Test Equipment
Not all test equipment is equal
With space at a premium and a number of different brands to choose from, how do you
go about stocking the right test equipment to suit the needs of your customers? Malcolm Duncan explains what to look out for and how to separate the good products from the bad.
with the user in mind. As far as test equipment is concerned that means products which will withstand a few scratches and scrapes (a fairly standard occurrence for a busy installer) but more importantly it means stocking products which can troubleshoot electrical circuits safely and reliably. But how do you know what you are getting
A
when you place an order for test equipment and how can you be certain that it won’t give up the ghost at an inopportune moment and result in an angry customer returning to the trade counter?
Check the IP rating One of the first things to look out for when purchasing test equipment is the IP or Ingress Protection rating and if the manufacturer doesn’t specify one then steer well clear. Published by the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the IP rating is determined by specific tests designed to infiltrate electronic equipment with both solid objects and liquids. The protection level against the penetration of solid objects is measured is in a range of 0-6 where 0 provides no protection and 6 provides complete protection from everything (including dust). The protection level against the penetration of harmful liquids is measured in a range of 0-8 where 0 provides no protection and 8 provides
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s a wholesaler it’s your job to make sure that you’re stocking products that are fit for purpose and built
complete protection against long periods of immersion under pressure.
So the higher the IP rating, the better the product. For example, our Auto-Ranging Multi-Meter is rated at IP67 which means that it is practically bullet proof.
Yes, you can drop it! Accidents happen – it’s a fact of
life and at some point an installer will drop their kit – sometimes from a great height. It’s not an ideal situation and certainly not something that we condone, but it is something that we plan for by carrying out a series of tests on all of our digital meters to measure the drop protection Our Drop Protection tests far exceed the UL/IEC standard because we want our products to last and where the
standard requires a drop of three feet onto a 50mm thick hardwood board supported by rigid steel or concrete, our drop tests are carried out from a range of heights from 3 to 9.8 feet onto a rigid steel surface. Our Dual-Range, Non-Contact
Voltage Tester for example passed a drop test of over 20 drops from 9.8 ft. without any damage – now that’s a product that’s made to last!
Don’t leave anything to chance Perhaps one of the most important
things to look out for when choosing the right piece of kit is the Category Safety Rating which ranges from CAT I
to CAT IV.
This is one area which can get a bit hazy when it comes to understanding the requirements because in theory, if the installer is only using the tester for measurements which are typically performed on voltages from electronic
circuits then they only need kit which is rated at CAT I. In the same, way some
manufacturers may only rate their products at CAT II or CAT III which is all perfectly acceptable because it meets the required standards for specific installations, but what happens if a voltage spike comes over the line when the measurements are being taken? This is where our belt and
braces approach really pays
dividends because all of our Tough Meters, including the 600A AC/DC TRMS Clamp Meter, are rated at CAT IV 600V. The engineered safety features which comes as standard means that nothing is left to chance – and that’s the way it should be.
Choose wisely Not all test equipment is equal and sadly that means that some of it will let your customers down – probably in the middle of a job. Ask yourself if you would want to be on the trade counter the morning that they return their faulty goods and I suspect the answer is no. The only way to avoid it is to choose wisely so look out for the safety features and go with a brand that you trust – it’s the only way to ensure quality and reliability.
www.kleintools.co.uk March 2015 electrical wholesaler | 27
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