[Jabbajaws]

Hi all, just a few lines to moan about using multimeters to test for 'dead'. Plenty of us have done this in the past, myself definitely at the top of the list, prior to completing all the quals and finding out some of the dangerous things l had actually been doing in my life.

These days l wouldn't dream of it. However, something did happen today that made me think.

I moved a socket for a friend of mine today, a mere 150mm, from it's original position. I had to use crimps and heatshrink and then capping, so l was happy to get it all over and done with.

I wanted to check the polarity was correct but couldn't be bothered to go to the other side of the room to get my approved voltage indicator, so l used my cheapo £5 multimeter, which was in my pocket. I was looking for a live measurement anyway and thought to myself, it will be quicker this way. I was a bit puzzled though when 0V was the reading. I did this several times and 0V each time.

Now was the time to re-check using my voltage indicator which gave me a 230+ reading.
Turns out the fuse inside the multimeter had blown.

Now l was looking a live measurement but what scares me the most, is that once upon a time, l would have used this same mulitmeter to test for 'dead'.

Anybody else have any scares with situations involving multimeters?

 

[ian.settle1]

We had a notification sent to us about someone in the oil industry in South America who used a multimeter on the wrong setting and ended up with 3rd degree burns to their hands.

 

[nickblake]

thats why we use proving units to ensure the meters are working , to comply with GS38 test equipment probes have to be fused so another reason not to use multimeters as the leads are not fused all test equipment you will find is fused i know my fluke is so get into the habbit of doing a pree meter test with a proving unit could save your life or prevent burns as ian pointed out and always use the correct test gear for the job , i do use multimeters but more on the electronics side

 

[Knobhead]

Shows the value of checking you meter on a known live source first.
Just be thankful you weren’t quickly proving “dead”

Your not the first it happened to and you won’t be the last, good reminder though!

 

[millwall ken]

Hi all, just a few lines to moan about using multimeters to test for 'dead'. Plenty of us have done this in the past, myself definitely at the top of the list, prior to completing all the quals and finding out some of the dangerous things l had actually been doing in my life.

These days l wouldn't dream of it. However, something did happen today that made me think.

I moved a socket for a friend of mine today, a mere 150mm, from it's original position. I had to use crimps and heatshrink and then capping, so l was happy to get it all over and done with.

I wanted to check the polarity was correct but couldn't be bothered to go to the other side of the room to get my approved voltage indicator, so l used my cheapo £5 multimeter, which was in my pocket. I was looking for a live measurement anyway and thought to myself, it will be quicker this way. I was a bit puzzled though when 0V was the reading. I did this several times and 0V each time.

Now was the time to re-check using my voltage indicator which gave me a 230+ reading.
Turns out the fuse inside the multimeter had blown.

Now l was looking a live measurement but what scares me the most, is that once upon a time, l would have used this same mulitmeter to test for 'dead'.

Anybody else have any scares with situations involving multimeters?

To be honest with ya fella, I wouldn't use one of these cheap multimeters that you can get from places like Argos for anything over than ELV testing - if that is the type of multitester that you are on about. Now, I don't do much in the way of testing, to be honest with you; so I expect that there will be a some members on this forum who swear by them. But I was taught by a very old fashioned sparkie at school; who drilled into us that the one piece of equipment that YOU NEVER scrimp on was a testing unit.
I mean for example with these cheapo multimeters you've always got to subtract the resistance of the leads for one thing, because the unit does not have the facility to zero the leads. Alright I suppose you could use them for 230v testing, but for 400v? No thanks!!!
Thats my two cents worth...

 

[telectrix]

suppose there's a time and place for everything.... multimeters, volt sticks, choc blocks, even arsenal supporters.

 

[ian]

After getting a bad belt 4 or 5 years ago in a similar situationto jabbajaws, I never take anything for granted and always used an approvedtester, never had a shock since.


Ian

 

[millwall ken]

After getting a bad belt 4 or 5 years ago in a similar situationto jabbajaws, I never take anything for granted and always used an approvedtester, never had a shock since.


Ian

USE of an approved testing unit will also prevent RCDs tripping out...

 

[MarkieSparkie]

The most dangerous situation is mistakenly attempting a voltage test with a multimeter switched to a current range. The poor protection of cheap multimeters and their leads in such a situation has caused the meter to become a molten/vaporised mass, plus in many cases severe electrical burns to the operator and even blindness due to arc flash-over.

 

[millwall ken]

The most dangerous situation is mistakenly attempting a voltage test with a multimeter switched to a current range. The poor protection of cheap multimeters and their leads in such a situation has caused the meter to become a molten/vaporised mass, plus in many cases severe electrical burns to the operator and even blindness due to arc flash-over.

Spot on - and all I could think of was that these units don't auto-nil. This post is everything that was going though my alcohol fogged mind - yes yes I know, and on a school day as well. However, the potential of an arc flash is the reason that you should NEVER wear contact lenses when testing...

 

[Jabbajaws]

We had a notification sent to us about someone in the oil industry in South America who used a multimeter on the wrong setting and ended up with 3rd degree burns to their hands.

It just proves guys that using the proper equipment, and also using it correctly, is absolutely essential in this trade. Ever since l qualified, im a very careful sparky these days...

 

[Jabbajaws]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. There's nothing quite as valuable as the voice of experience when it comes to advice like this. Cheers everyone...

 

[Adam W]

I have a £5 Argos multimeter which I bought about 20 years ago and I use all the time as a bell-set. It works fine for that provided you check it by putting the probes together before and after use.

Wouldn't use it to check for safe isolation though. Nope. Not ever.

 

[robsparky1975]

why oh why are the neon testers still sold?,i did help a heating engineer on an electric boiler recently,he was testing certain relays etc,with his £land multimeter,i was stood there in amazement at the 20mm exposed metal tips lol,and he was so nonchalent at the fact that he has only ever got a few zapps,well hope for his sake he never gets a proper one,bang,flash,arggghhhhhh,hospital.

 

[D Skelton]

Hi all, just a few lines to moan about using multimeters to test for 'dead'. Plenty of us have done this in the past, myself definitely at the top of the list, prior to completing all the quals and finding out some of the dangerous things l had actually been doing in my life.

These days l wouldn't dream of it. However, something did happen today that made me think.

I moved a socket for a friend of mine today, a mere 150mm, from it's original position. I had to use crimps and heatshrink and then capping, so l was happy to get it all over and done with.

I wanted to check the polarity was correct but couldn't be bothered to go to the other side of the room to get my approved voltage indicator, so l used my cheapo £5 multimeter, which was in my pocket. I was looking for a live measurement anyway and thought to myself, it will be quicker this way. I was a bit puzzled though when 0V was the reading. I did this several times and 0V each time.

Now was the time to re-check using my voltage indicator which gave me a 230+ reading.
Turns out the fuse inside the multimeter had blown.

Now l was looking a live measurement but what scares me the most, is that once upon a time, l would have used this same mulitmeter to test for 'dead'.

Anybody else have any scares with situations involving multimeters?

Although I admire you wanting to be thorough, if you followed the safe isolation procedure by the book every time there is no risk that you should ever face a similar situation. And I mean this in the least patronising way. I'm not having a pop, but that is what safe isolation is there for.

 

[james.cumming]

A good multimeter will tell you if the fuse is blown. The leads are not fused but the meter is.
I use a Fluke 1653 it does not let you do stupid things. Tip for Fluke users buy heavy duty leads as the ones provided are crap and break down.

 

[MarkieSparkie]

James I think you have missed the point. The OP of the thread was about the use of Multimeters in general and cheap ones specifically. Not about the use of Multi-Function Testers which have sophisticated safety measures built in. The high current ranges on most cheap multimeters are NOT fused and have non compliant leads/probes hence the danger highlighted.

 

[Silly Sausage]

why oh why are the neon testers still sold?...............

The NICEIC must think they're OK, here's one of the toolkits you can get from them:
NICEIC - approving excellence
see 3rd item from the bottom of the list.

 

[sparky3366]

I know an electrical technician who went across 2 phases on the incoming busbars to a local college with a little multimeter. Surprisingly, he is still alive...he did however blow a phase and the college had to be closed until it was repaired.

 

[Ponty Massive]

I know an electrical technician who went across 2 phases on the incoming busbars to a local college with a little multimeter. Surprisingly, he is still alive...he did however blow a phase and the college had to be closed until it was repaired.

I had a belt across 2-phases in 1994. Was the last shock I ever had, was very lucky it wasn't the last breath I had!