Electrical Test Equipment
Technicians use test equipment to make sure that individual components are working correctly at all times. It can be difficult to merely eyeball how well a circuit works without using a calibration meter to take an exact measurement. Measurement equipment is carefully balanced to give consistent readings when used with circuitry that meets the rated standards on the device.
How many different testers are included in a single multimeter?
Multimeters combine aspects of several pieces of test equipment into a single meter. You could use one as a bench instrument or a hand-held fault finder because of the various built-in functions. While different manufacturers like to include different features, most testers youll come across include at least the following measurement options:
- Voltage
- Resistance
- Current
- Capacitance
- Continuity
What is CESI- or KEMA- rated equipment?
CESI is an Italian energy certification organization while KEMA is a similar group that used to operate in the Netherlands. Both companies rate electrical test equipment for use with the rental industry. Rental services want to make sure that their devices are going to hold up to plenty of use. Even though you might not be involved in the test equipment rental sector, you can trust that these instruments have been tested for safety and effectiveness. If youre buying equipment for a rental service, then you might choose to adhere to these standards.
Why do some pieces of electrical equipment feature analog dials?
Digital test equipment is more precise than analog since digital meters always give an exact value. This doesnt require you to try and figure out where exactly the needle of a traditional calibrator happens to be touching. Some technicians prefer analog test equipment that use microammeters and pointers in spite of this because these units are more useful for measuring rapidly varying values in a circuit. You may want to have an analog analyzer alongside a digital one for this reason.
What kind of insulation does electrical equipment need?
All electrical equipment designed for checking circuits comes with an appropriate amount of insulation. If you want to add some extra insulators because youre going to be working with higher amperage, then you might opt for standard rubber or plastic sheaths that fit the type of electrical equipment youre working with.
Do some electrical test leads have fuses in them?
While your calibration unit probably has fuses inside of it to protect it in case polarity is ever reversed, you can also get electrical leads that have fuses inside of them as well. These additional fuses help to protect particularly sensitive testing units. You can easily change them out if they do blow, so you wont be without a testing unit for too long should this ever happen. Most of these leads simply unscrew to let you change out the sacrificial components like you would have in an old circuit breaker.