How to test a surge protector (SPD) using a Metrel Mi 3152
How can you tell if a surge protector will function correctly?
With the 18th edition of BS7671 surge protection devices are becoming more common in electrical installations. In this video, we explore how you can test an SPD to check it will function to the manufacturer's specifications.
We use a Metrel Mi3152 multifunction tester which has a dedicated surge protector test function.
Learn about the Uc value of surge protection devices, as we test type 2 SPD's within a Lewden consumer unit and separate Wylex unit design to fit in meter tails.
Testing of SPD's isn't a requirement of BS7671 as part of initial verification or and EICR. So the test shown here should be considered a functional test.
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For more information on surge protection.
How do SPD's work?
www.efixx.co.uk/Articles/wyle...
Why should we fit a surge protection device?
www.efixx.co.uk/Articles/surg...
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Features Gary Hayers @GSHElectrical and Joe Robinson
Great camera work lads 👍
Gary: (anything) Joe: Absolutely
😂 I'm a work in progress. 👍
Absolutely. 😄
Been testing SPD with My metrel 3101 for years. Nice video btw. Stay safe and stay Home. With love from Denmark.🇩🇰
Great demo as usual. One small note , most colleges will tech that for insulation resistance testing (where a voltage above 50v dc is being applied) is subject to the recommendations of GS38 with regard to leads and probes. This is backed up by GN3 1.1 Page 12.
Exactly Mark, gs38 applies to low voltage electrical systems and the is 50V-1,000V AC and 121V-1,500V DC.
Interesting. Excellent videos thanks.
Wow what a fantastically edited video eFIXX 👍. Keep up the great content boys 😁
Gotta love the 3152. Just ordered one!
Great tester 🦾
Great video again. In the second spd the measurement passes through the varistor on the live and the gdt on the neutral side, correct? Are these tests non-destructive to the spds?
Muito bom , eu ainda não tinha visto nenhum equipamento que fazia teste em varistor. Poderiam tiram duas dúvidas, o ensaio é realizado com o circuito alimentado ou desligado? Esse ensaio é apenas para o Classe-II ou pode ser feito para os Classe I e I+II onde (I) geralmente é um centelhador à gás. Obrigado ...
Awesome stuff. That MFT 😍
Thanks Craig 👍
Very well presented video, thanks guys. Couldn't help but notice the 3x circular cables passing through the same stuffing gland... decidedly un-british if you ask me :-)
It’s a regulation requirement that the meter tails are the main earth go through the same entry point on metallic CUs so as to avoid eddy current. It’s not in British it’s very British. The gland is made persivicly for that purpose.
Great video, you two work well together 👍
Thanks 👍
Ant and Dec
I love Gaz from GSH Electrical 👍 fantastic man
We all love Gaz 🕺
Nice vid,. I am lookin into forms on p158-159 of Guide not 3 they tested SPD at 250, I wonder to know what voltage applied? Could you please make a video to show haw value in pages 158- 159 of guide note 3 , regarding continuty and insulation resistance measured? Thanks
Wow, exciting!
Wow that’s is very interesting . Always wondered if theses things can be tested , would it be the same for AFDs ? Fantastic video guy’s as always 👍👍👍❤️⚡️
Do you know if the megger MFT has the same feature?
Hi there... I wonder, for domestic power supply system of AC 240V, wouldn't Uc = 275 V still can bring damage to the load in house?
Hello. A query, what tolerance values could be applied for the Uc of the SPD to compare the Uac obtained in the test? Will this tolerance data be indicated in IEC 61643-11? For example DEHN has a value tolerance table for its SPDs Cheers
Not sure there will be a surge of people testing these outside the factory. 😄 great demonstration of how though. 👍
Hola saludos desde argentina. Tengo el instrumento MI 3152 XC. Realizado ensayos con el localizador R10k para localizar conductores o cables? Saludos
Nice video, can we do this test with Magger MFT ?
Can we connect output of type 2 spd to neutral instead of earth?
Nice very informative video but maybe in the future the SPD should be incorporated in the DNO Master Switch module so therefore becoming the District Network Operator's responsibility and standard fit for new and modified installations
… and why would the DNO do that? (Also, they’re wear items, they are going to need replacing every few years. If that has to be done by the DNO it will either not be done or be super expensive. Seems pretty terrible to me.)
I am a bit confused. Watching a E5 video the end of last week. The young lady who works for an SPD manufacturer. Said that the SPD should be close to the main switch and before breakers. RCBOs,etc. this was to stop the high voltage posible taking an easier path.
No she did not . She stated that the bus bar did not count in the calculations!
Lovely stuff. Quick question, Gs38 applies above 50V ac and 100V dc, you are testing at 430V dc, 528V dc etc. Surely that means gs38 applies to the leads?
It's a dead test, GS38 doesn't apply.
@@muzikman2008 yet GS38 requires that we have shrouds on the test probes of our two pole voltage indicator even though we use it mainly to prove dead .
So what are the % voltage tolerances?
For those of us who do not own one of these all singing and dancing mft’s, could a standard insulation resistance tester be used to test below the uc value and again above the uc value. (Eg @ 250vdc then again @ 500vdc) then we would expect an infinite reading at 250v, and a short at 500v between line and neutral?
We did just that in this video. kzhead.info/sun/g8-qpcyXZ3yrd4k/bejne.html You can at least prove it’s in circuit and functioning.
They are wide tolerances, what’s the levels they fail?
Would this apply to type 1 and type1/2 SPDs? Or is it not applicable as these would be 10/350 waveform as apposed to 8/20 of a type 2
I am curious as well
Did you get your answer?
How many people will regularly check the flag to see if the SPD is healthy - testing could be the future.
In god we trust the rest we test 👍
The answer is 74
What is the calculation values
I thought spds were finite in function. Surely doing this test will reduce its longevity...
you must have had that tester on for at least 5 minutes as you're down to your last power bar.
👍👍👍👍👍👍❤
Surely you'd want your measured reading to be the same or lower than the Uc value. Not above that.
MOVs can only sustain very short transient faults, have a limited lifetime and may burst into flames. Putting such devices into a consumer unit is madness, but the real reason is to protect AFDDs. Most other sensitive electronics in a house would have their own protection built in or in a distribution block which can easily be replaced. There are better protection devices replacing MOVs now, one is an ISOMOV which combines MOVs with a gas discharge tube and which does not have the disadvantages of MOVs.
There are Spd 1+1 (1 cartridge MOV, the other is GDT) . The GDT one should be connected between N and PE. Here in Romania, on newer TNC-S panels, at request, 1+1 or 3+1 Spd's(yes, residential homes on tri-phased systems, starting from 5KW power). On TT ones, 2+0, 4+0...
Now it needs charging AGAIN 😂
Sorry guys but this is a very misleading video! Uc is the nominal voltage of an SPD and absolutely NOT the voltage at which it will trigger, it's wrong to say that. The Up is the key figure to be looking for in an SPD, this is the voltage protection level and is the true indicator for the level at which the device will clamp voltage to protect the installation. All you are doing is measuring the nominal voltage that the device is capable of working up to. No single pole type 2 will trigger at 269V and it's very misleading to suggest that they will. In fact any transient below the Up level of the device will pass through, this is because in table 443.2 (Rated Impulse Voltages) even to most sensitive electronic equipment has to have a built in withstand capability of 1.5kV so there would no point in an SPD triggering at such a low level as 269V. This gives electricians (and then their customers) an unrealistic impression of what an over voltage device can do and is making them believe that they can easily test an SPD to prove to a customer that it's working. Sadly most SPD's can only be checked via a visual inspection, this test here is NOT proving that the SPD is operating to it's designed specification because for that you must test the Up value. BSEN 61643-11 gives the testing protocols for SPD's.
Thanks very much for the feedback Sean, looking forward to talking to you about this. 👍
So would it be safe to say that the triggering voltage is less than 500v given that 500v insulation resistance test voltages would damage the SPD?
@@MrSJT no, the 'trigger' voltage is the voltage protection level usually written as Up on the specification sheet, typically this will be around 1500v in the UK (some higher some lower) the 500V test does not damage the SPD, the SPD can give lead to a false reading so in some cases needs to be disconnected, however there are now a number of SPD's that can be left in place for this test and will not affect the reading such as DEHNguard ACI.
@@seanpassant3174 500v would damage a type 3 though?
@@seanpassant3174 also.. at 16.30 of this video, is that also incorrect? kzhead.info/sun/YMmhp5qtkYGFma8/bejne.html
Who else makes these type 1,2 and 3 in one spd.
Sorry megger mft 1741
🤣 gs38 does apply to IR testing. You're above 50V chaps.🤣
Sorry above 120v dc