Lord_Adonis
New member
Hello all. I am currently experiencing a very frustrating problem with the measurement of the Potential Difference between a Domestic Gas Pipe and Gas Bonding Cable, and the resulting Earth Leakage Current. The problem is that my Voltage Probe (or 'Volt Stick'- the kind triggered by electromagnetic induction) reacts to the presence of a Voltage across the Gas Pipe and Bonding intermittently (once every twenty minutes or so, for about thirty seconds duration). During these occurrences, my 'Megger' Multi-function Meter is connected between the Gas Pipe and Bonding conductor, and consistently reads 0 Volts. Thus, there should be no current flowing in the Gas Pipe to Earth, and subsequently no Electromagnetic Induction to trigger the Voltage Probe, yet the Probe continues to register Voltage and Current at the Gas Pipe. The two measurement methods do not agree. I am aware that under some circumstances, Voltage Probes can be rather unreliable, and should never be used in lieu of a more accurate measurement device when conducting tests. My problem is that the Gas Supplier's Gas Installers seem to use them exclusively, and will thus not consent to turn the Gas Supply on when they see the intermittent functioning of their Voltage Probes, thus precluding them from connecting my Customer's Gas Supply. It is true that the Voltage Probe seems to stay inert when the Consumer Unit is isolated from the supply, however when it is on, the problem is so intermittent that a systematic isolation of each MCB to identify the offending circuit is very difficult. Thus, my question is weather anyone here knows of a situation where a Voltage Probe may signify Voltage and Current Flow across a Pipe and Bonding Conductor, when a Voltmeter connected across those points registers no voltage.
