Mft calibration prices

[UNG]

NICEIC have liked monthly check with a resistance box and RCD on a known circuit for many years, they used to accept proper cal cert on a 2 year basis. Personally I think yearly proper cert is minimum acceptable especially given the rough environments are test gear can be subjected to.

The monthly resistance and earth loop check is a perfectly good idea although I'm always a bit sceptical of the RCD test on a known circuit given some of the RCD issues I've found over the years

 

[kerching]

Am I the only one who has a calibrated torque calibration tester ?

 

[kerching]

I'm guessing 'How f###ing much'. Not one I've heard before though

Correct. In a similar vein to WTAF

 

[binky]

Am I the only one who has a calibrated torque calibration tester ?

Probably, I've never even bought a torque screwdriver

 

[kerching]

Probably, I've never even bought a torque screwdriver

I’ve got plenty….legacy from the days of servicing diving equipment

 

[binky]

The monthly resistance and earth loop check is a perfectly good idea although I'm always a bit sceptical of the RCD test on a known circuit given some of the RCD issues I've found over the years

if you do the RCD test regularly it does seem to keep them working properly.

 

[UNG]

if you do the RCD test regularly it does seem to keep them working properly.

Does it, about 12 years ago I fitted a dual RCD CU all tested and working correctly, 5 months on and while doing some other electrical work I retested one of the RCD's and it didn't trip as expected found it was out of spec when ramp tested only tripping at 37mA
So how often would you need to test them to keep them working properly

 

[binky]

Does it, about 12 years ago I fitted a dual RCD CU all tested and working correctly, 5 months on and while doing some other electrical work I retested one of the RCD's and it didn't trip as expected found it was out of spec when ramp tested only tripping at 37mA
So how often would you need to test them to keep them working properly

It does in my house, but that's my experience of retesting regularly the same RCD,

 

[Sparksfly]

Thanks all for the calibration pointers/costs.
Personally I do not calibrate mine every year, not these solid state instruments, it is overkill. However, I do check a few times per year via RCD plug reel of T/E etc..keep a log. If you know your instrument well you will detect somethings not right.
It is good to apply some critical thinking and question why? is it necessary every year ? as opposed to following a some audit or legacy. Schemes have their own rules, it does not mean they are right.

 

[Geoff1946]

There are actually British Standards, under the umbrella of BS9000, setting out the requirements for quality control procedures.
I agree that these are OTT for day to day domestic electrical installation work, but they are implemented in industry, especially in highly controlled fields such as aerospace. I'm largely out of touch these days but I suspect large contractors serving such industries will be expected to have management procedures which comply.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Nice one mate thanks for the advice I’ve never had to get my own one calibrated, there’s a cef around the corner from me I’ll ring them tomorrow

Let us know the price you get quoted David.
It'll be interesting, plus helpful for others.

 

[muomicron]

Try RE-CAL Calibration Services.
It cost £75 for MFT's.
They also do discounted prices during calibration days in various wholesalers around the
country.

 

[Philip01]

No offence but you obviously don’t know the rules and regulations with using mft’s

how do you book it in mate , looked on their website and nothing about calibration. Did you ring up or take it in to their shop

Why wouldn’t I know the the rules and regulations regarding test instruments, I’ve been a QS 30 years with the NIC so I think you need to check your facts, as I said in my post they don’t calibrate they test against a known source, probably takes them 5 minutes the charges you £100, you have to be really dopey to fall for crap, it’s a scam, if you don’t believe me after you’ve finished your homework phone them up

 

[ExArmy]

Why wouldn’t I know the the rules and regulations regarding test instruments, I’ve been a QS 30 years with the NIC so I think you need to check your facts, as I said in my post they don’t calibrate they test against a known source, probably takes them 5 minutes the charges you £100, you have to be really dopey to fall for crap, it’s a scam, if you don’t believe me after you’ve finished your homework phone them up

but does your CPS assessor accept you just saying you test against known values and as long as they stay the same it's OK?
I bought a cal card years ago in an attempt to get out of the yearly check (neither of my meggers have ever needed calibration by the way) and the CPS assessor wasn't having any of it. I needed a calibration certificate from a company and that was it.

 

[UNG]

Why wouldn’t I know the the rules and regulations regarding test instruments, I’ve been a QS 30 years with the NIC so I think you need to check your facts, as I said in my post they don’t calibrate they test against a known source, probably takes them 5 minutes the charges you £100, you have to be really dopey to fall for crap, it’s a scam, if you don’t believe me after you’ve finished your homework phone them up

I actually think that comment could be seen as offensive when you seem to be the ignorant one here having been brainwashed by the sham scheme you are a member of, have you ever seen the specs for or set foot inside a UKAS accredited calibration lab they are by no means the scam you suggest, the current calibration sheet for my MFT runs to 3 very detailed A4 pages with detailed analysis of every function and test that can be carried out
Yes I also regularly check it on the cal boxes I have for good measure but would not totally rely on them as they are not calibrated

 

[Richard-the-Ninth]

Gentlemen, by all means you do not have to agree with each other, but do "play nicely"

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Update for the OP...
My information given was out of date.
I have just rang CEF to get mine calibrated. Cost = £75 + VAT.
They say they have now put their prices up to standard prices, as they were losing money on the lower prices they offered.
Whereas it was once a year I went to CEF, it will now be zero.

Further update... just rang Denmans. Calibration day in Stroud very soon £37.50 + VAT. Happy days

 

[7029 Dave]

I’m QS for our company and the niceic accept that I test the MFT against known values, as I said early these companies they do not calibrate your tester they test against the same known values I do, scam

I can agree we used to test against a known value ie a meter within calibration date worked for one of the big six.

 

[Tim Howard]

Bit late to this party!
In my area, Links and CEF generally have a tester day on the same day....and both then waste far too much time badgering all the sparks in the area to go to theirs. I play them against each other, got it down to £25+vat last year at CEF, and then I just take my main MFT to one and my backup to the other. The bacon rolls at Links make it worth it.

I concur with comments that tester days do fairly primitive checks. I thought about arguing that under the sale-of-goods act they are NOT calibration days as they never adjust anything, they are calibration checking days. 3 years ago my trusty 1502 failed and they weren't interested in adjusting it telling me it was beyond economical repair. I managed to get a service manual and calibrate it at home using a few resistors, a cal card and a calibrated multimeter for RCD trip currents. It made my day when it passed with flying colours at a tester day a year later.

 

[NozSpark]

I used to work for the MOD (RAF civvie) repairing avionics,,, when we filled out the paperwork we never wrote “calibrated” as our test equipment was too many rungs down the ladder from the STANDARD, we only wrote “adjusted”….. I would suggest that a mobile lab shouldn’t advertise them selves as carrying out calibration as the equipment that they use moves from one temperature to another far too often