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Re: 2 Pole Voltage / Continuity testers.
The majority of cheaper clamp meters are’nt sensitive enough for accurate Earth leakage tests either, but why would you want to do that for appliance repairs ? or are you talking about low insulation ?
Re: 2 Pole Voltage / Continuity testers.
I used energy monitors in the past. It can be bought for £5. The downside is that it was not designed to be carried about in your toolbox and are prone to breakage. The battery in it doesn’t last long and it need to be recharged regularly.
I found it useful to be honest.
Re: 2 Pole Voltage / Continuity testers.
Think you hit the nail on the head mate, they don’t stand up well to being in a toolbox. Have to be honest, i’ve never bothered buying 1 & I don’t see what advantage it has over proper test equipment. Did you try your clamp meter out yet ?
Re: 2 Pole Voltage / Continuity testers.
I use them for timing the heating cycle on washing machines, for checking operating wattages, and for testing the working wattage of existing elements.. They are not much cop for anything else.
George
Re: 2 Pole Voltage / Continuity testers.
Specialist01269 wrote:. Did you try your clamp meter out yet ?
Not yet, I need to buy a trailing socket but b&q is about 5 miles out of my way and it’s a real trek to get there. I’m still on the hunt for the socket.
FYI I stopped using the energy monitor few years ago as I said it didn’t last long in the toolbox and I wasn’t using it as much then as work was quiet until recently.
Re: 2 Pole Voltage / Continuity testers.
Predominantly appliances but not fridge/freezers. Can do the odd vac repair usually Dysons (don’t mind them but a right bugger taking it apart). Once repaired cooker hood.
I was a chef/supervisor of 12 years experience before I started out on appliance repairs. Oddly enough what inspired me to do appliance repair was that I was responsible for the upkeep of 14 vending machines. Every now and then one of the machines breaks down and I call out Options who send out the same guy every time for the last 12 years. I had a snapshot of his work and was inspired to do similar.
Re: 2 Pole Voltage / Continuity testers.
Good on you for trying something new mate, hope it works out for you. I’ve never really done anything other than Electrical / Electronic systems since before leaving school, I was lucky to have an uncle & a friend of my parents who were in the trade & only too happy to teach me. Done a few courses in other things like plumbing etc but never really strayed from electrical stuff, so i’ll look at just about anything electrical / electromechanical & been lucky enough to fix most things i’ve looked at. Can’t fix my Steinel though it’s finally given up the ghost on me. :eeek: Damned thing only lasted 10 years 😯 🙂
Re: 2 Pole Voltage / Continuity testers.
I did dabble with Electronics but I do not have steady hands therefore can make a right mess with soldering iron. With bit of practice I might do it well. I did some software engineering so I had some basic knowledge on computers/flow charts, etc but then technology moved so fast that I can barely keep up. I was at the university when they were talking about “Super information Highway” and ideas of making computers to be a central hub of every household where people can watch videos, send emails, and to be able to connect everyday objects to communicate to the computer, etc but this was 25 years ago, I remember thinking what was on earth is “super information highway”, ironically it is now known as the Internet.
My older brother is a Sparky been doing it for the last 30 years and he never strayed from it. He worked for various firms until recently he started out his own business. He was quite pissed off with me that I can do PAT testing and got the certificate for it as far as he is concerned that qualified sparky should be doing it not me as I am not “qualified” after all he spent 6 years at college doing electrics while I can do just two days and passed! He threatened to hit the roof if I ever took those two weeks of Part P training course, I toyed with the idea but decided I prefer appliances. So he can relax for now.
My younger brother is a MOT tester/mechanic, started off as an apprentice and never worked for anyone else just to the garage where he is currently at for the last 20 years. He used to MOT my car at a mate’s rate until I moved away.
So my brothers likes fixing things so it’s natural that I like fixing things. When I was little, my older brother used to get really pissed off that I played with his toolbox and often complained when he came home from work saying he can’t find his wire cutter or screwdriver only to learn that I was playing with it and “forgot” to return it to his toolbox.
Re: 2 Pole Voltage / Continuity testers.
Hi Twick: Sorry mate, completely missed this. Strange world, I did quite a bit of Electronics training years ago. Did nightschool courses in PC diagnostics & repair as well & when Electrical work was slow did a stint as a computer engineer in a local steel mill. Never got into the software side of it though, programming bores the pants off me. Used to do PAT testing but have given it up & sold my tester, there’s just no money in it. We have a couple of firms down here who do it for 50p an item, & for that sort of money it’s just not worth the effort. My eldest daughter used to do exactly the same to me as you did to your brother, take tools from my kit & forget to put them back. Lost my favourite pair of pliers like that, she borrowed them & we could never find where she put them.
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