On 09/04/2020 15:44, Mikey wrote:
Hi,

Will this tester indicate possible earth cable deterioration when
connecting
to an outside socket

Looking at the manual:

https://martindale-electric.co.uk/pr...=5d08afd79f5a2

It appears to be able to measure earth loop impedance and give an
indication of which of 7 possible bands the result falls. So if you know
your earthing system[1], and the expected impedance reading, it could
give an indication of a problem.

[1] http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/Earthing_Types

as i have three outdoor sockets which were all working
fine but one of them is now tripping my fuse box

Could you clarify what you mean by "tripping your fuse box"?

It would be quite common for example for exterior electrics to present
high earth leakage currents that would trip a typical RCD[2]. However a
poor earth connection is unlikely to make that any more likely.

Moisture ingress, insulation breakdown, insect life in electrical
enclosures however would make RCD trips more likely. MCB[3] trips would
be more typically associated with cable damage.

[2] http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/RCD#Nuisance_trips
[3] http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/MCB


and would like to determine
which one it is before replacing the cable?

Testing and identifying the source of the fault is worth doing
certainly. However don't assume necessarily that its a cable fault, or
specifically a poor earth connection fault.



--
Cheers,

John.

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