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The Megger test or insulation resistance test is a method of testing making use of an insulation tester resistance meter that will help to verify the condition of electrical insulation. Megger tester is being used since 1889, popularity raised during 1920s, since long back devise is same in its uses and purpose of testing, few real improvement appeared in recent years with its design and quality of tester. Now high quality option are available which are easy to use and quite safe.
Megger Testing is a spot insulation test which uses an applied DC voltage, either 250Vdc, 500Vdc 1,000Vdc (low voltage equipment) or <600V, 2,500Vdc and 5,000Vdc (high voltage equipment) to measure insulation resistance in either kΩ, MΩ or GΩ. The measured resistance is intended to indicate the condition of the insulation or dielectric between two conductive parts, where the higher the resistance, the better the condition of the insulation. Ideally, the insulation resistance would be infinite, but as no insulators are perfect, leakage currents through the dielectric will ensure that a finite (though high) resistance value is measured.
Insulation resistance quality of an electrical system degrades with time, environment condition i.e. temperature, humidity, moisture and dust particles. It also get impacted negatively due to the presence of electrical and mechanical stress, so it’s become very necessary to check the IR (Insulation resistance) of equipment at a constant regular interval to avoid any measure fatal or electrical shock.
Another scenario is if your home has just experienced a fire and you need to start the rebuilding process. Your Insurance Company tells you that local jurisdiction, or the Insurance Company themselves, require a “Megger Test” to verify the integrity of the wiring system in your home. When it comes to megger testing Malcots is the way to go.
Megger testing does not cause any damage, making it a good option when someone does not want to put holes in walls to test electrical insulation for any problems or issues. The testing device only goes between 500 and 1,000 volts, which is relatively low. Due to the low voltage, some punctures in insulation go undetected. It generally provides information about the leakage current and whether insulation areas have excessive dirt or moisture as well as the amount of moisture, deterioration and winding faults.
We can test your circuits for the existing connections or melted fault areas that may have occurred during a fire event. These results are then analysed and specific circuits can be isolated and replaced to insure that there are no further problems on your affected circuits. If you have had a fire talk to your Adjuster and see if Megger Testing is required. It is normally covered by Insurance since the last thing they want to do is pay another claim a month after you are able to reclaim your domicile.
Malcots has the equipment on hand and the expertise to perform your Megger Testing and get those results logged and filed with your insurance carrier as well as the Local Building Department. We are here to help you make sure your existing wiring is safe, and of course, to install new wiring as needed as well. We are here for all of your electrical needs.
A multimeter is used as an insulation tester in some conditions and mostly a continuity test only is performed. But for detecting and testing for a leakage current during a normal or overloaded condition, a special instrument known as the Insulation tester is used.
We measure electrical leakage in wire and results are very reliable as we shall be passing electric current through device while we are testing. We verify the electrical insulation level of any device such as motor, cable, generator winding, or general electrical installation. This is a very poplar test being carried out since very long back. Not necessary it shows us exact area of electrical puncture but shows the amount of leakage current and level of moisture within electrical equipment/winding/system.
Following equation is used for calculation:
IRmin (in MΩ) = kV + 1
Where kV = rated service voltage in kV
There are instances when the measured IR is almost 10 to 100 times more than the IRmin found from above equation.