How to check the grounding outlet with instruments

Electrical outlets - familiar to the potential user accessories. They are used everywhere: at home, at work, in public places, etc. according to the technical regulations and sockets must have earthing - it will protect households from the current strike at breakage appliances.

However, you will agree, it is unlikely someone from consumers can say with certainty that all the sockets in the house or apartment grounded. To learn about the state of the wiring, it is necessary to conduct a series of tests.

We'll tell you how to check the grounding outlet in a variety of ways - by their appearance and by using special tools.

Typical rosette design

Using the technique check rosette ground may be required at any time. Especially those people who have to work with the specific electrical sockets repeatedly.

This item is the electrical network (home or industrial) has the simplest structure.

Electric socket consists of a plateau circular or rectangular shape. It makes the dress based on materials that do not conduct electricity.

Usually, for the manufacture of a plateau sockets used:

• ceramics;
• china;
• plastic.

The back of the dress has a flat surface, and the front part are shaped landing sites for electrical contactors. Material contactors, typically copper. Contactors are fixed firmly on the plateau - using klopok, plus being introduced into the body of the plateau.

To connect to the electrical wiring on the contactors are fixing screws. All this construction covered with a lid having two through-holes for the electric plug.

Types of electrical outlets

Industry produces two kinds of products:

• equipped ground bus;
• without ground bus.

The first type of structures are often referred to as "the Euro-socket". This design fully meets the electrical safety requirements. If you change the wiring recommend installed grounding outlet.

The second type of products considered obsolete modification, but still occurs in practice. Especially a lot of outdated sample outlets operated in the old buildings.

Both types of products are made for indoor or outdoor installation. According to the new recommendations PEB, modifications inner socket under the installation must have a structure consisting of a bimetallic plate contactor grounding.

For electrical outlets for external installation recommendations are the same, but in some cases, their use is allowed two-wire interface.

Grounding outlet and means of verification

Check for earth on the electrical network may be required in different cases:

• when changing the place of residence;
• in the case of the rental of any property;
• When buying office or business;
• when doing work on the territory of a third party, etc.

Consider the conventional methods of verification.

Verification by external signs

Original and simple testing ground presence is visually by their appearance. Potential user is sufficient to estimate the external interface of the electrical outlet, make certain conclusions for themselves.

Thus, if there are characteristic parts indicating the presence of a ground bus, a 50% tested in the cup receptacle can be considered successful. Such items are special slot in the housing and the products show through these slits contact bimetallic plate.

Placed these "whiskers" ground is usually at the top and bottom area of ​​the cup socket.

Analysis of the internal "stuffing"

To check the availability of ground socket with a probability of 75%, will have to open the casing of the product - remove the single screw holding the rosette cover and remove it.

But before you do the job, you should disconnect the electrical communication - turn off the machine input power, which typically installed within a mounting shield box that is located in the stairwell entrance (option for municipal housing).

After opening the outlet before the user opens the entire layout of the existing conductors, connected to terminals of the mounting device.

For the execution of the scheme under the "euro" a characteristic feature of the wiring is the presence of three conductors:

• phase;
• zero;
• grounding.

They may differ wire color two first conductors. However, according to the established specifications, the phase wire usually supplied with flowers isolated brown or white and zero with the colors blue or black insulation. But in practice, things may be quite different.

Third conductor - ground, particularly colored in green or yellow-green. Besides this wire usually has a large cross section. The grounding conductor within the socket body is connected to the bus terminal, which, in turn, has a direct relationship with the bimetallic strip "euro" interface.

So, the presence of a connected wire (yellow-green, green color) on the bus "land" - it is 75% guarantee on the bill, that the grounding outlet fulfilled.

Will only test the functionality (integrity) grounding bus with the help of special devices.

Testing with devices

Methods of testing control devices gives a 100% guarantee of earth in the presence of a power outlet. But the way to check using special devices are allowed to apply only to persons who have the appropriate approvals. This is important, because the testing devices are usually performed when the connected voltage.

Outlets household feed voltage of 220 V (sometimes 110 V). While power is becoming a real threat to those elements of the electrical testing. Especially for those who have no idea about the principle of operation of electric networks.

incandescent lamp test

The first simple test is done using a normal incandescent lamp, designed by the voltage of the existing network.

Check the person to work you need to make a simple snap-in:

1. Take an electric lamp holders.
2. Connect the two-wire line to a cartridge (20-30 cm).
3. Screw in the bulb holder.

The ends of the conductors need to clean cartridge 7-10 mm from the edge. If the wires are stranded, tightly twist the stripped conductor ends. For more safety tips can be fitted with a wire. In this preparation snap ends can proceed directly to the dough.

include automatic power electrochainWhere the socket part. Take a cartridge with a lamp and connected the ends of the wires on the familiar socket contactors (phase - nil). The lamp should shine brightly. This connection indicates the electrical continuity and serviceability made tooling. This step of the test should be performed necessarily.

Next, check the grounding work. End of any conductor of the lamp holder is connected to the ground bus contactor and the remaining free end to alternately connect socket contactors.

If either of the two connections, lights a lamp, which means ground bus is working and connected to the "earth." The test is passed. Otherwise, there is no grounding outlet.

Testing pointer (digital) voltmeter

For the second test method will require a ground bus dial or an electronic device that measures the voltage. Here suitable standard tester, for example, the TS4353 models.

The measurement range of the device voltage (AC) must have the upper limit of at least 600 V. The very same principle of the test is similar to the lamp check. Only instead of the backlight to control will have to use the device scale.

Stepping checking pointer tester:

1. Set measuring mode AC voltage.
2. Measurement range set to 600 V.
3. Connect probes to the instrument socket contactors (phase - zero).
4. Secure readings on paper.
5. Connect one probe of the device on the ground contactor.
6. Alternately connect the second socket on the instrument probe contactors.
7. Indications to capture on paper.

Now it is necessary to compare the recorded evidence obtained in the course of checking in step 6. If any of the two readings is equal to or slightly smaller than the value obtained in step 4, it means - the tire ground work. The absence of any of the readings indicates broken or torn, "earth."

Similarly, the procedure is performed by the digital voltmeter equipped liquid crystal display. Here, the only difference in the work - more convenient perception of the measurement result.

Detailed instructions stress test in the socket provided in this article.

When it is necessary to open the outlet

By and large, all of the above methods for testing the presence of the earth can be done without material removal socket cover. But then the guarantee is 100% not possible for one simple reason.

Often, in practice there are examples where the tire grounding someone "skillful hands" is connected to the bus zero. This is done in the jumper wire installed between zero and contactor "earth".

Without dismantling the cover is a "work of art" is not detected. However, the devices check will show the availability of land. There is a risk of error. Therefore, the actual opening of the lid always check the case.

From a safety point of view for the user plugs, connection "zero" to "earth" looks extremely unfortunate and unacceptable action.

Ground tire according to the rules of electrical installation is always considered a single communications line, indirectly tied to the wiring diagram of the apartment or home.

A neutral conductor at any time by accident or inexperienced personnel can be moved to place the phase conductor. The consequences are clear without words.

Domestic use earthed electrical outlets are gradually becoming the norm. Now every modern building is equipped with electric household, where there is a mandatory assembly of circuit elements with eyeliner them ground bus.

This ensures a high degree of safety for those operating the building, using sockets to work with different appliances.

Conclusions and useful videos on the topic

With nuances earthed socket installation can be shared via the video:

Way to be seen: in the presence of ground tire outlets increases the degree of reliability of appliances. Especially critical on the lack of "land" responsive digital equipment, such as is now present everywhere.

Tell us what method you use to check the ground at the outlet. Share with our readers own skills, participate in discussions and ask questions. Block comments located below.