INSPECTION, TESTING AND

MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
 TRAINING OBJECTIVES

• At the end of this training, participants should be able to;

Carry out routine inspections on electrical equipment

Carry out different methods of testing on an electrical equipment
Identify specific techniques in analyzing troubleshooting
Diagnose electrical equipment using both analogue and digital
instruments
 INTRODUCTION

• All electrical installations must be inspected and tested

upon completion to ensure that the system will operate
efficiently and safely.
• The procedure is extensive as defined in the IEE Wiring
Regulations and can only be carried out by a
competent person i.e. a qualified Personnel.
 INSPECTION
• An electrical inspection refers to the process of thoroughly
accessing an electrical installation prior to testing.
• The purpose of visual inspection, as specified by the regulations, is
to check if:

equipment complies with a product standard.

equipment is correctly selected and erected, taking into account

manufacturer’s instructions.

equipment is not visibly damaged or defective so as to impair

safety.
 WHAT TO INSPECT:
• Connection of conductors • Connection of single-pole
devices for protection or
switching in line conductors only
• Identification of conductors

• Correct connection of
• Protection of cables against accessories and equipment
mechanical damage

• Presence of fire barriers,

• Selection of conductors for suitable seals and protection
current-carrying capacity and against thermal effects
voltage drop, in accordance
with the design
 WHAT TO INSPECT:
• Methods of protection against • Labelling of protective devices,
electric shock switches and terminals

• Prevention of mutual • Connection of single-pole

detrimental influence devices for protection or
switching in line conductors only
• Presence of appropriate
devices for isolation and • Correct connection of
switching correctly located accessories and equipment

• Presence of undervoltage • Presence of fire barriers,

protective devices suitable seals and protection
against thermal effects
 TESTING
Visual inspection is first carried out to confirm that
permanently wired electrical equipment is in compliance with
the safety requirements and not visibly damaged, and that fire
barrier, protective, monitoring, isolating and switching devices,
and all relevant documentation are present. After this
inspection, electrical testing may commence.
OBJECTIVES OF TESTING
 To see whether newly installed equipment has been damaged,
to indicate whether any corrective maintenance or replacement
is necessary on existing equipment.
 To indicate if the equipment can continue to perform its design
functions safely and adequately
 To chart the gradual deterioration of the equipment over its
service life.
 To check new equipment before energization.
 TYPES OF TESTING METHODS

 Continuity
 Insulation resistance
 Polarity
 CONTINUITY TESTING

This test is carried out to ensure that:

All conductors are electrically sound and correctly
connected and continuous throughout their length.
All equipment and accessories are properly connected to
the protective conductor where required.
All bonding connections and clamps are making good
electrical contact.
 CONTINUITY TESTING
• The most common continuity test is measuring the resistance of
protective conductors, which involves first confirming the
continuity of all protective conductors in the installation, and
then testing the main and supplementary equipotential bonding
conductors.
• The continuity of protective conductors is normally carried out
with an instrument being able to generate a no-load voltage in
the range 4 to 24 V (DC or AC) with a minimum current of 0.2
A. All circuit conductors in the final circuit are also tested.
• As continuity testing measures very low resistances, the
resistance of the test leads must be compensated for.
INSULATION RESISTANCE TEST

• Insulation integrity is critical to prevent electric shock and fire.

• It is generally measured between live conductors; and between
each live conductor and earth.
• Portable insulation resistance testers and megger tester are
designed to help prevent hazards such as electric shock and
short-circuits caused when the insulation in electrical devices,
parts, and equipment used in industrial plants, buildings, and
other settings degrades over long periods of use.
• Electrical equipment and appliances should be disconnected prior
Testing a whole installation
Precautions  If the lamps are not accessible or if a
 Safe isolation must be carried out luminaire with control gear (fluorescent)
before commencing this test. is connected, open the switch
controlling the luminaire (Note 1).
 Inform any occupants of the building
that testing is to be carried out.  Where dimmer switches are fitted it is
important that they are either removed
 Ensure that all protective devices are in
and the switch wires joined, or that the
place and switched on.
switch is bypassed (Note 2).
 Remove all lamps from fittings where
 Any accessories with indicator lamps
accessible.
are switched off (Note 3).

 Passive infra-red detectors (PIRs) are

removed or bypassed (Note 4).
Testing a whole installation
Procedure
• Step-1 Set insulation resistance tester to
500V.

• Step-2 Push the test button with the leads

disconnected. The resistance shown on
screen should be the highest that the
instrument can measure.

• Step-3 Join leads and operate instrument

again, the resistance shown on screen
should be the lowest value possible
(0.0mΩ) in all cases.

• Step-4 Test between live conductors

(tails) and operate any two-way and
intermediate switching.
Testing of 3 phase installations
Procedure
• Step-1 The instrument should be set on
500 volts DC.

• Step-2 Test between all phase

conductors.

• Step-3 Test between all phase conductors

and neutral, the phase conductors can be
joined together for this test to save time.

• Step-4 Test between all phase conductors

and earth. The phase and neutral
conductors can be joined to save time.

• Step-5 Test between neutral and earth.

Testing of 3 phase installations
Procedure
• Step-6 The resistance values
should be 2MΩ or greater for each
circuit and the whole installation
must have an insulation resistance
of greater than 0.5MΩ.

• Step-7 If a circuit is found to

have an insulation resistance of less
than 2MΩ it should be investigated.

• Step-8 Ensure that any links

used for testing are removed prior
to the switching on of the supply.
POLARITY TEST
This test is carried out to ensure that all
switches and circuit breakers are
connected in the phase or live Step 3
conductor.
STEPS
•Step-1 Isolate circuit to be tested.
•Step-2 Identify legs of ring.
•Step-3 Test between ends of phase
conductor and note the resistance
Step 4
value, shown below. Instrument set to Ω
for whole test.
•Step-4 Test between ends of neutral
conductor. This value should be the
same as the phase conductor
resistance as the conductor must be the
same size
POLARITY TEST
• Step-5 Test between the ends of
the CPCs. If the conductor size is Step 5
smaller than the live conductors
(as is usually the case when using
twin and earth cable), the
resistance value will be higher (see
Note 2); make a note of this
reading.

Step 6
• Step-6 Join P of leg 1 to N of leg 2.
Test between N of leg 1 and P of
leg 2. The measured resistance
should be double that of the phase
conductor
POLARITY TEST

• Step-7 Join N of leg 1 to P of leg 2

together (leaving N2 and P1 joined). Step 7
Test between joined ends. The
measured value should be of test
between N of leg 1 and P of leg 2.

• Step-8 Leave the ends joined. Test

between P and N at each socket
outlet, the resistance should be the
same at each socket. A higher Step 8
reading should be investigated,
although it will probably be a spur it
should be checked as it may be a
loose connection (high resistance
joint).
POLARITY TEST
• Step-9 Disconnect the ends and
repeat the test using phase and Step 9a
CPC conductors (see Note 3). The
highest value (which will be the
spur) will be the R1 and R2 value
for this circuit.

Step 9c

Step 9b
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS

There are a number of ways in which measuring instrument

can be classified. One useful way with electrical and electronic
measuring instrument is by the way in which the measured
quantity is displayed and these are broadly divided into two:
i.Analogue instruments
ii.Digital instruments
 TYPES OF ELECTRICAL MEASURING
INSTRUMENTS
VOLTMETER
•A voltmeter is used to measure the
potential difference between two points of a
circuit.

•It is thus connected in parallel with the

circuit or some part of the circuit.

•The voltmeter must have enough

resistance so that it will not be injured by the
current that flows through it, and so that it
will not materially affect the current in the
circuit to which it is connected.
A Voltmeter
 TYPES OF ELECTRICAL MEASURING
INSTRUMENTS
AMMETER
•An ammeter is used to measure the flow of
current in a circuit.
•It is connected in series with the circuit under
test so that current to be measured or a
fraction of it passes through the instrument
itself.

•The ammeter must be capable of carrying

this current without injury to itself and without
abnormally increasing the resistance of the
circuit into which is inserted. For this reason, An Ammeter
an ammeter is designed to have low
resistance.
 TYPES OF ELECTRICAL MEASURING
INSTRUMENTS
• WATTMETER
• A wattmeter, as its name implies,
measure electric power given to or
developed by an electronic apparatus
or circuit. A wattmeter is hardly over
required in a d.c circuit because power
can be easily determined from
voltmeter and ammeter readings.
However, in an a.c circuit, such a
computation is, generally speaking,
impossible. It is because in an a.c
circuit, power depends not only on
voltage and current but also on the
phase shift between them. Therefore,
A Wattmeter
a wattmeter is necessary for a.c power
measurement.
 TYPES OF ELECTRICAL MEASURING
OHMMETER
INSTRUMENTS
•The resistance of a resistor can be determined by measuring the current flowing
in it when a known voltage is applied to the resistor. This is the basis of many
ohmmeters.

•The ohmmeter is a convenient direct reading device for measurement of

resistance. These instruments have a low degree of accuracy. There is a wide
field of application for this instrument in determining the approximate value of
resistance.

•An ohmmeter is useful for determining the approximate resistance of circuit

components such as heater element, measuring and sorting of resistance used in
electronic circuits. A simple ohmmeter circuitcomprises of moving coil meter
connected in series with two resistors (fixed and adjustable) and a battery to a
 TYPES OF ELECTRICAL MEASURING
INSTRUMENTS
MEGGERMETER

The megger is a portable instrument used for testing the

insulation resistance of a circuit, and for measuring the
resistance of the order of mega ohms in which the
measured value of resistance is directly indicated on a
scale. The indication of the megger is independent of
voltage. Meggers use high voltages to measure very high
resistance.
 TYPES OF ELECTRICAL MEASURING
INSTRUMENTS
CATHODE RAY OSCILLOSCOPE
(C.R.O)
•It is generally referred to as
oscilloscope or scope and is the basic
tool of an electronic engineer and
technician as voltmeter; ammeter and
wattmeter are those of an electrical
engineer or electrician.
•The CRO provides a two-dimensional
visual of the signal wave shape on a
screen thereby allowing an electronic
engineer to see the signal in various
parts of the circuit. An Oscilloscope
TYPES OF MEASUREMENT ERRORS
 Gross Errors: Largely human errors, among them are misreading of
instruments, incorrect adjustment and improper application of
instruments and computational mistakes.

 Systematic Errors: These are errors due to shortcomings of

the instruments, such as defective or worm parts and effects
of the environmental on the equipment.

 Random Errors: These are those due to cause that cannot

be directly established because of random variations in the
parameter or the system of measurement.
 PRECAUTIONS

The precautions to be taken by the tester

should include the following:
•Have a clear understanding of the
installation, how it is designed and how it has
been installed.
•Make sure that the instruments to be used
for the tests and measurements are to the
necessary standards.
•Check that the test leads to be used are in
good order, with no cracked or broken
insulation or connectors.
•Be aware of the dangers associated with the
use of high voltages for insulation testing.
CONCLUSION
Inspection and testing of electrical installation or equipment must
complied to standards and regulations of electrical engineering.
This is done to maintain safety of Electrical Personnel, equipment
and users.
A competent Electrical personnel must master his or her
measuring instruments and tools.