Finding the correct cIrcuit

[Andy™]

A method we used last year at some offices was to clip the ammeter on the circuit at the board then using walkie talkies one of us goes to the floor and plugs in a 2KW fan heater w2hile the other looks for the reading to change.

may have to borrow that idea sometime

 

[Sidewinder]

me too!

 

[sparkytim]

Buz it Martindale handy if in ear shot, if not mate with 2way Radio helps.

 

[Andy™]

Buz it Martindale handy if in ear shot, if not mate with 2way Radio helps.

do many of you keep 2 way radios in the van for stuff like this?

i do, but usually end up with somewhat dead batteries when i need them...

may even put them on charge for a bit tomorrow...

 

[Sidewinder]

I used to use mobiles as we had unlimited calls between our phones!

 

[Megaohm7]

Mobile phones are more common these days. There's a lot to be said for labelling up circuits, I've seen the shorting out method myself and I wouldn't want to do it myself. Some interesting suggestions though. I have a fuse finder never used it as most of my work as been domestic and a plug in tester can usually be heard from the CU..

 

[Andy™]

I used to use mobiles as we had unlimited calls between our phones!

not too bad if you have signal! had vodafone, never a problem. then orange. never worked properly for 2 years. back to vodafone now.

 

[Sidewinder]

Andy,

Funny thing is I had a Vodaphone co. phone when I was employed, no signal at home, (bonus!) Orange fine almost everywhere I go, & have been, had a few black spots, which are now filled in by TMobile!

 

[Larnacaman]

This is the one I have.I'm not happy with it!

http://old.isswww.co.uk/Fuse-Finders/Martindale/Martindale-FD600-Professional-Fuse-Finder-Kit/

Like everything these days, the more you pay the better the kit is.

This is certainly the case in this instance, as the better more expensive units will for the best part cancel out other cables/circuits in close proximity or touchings influence. So you get a far clearer signal on the circuit that your trying to locate....

 

[Andy™]

Andy,Funny thing is I had a Vodaphone co. phone when I was employed, no signal at home, (bonus!) Orange fine almost everywhere I go, & have been, had a few black spots, which are now filled in by TMobile!

even when i used t mobile signal, it still never worked very well. so when contract was finished, back to vodafone. and decent signals.

 

[Sidewinder]

Larnacaman,

I've had mine for over 10 years now, probably 15+, so I hope things have moved on!

 

[sparkytim]

Had fun on a site this week with a couple of ground works guys with a "CAT", and Genny, needed to locate a redundant TP&N SWA to re-route and put back into service.

Well after several hours digging following bleeps and squeaks, we managed to locate numerous Tree roots but NO cable.

In the end following some local knowledge and with digger on site excavations were made and finally the cable was found.

The "Cat" screamed that it was "Live", Knowing its origin i was sure it was not.

Carefully cutting back outer sheath and then armour my Volt stick showed no supply, so again PPE in place opened up inner sheath and exposed enough to Spike with Probes and prove dead.

Guys not convinced untill cable cut with no ill effects.

So

 

[sparkytim]

Yup

and we did pick it up on the cable when we found it, just amazed how widespread the induction spread!

All good for a laugh, disappointed they would'nt let us have ago on the digger

 

[Sidewinder]

I was driving a micro 360 tracked excavator on Wednesday on the job I was on!

Larf, you'd have fallen off your digger!

 

[springcrocus]

Thanks for all the replies onthis thread everyone. No rcds in this place or rcbos Cheers

Pity about the lack of RCBO's. Quickest way would have be to run an RCD test.

 

[kerching]

I built a box with a 1 second timer wired to a 13A socket. connect box to cct in question, connect load to socket and run ammeter at panel and watch for a 1 second pulsing change in current. Just select load to suit circuit [small for lighting, larger for power]. Hope this explains it...... :coat

---------- AUTO MERGE Post added at 22:59 ---------- Previous post was at 22:55 ----------

Carefully cutting back outer sheath and then armour my Volt stick showed no supply, so again PPE in place opened up inner sheath and exposed enough to Spike with Probes and prove dead.

!

Just interested in what PPE you use

 

[M107]

I had the same problem at a school ages ago & being on my own I got fed up with turning of breakers at various DB's (some on first floor some on ground floor & mix of sp & tp) to try & find the circuit.

I gave up & nipped into town & went to voda shop paid a tenner for a pay as you go sim card, slapped it into one of my old phones.

Back to the school plugged in the socket & see socket tester, called my mobile from the pay as you go & sat the pay as you go on the socket & see unit.......... waltzed round the DB's while listening to the socket & see tone on my phone, found the circuit mcb in a tp board in the metal workshop with the circuit labelled with a question mark.

 

[batty]

I had the same problem at a school ages ago & being on my own I got fed up with turning of breakers at various DB's (some on first floor some on ground floor & mix of sp & tp) to try & find the circuit.I gave up & nipped into town & went to voda shop paid a tenner for a pay as you go sim card, slapped it into one of my old phones.

Back to the school plugged in the socket & see socket tester, called my mobile from the pay as you go & sat the pay as you go on the socket & see unit.......... waltzed round the DB's while listening to the socket & see tone on my phone, found the circuit mcb in a tp board in the metal workshop with the circuit labelled with a question mark.

Yes it generally the last one.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

There are circuit tracers but they can be a pain and not very accurate.A "correct way" would be to say put a socket tester in the socket have someone there with a 2 way radio & someone at the board switching breakers off until the socket went off!

Even a basic martindale is more efficient than two blokes & radio...

Cuz you can sort it single handed!

I have one of those tone things, a Martindale, it's carp as it "sends" the signal down all lives of the same phase thus say all reds show as connected through the DB bus bars.Any better ones out there, I've had mine over 10 years so they may have improved?

My basic Martindale gets is power from the circuit you are plugged into...

So stick you transmitter into a socket or light fitting..

go back to the DB adjusting the sensitivity dial and holding either vert or hoz in relation to the MCB can improve the accuracy...

BUT..

even if the receiver chirps away when near to any part of the DB, thats no problem, cuz just as your method 1,

when you turn off the relevant breaker the transmitter looses power, so the receiver stops chirping..

So you know you have found the right circuit without needing a second person or a walkie talkie!

Just the same as the bloke at the other end not hearing or seeing the socket tester light or bleep...

Simples!!

Guinness

The only real problem is if you cant get ANY signal back at the receiver!

 

[Larnacaman]

Mines not cheap and i wouldnt trust it to be honest,, which ones do you recommend ?

The last time i had to purchase one was a long time ago, and was a local purchase in Riyadh SA. I remember it was an American made unit, had various frequency immunity choices and was expensive. It did however fulfil it's purpose in several instances. Cost at that time was around $500+, some of that, would be the Saudi mark-up mind!! ...lol!!!

As for underground cable locator's, never have found one that's been any good, and some that i've had tested on a prior to purchase basis have been a dammed site more expensive than the one mentioned in this thread, like 3 times more expensive. And No, i have never been impressed and therefore never purchased any of them...

One of the reasons why i normally have surface cable route marker blocks installed on projects. ...At the very least, have direct buried cable routes shown accurately on ''As Built'' site drawings...