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Checking Appliance Earthing.

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Today I spoke to the manager of a local chain of domestic appliance retail shops. The chain sells and installs appliances like cookers and ovens etc. I asked the manager if they carry out an earth fault loop impedance test to confirm adequate earthing of the supply circuits and good earthing of appliances like cookers. He said that they did not. He asked me what test gear is used to carry  out the tests. I was shocked by this. People are having appliances installed by unqualified installers and the earthing effectiveness is not being tested.


Also his shop has nuisance tripping of the R.C.D. when several appliances are turned on. In particular washing machines cause tripping. Probably down to the 50 appliances each leaking a small current to earth via their internal mains filters. Get the cheapest quote. That''ll do. That's Norfolk for you.



Z.


Z.
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    The question is not however can we eliminate all possible faults however unlikely, but more can we be reasonably confident that the cooker swappers have not left the installation dangerous by their actions. I agree there are a whole raft of things that those of us with access to a full suite of test gear and more knowledge may choose to do, but if we think it is not reasonable for the cooker to be swapped and no verification at all, then at least confirming a connection to some form of CPC will eliminate the most dangerous errors that could leave it live relative to the rest of the metalwork in the kitchen is worthwhile.

    I agree the CPC may pass and yet be hanging by a thread, but the non-RCD trip testers also suffer this weakness, and it is no worse.
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    The question is not however can we eliminate all possible faults however unlikely, but more can we be reasonably confident that the cooker swappers have not left the installation dangerous by their actions. I agree there are a whole raft of things that those of us with access to a full suite of test gear and more knowledge may choose to do, but if we think it is not reasonable for the cooker to be swapped and no verification at all, then at least confirming a connection to some form of CPC will eliminate the most dangerous errors that could leave it live relative to the rest of the metalwork in the kitchen is worthwhile.

    I agree the CPC may pass and yet be hanging by a thread, but the non-RCD trip testers also suffer this weakness, and it is no worse.
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