Help & Advice

Introduced in April 2013, Technical Bulletin 143 from the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) outlines a safer procedure for commissioning condensing boilers without air/gas ratio valves. Following a small number of carbon monoxide poisoning incidents involving newly commissioned units, the HHIC, boiler manufacturers and other industry bodies have worked together to produce a new testing procedure that is clear, safe and comprehensive.

‘Wireless’ has become a buzz word over the last 10 to 15 years, suggesting speed, efficiency and modernity. Whilst these advantages remain somewhat ill-defined, it is certain that various methods of wireless communication have filtered onto an ever-increasing array of products in domestic, commercial and industrial environments. The test and measurement sector is no exception. The benefits, however, can remain quite vague so this article aims to give both a basic overview of wireless technology and an insight into how it can help professional electricians and maintenance experts. Most wireless-enabled products on Test-Meter now use one of three principal methods: infrared, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

The word DUCTER was registered by Evershed & Vignoles in 1908 – a shortened version of ‘conductor tester’ that has since evolved into an adjective; similar to HOOVERing a floor or MEGGERing an electrical cable.

Evershed & Vignoles developed the original ‘Ducter’ and were one of the companies that evolved into Megger. Interestingly, Evershed & Vignoles also developed the World’s first high resistance ohmmeter in 1889.

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Regular inspection and testing of a Solar PV installation not only qualifies that the system remains electrically safe for continued use, but that it operates as efficiently as originally intended.

The IET guidance note (Code of Practice for Grid Connected Solar Photovoltaic Systems) provides engineers with a more user-friendly approach to installing and maintaining a PV system than that of BS EN 62446; the international standard upon which the guidance note is based.

April 2016 saw the arrival of a new batch of Megger multifunction testers. The untrained eye won’t spot any aesthetical or ergonomic differences between the existing MFT1700 series and the 2016 units, however the newer models offer additional, valuable testing features at very competitive prices.<!

The common misconception of a lack of electric vehicle charging points in the UK is the prime argument for reasons against investing in an electric vehicle.

If truth be told, there are currently 1,500 public EV charging points across the UK. And with the government investing £30m into eight pilot regions, this number is expected to increase to 8,500 over the coming years.<

Wireless Technology

Wireless communication is an integral part of today’s society with nearly 800 million households worldwide using a WiFi network. In fact, at the end of 2013 there were more wireless mobile devices on Earth than people.

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There are many safety standards in place ensuring that a manufacturer’s electrical product leaves the production line safe, efficient and fit for purpose. Each standard applies to various types of electrical equipment, ranging from laboratory equipment to common domestic appliances - additionally providing the manufacturer guidance on which electrical tests to conduct in order to deem their product compliant.

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Megger MFT1735 Multifunction Tester

The Megger MFT1735 is very similar to the Megger MFT1730, but with additional earth resistance testing capabilities. It is important to note that the following features included on the MFT1720 and the MFT1730 are not included on this model:

Megger MFT1730 and Megger MFT1730 Onsite Multifunction Testers

Suitable for almost any electrical installation testing, the MFT1730 onsite offers a comprehensive specification. With consumers demanding a tester suitable for all scenarios, this model has become the most popular tester within the range. As the MFT1720 offers a very staple specification, the MFT1730 only offers a few additional, but critical specification tweaks.