Using a multimeter

[Thoggy]

Hi all just wondered if there is a course anyone recommends for using one, I'm useless when the tech guy says have you got continuity and I haven't got a clue how to do it, is it relatively easy? I've never been shown so any help appreciated for helping me be better with boiler breakdowns. Cheers Martyn.

 

[gas frank]

Hi martyn the best place to start would be the baxi course.

 

[quality]

cskills essential electrics is what you need

 

[Kyle87]

I seen a good video on YouTube that taught me a fair bit about using one. Continuity, ac voltage, dc voltage, resistance, amps etc.

And you can do it all from the comfort of your own home

 

[AWheating]

what about the multimeters instructions?

 

[stevetheplumber]

go on the baxi course its well worth it

 

[Alanc]

A very basic test.
Saved my life

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[AWheating]

bluming hell!

i had a set of those computer speakers, they were poor!

 

[AWheating]

on a serious note, i would recommend anybody working on pipework especially gas or at cold main tap to use a voltage stick before touching it. Make sure the stick can pick up voltages as low as 50v (touch voltage) the lower the better.

 

[Bernie2]

Yes I would do checks. All the faults they usually tell you about in books are usually far more frightening in real life.

When you have decoupled a gas meter and seen the sparks jump to earth from the pipework you know why they insist on bridging cables.

When you have had a real belt off a crm you also know why they say use them. Its a case of once electrocuted and lived you soon learn. And yes it should be learn most of the time, you do forget at times when in a hurry and do it again. As somebody said though, you are supposed to do the Health and Safety before the accident not after it.

 

[zzzjim]

Weird results with continuity tests , start looking for a voltage !

( A good meter can cope with high voltages on a continuity test )

 

[Mutha]

Volt stick always on my belt, has alerted me a few times also.

 

[chris watkins]

Yes I would do checks. All the faults they usually tell you about in books are usually far more frightening in real life.

When you have decoupled a gas meter and seen the sparks jump to earth from the pipework you know why they insist on bridging cables.

When you have had a real belt off a crm you also know why they say use them. Its a case of once electrocuted and lived you soon learn. And yes it should be learn most of the time, you do forget at times when in a hurry and do it again. As somebody said though, you are supposed to do the Health and Safety before the accident not after it.

And not to forget Bernie2 that the next electrocution could well be your last !!!! Get into the habit of doing the checks (safe isolation) every time. I had transco in to do work before the ecv they now carry clamp meters & have to use them every time. If above a certain amount they walk away & tell you to get it sorted (even if it is next doors problem) between certain limits they use temporary earth bond.
Might invest in one as they are not to much.

 

[zzzjim]

........next electrocution.......... transco carry clamp meters & have to use them every time

Good point Chris , a clamp meter can find a current flowing in a wire - or pipe to earth ,

Before anything gets removed and becomes a lethal voltage !

 

[migoplumber]

i got a nasty shock about 18 months back.
just on a set of steps put me hand on some conduit rail with no lid to balance meself. finger touched a not properly joint cable and boom.
funny thing was i was waiting for sparks to come wire up my new pump.
felt like ****, so went sat outside for 30 mins. then went back to work.
4 hours later, was getting all sort or weird feeling in right arm so went to a & e and got inputted for the night.
the doctor examining me called in some of his students to see the worst 1st degree burn they would ever see - a pin hole sized mark at end of my finger, apparently going all the way to the bone !
did my part p a week later, didnt learn much. other than always, always call an ambulance after electric shock as it does weird thing to your heart, if i had gone for a walk into town afterward and nobody knew i'd been shocked, collapsed. ambulance would arrive and treat you as per normal. they would shock you with their stuff - but not knowing you had allready been shocked, you could just die from wrong ambulance treatment !

for electrical stuff, i now carry as primary the volt pens (that light up when you rub them on your nose) then a fluke probe set, then i have my fluke multimeter and finally a meg.
it aint gonna happen to me again !

 

[Petefinny]

The Baxi course is the best, ive just been on it in warrington, learnt me all about the multimeter and how to find your faults with it, best thing ive done regarding courses!

 

[D E P northeas]

petefinny

can i ask you a few questions

1 is do you no if they run this baxi course all over the uk and how much is it im guessing a day course?

2 with boilers can you remove the cover if you dont have your gas safe reg to to replace fuses boards and so on

just somink ive been asked by a friend boilers scare the hell out of me and till i hook up with a gas lad im not going near not worth it

 

[Petefinny]

They do 3 course that you want ot go on, Basic Electrics, Boiler appreciation, and fault diagnosis, they have centres around the country, ring up baxi and tell them you want to go on it and they will tell you where the nearest one to you is, its £75 for each course and its a day on each one. You should not touch any gas appliance if you are not gas safe registered.

 

[D E P northeas]

They do 3 course that you want ot go on, Basic Electrics, Boiler appreciation, and fault diagnosis, they have centres around the country, ring up baxi and tell them you want to go on it and they will tell you where the nearest one to you is, its £75 for each course and its a day on each one. You should not touch any gas appliance if you are not gas safe registered.

i just wasnt sure about removing the main cover to do basic electrics thats what i was gettin at mate i dont want my mate to get in the poo poo for taking a cover to to replace a fuse on the board or anythink i think you have to try look out for the good guys and bad ones report them

 

[Deleted member 25704]

A multi-testing tool may not be approved, for safe isolation electrical test; just as the glow-pen and the 'neon' screw-driver are not approved tools for the safe isolation of electrical systems.

Scroll down for some interesting documents which will advise you on the correct equipment to use and the correct procedure for 'safe isolation test' - the most important information I have ever put on this forum, given that electrical fatalities for plumbers/heating engineers are rising:

Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, HSE Regulation16 (1989, p. 39) state:

No person shall be engaged in any work activity whereknowledge or experience is necessary to prevent danger or, where appropriate, injury, unless he [sic] possesses such knowledge orexperience, or is under such degree of supervision as may be appropriate having regard to the nature of the work.

For safe isolation of electrics:

http://www.hseni.gov.uk/hsg85_electricity_at_work_-_safe_working_practices.pdf

For the correct equipment (note: approved tool, with internal 'self proving' function):

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/gs38.pdf

 

[D E P northeas]

as a electrical engineer im aware of SIP


and my questions above were asked for someone else

 

[Deleted member 25704]

as a electrical engineer im aware of SIP


and my questions above were asked for someone else

My comments were aimed 'generally' at helping plumbers work safely with electrics.