03/05/2010 It is no longer necessary to have an RCD tester for portable appliance testing in New Zealand thanks to a new generation of PAT tester that has just arrived on the market.
The new instrument combines a full function PAT tester and portable RCD tester into a single compact unit.
AVO New Zealand says there are two new testers in the PAT300 series providing a welcome boost to the product range from UK manufacturer Megger. Both units have been specifically designed for New Zealand users and priced accordingly. The design engineers at Megger spoke to AVO to make sure the new testers would suit the way Kiwi electricians and technicians work and would perform all the periodic tests required to comply with the latest version of AS/NZS 3760.
As a result the Megger PAT320 tester is easier to use and will save time, particularlyfor testing of equipment and portable RCDs on site, or where downloading to database records is not needed.
For example, the other day I went to a construction company who have a lot of portable RCDs in leads and plug boxes. They already have a bench PAT tester at the workshop, but it is not practical to use on site so they’ve had to call somebody in to do the testing. This unit will now save them
time and money.
The Megger PAT320 will not only do full RCD time-tests, you can confidently perform tests on portable RCDs without tripping other RCDs on the switchboard.
Peter Hockley from Avo NZ says tests can be sequenced automatically or manually and the push button panel helps you test different types of equipment quickly and easily without going into menus to configure the unit. An instant start function returns the unit to the previous status during temporary power downs, saving time as you move around a site. Having set the pass/fail tolerances the automatic test sequence can give a pass/fail in as little as ten seconds and provides the actual results on the coloured display.
While the unit is portable and comes with a carry pouch, it also has the capability for continuous use on the bench, thanks to a heavy duty heat dissipating transformer. This is a crucial difference to competing units in this price bracket,” says Hockley, It means you can use it in a manufacturing or
hire company site where speed is essential and you need continuous throughput without overheating.
And when you are working quickly and testing a variety of equipment, the simple push button controls reduce the risk of running the wrong sequence that could damage microprocessors or other sensitive electronics. You can perform earth bond testing at 10A or 25A to suit the equipment under test but if high current is a risk, you can select a 200mA continuity test. If you don’t need high current earth bond testing, the smaller and lighter Megger PAT310 saves on the purchase price.
With both units 500V dc insulation testing is switchable to 250V dc. Alternatively, touch current testing, or differential leakage testing can be used along with substitute/ alternative leakage tests and functional load tests. “In awkward spots you can use probe extension leads for convenience and speed. The lead null feature of the tester precisely recalibrates the longer test leads to ensure accurate results. But as good as the Megger PAT320 is, says Hockley, it still requires a competent person – as defined by the standard – to operate it and competence training is offered on-site by AVO as part of their support of the products in New Zealand. The Megger PAT320 and the Megger PAT310 are available from any Stewarts Electrical branch The new AVO portable appliance tester performs all the periodic tests required for compliance with AS/NZS 3760 including the testing of portable RCDs
pat300_ds_en_v03.pdf(637.29 KB)
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