Circuit tracer solves hidden
Lighting
wiring problem and saves
Special F
customer at least £1,500
Using a handheld circuit tracer, a Kent- companies not being confident of
based electrical services company has what the issues were.
e
atur
solved a five-year old hidden wiring Mark continues: “Some
problem in a residential apartment, at the investigations by other companies
same time as helping the customer save had been carried out without e
at least £1,500 in repair costs. success and so the customer
Ammes Ltd provides electrical services approached us for help. I
to commercial, industrial, retail and sent two electricians to
domestic markets in the South East of investigate. Initial tests
England. Based in Kent, the company showed very little, so
offers a wide range of services, including our electricians then
the installation of wired and wireless removed socket faces,
digital control systems, energy efficient testing as they went. This
lighting and the investigation of faults. highlighted a suspected area. It was
Ammes maintains a number of now that the electricians made use of
residential sites in London. One particular the SureTest® circuit tracer from IDEAL after attending a
site in Chelsea has very high specification INDUSTRIES. This showed that a short seminar by IDEAL
apartments, with prices ranging from £1 circuit was present, although only INDUSTRIES on BS7671:
million up to £7 million. Mark Botterill, intermittently. 2008 (IEE Wiring
partner at Ammes Ltd comments: “In Removing a back box on one of the Regulations 17th Edition).
early 2008, we were called out to a job at sockets showed a taped up twin and earth As Mark adds: “At first
one of the Chelsea apartments. The in the cavity and un-terminated cable at glance, I thought the SwivelDisplay on the
customer had been suffering from an the distribution board. The circuit tracer SureTest® receiver was just a gimmick,
intermittent problem with the apartment’s showed that these cables were not but the electricians are finding it very
electrical sockets and a miniature circuit connected. useful and it saves time on the job.”
breaker, which kept tripping. Some SureTest® is a powerful, versatile and After a short time tracing the cable in
sockets didn’t work at all and this problem easy-to-use circuit tracer for locating circuit the apartment, the problem was identified
had been going on for around five years. breakers and hidden wiring problems in and traced to a fitted wardrobe. According
Typically, owners of the apartments use it industrial, commercial and residential to Mark, a screw that was holding the
as their second home and so do not environments. The device is safe to use wardrobe against the wall was creating
occupy them full time so they learn to live on both de-energised and energised the short circuit. “Our guys were able to
with such inconveniences.” circuits up to 600V AC/DC. cut a small hole in the wall and replace
Before approaching Ammes, the client The unit comes with IDEAL’s patented this section of cable,” explains Mark.
had already been unsuccessful with four SwivelDisplay™ , the industry’s first Now that Ammes had solved the short
other companies, through either a lack of rotating super-bright OLED display, which circuit problem, the tracer was used to
know-how or just unable to find the ensures readings stay upright, even if the solve the other problem in the apartment.
intermittent fault. The client had been tracer’s receiver is pointing downwards. “All the other apartments at the Chelsea
quoted between £2,000 and £5,000, partly The device can be used to locate fuses site were wired in rings, but our client’s
due to the high specification of the and circuit breakers, pinpoint breaks in apartment was wired radially. Tracing both
apartment’s décor but also due to the wires and shorts to ground and can trace ends of the discovered cables resulted in
wiring the tracer locating the other ends in the
concealed same area but on opposite sides of a
behind walls, wall,” says Mark.
floors, After asking for the client’s permission
ceilings and to cut a hole in the wall, Mark’s team
underground. located the other ends of both cables and
The device terminated these into a double socket.
has a CATIII The protective device was changed and
1000V safety the client now has the ring circuit they
rating. should have had installed from the start.
At the The client was very happy and was only
apartment in charged £500.
Chelsea, the Mark concludes: “Compared to the
electricians original quotations, the client saved at
were armed least £1,500. We also restored the radial
with a to the intended ring circuit and walked out
SureTest® feeling rather pleased with ourselves.
circuit tracer, SureTest® saved us time and we are now
which Mark going to start using it for periodic
Botterill had inspections too.” Tel: 01925 444446
purchased email: Ideal_UK@idealindustries.com
back in 2007, www.idealindustries.co.uk
Mark Botterill of Ammes Ltd holding the SureTest circuit tracer from IDEAL Industries.
www.onlinebfm.co.uk special feature :: lighting 21
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