No earth on light magic pen

[Niblok]

Been to have a look At a job possible rewire. Went to have a look to see if there's a earth to the lights. All painted together tight

The owner said there's is no earth she had another electrician to have a look he held up to the pendant what was described to me as a volt pen and he said there was no earth because it lit up green.

Is there such a tester or was he lifting her leg

Cheers

 

[ricicle]

He was having her on. Even if such a device existed it wouldn't be able to tell the effectiveness of the earth.

Steer clear.

 

[Niblok]

Yep just what I thought how can you test for a cable that's not there

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Steer clear.

Why, other than having to compete on price with an incompetent clown?

Or possibly a rip-off artist.

If the customer is happy to have a rewire quoted for on the basis that the lighting circuit has no earth, then why not quote on that basis?

Worst case it has no earth, upside is it does and less replacement is needed, so brownie points would be on offer for reducing the price part way through.

Does not the CU/fusebox give any clues?

 

[ricicle]

Steer clear.

Why, other than having to compete on price with an incompetent clown?

Or possibly a rip-off artist.

Sorry, didn't read the post properly. I was replying as if it was the OP who was the customer.

 

[Spark123]

Pull some switches forwards??

 

[Niblok]

My question is more to do with if there was a tester that detected an earth or no earth on lights

The guy that had been before me was obviously trying a fast one

I found cpc in the switches

I just thought some magic pen had been invented

 

[bernardgreen]

I found cpc in the switches

\finding CPC is good, but knowing for certain that it is connected to the MET is even better.

 

[Spark123]

My question is more to do with if there was a tester that detected an earth or no earth on lights

A non-contact tester which can detect a CPC (and differentiate it from neutral which should be at the same potential and in close proximity) doesn't exist.

I doubt you'll find one that can detect a neutral either, not that I have looked.

 

[ricicle]

I doubt you'll find one that can detect a neutral either, not that I have looked.

I have a self-made gadget at work to deliberately reverse polarity so I can find broken blue wires in long-lead appliances (eg vacuum cleaners)with a voltstick

 

[Adam_151]

If you have a circuit with a break in the CPC, and the bit of circuit after the break is quite long, then you will find that due to the capactance of the cable sees that the CPC hovers around half the supply voltage, although with a very high imepdance behind it. The result of which is that its often possible for a volat stick to light on a class 1 fitting downstream of the break.

I have a picture I took somewhere of a volt stick lighting up on a ceiling grid due to the lack of cpc continuity to the lay-in fittings

An unearthed switch start flourescent batten almost always lights a volt stick due to the capactance of the choke to earth.

It cant be relied on to prove an earth, but can be a bloody good indication of a lack of one and thus can help locate faults quickly