gurlal
Member
- Location
- trinidad west indies
can i test a gfci outlet with a 500v meggar
testing
- Thread starter gurlal
- Start date
- Status
gurlal
Member
- Location
- trinidad west indies
testing
actually as an inspector when using my gfci plug in tester with no supply on and only my meggar 500vdc the gfci tester will not light why so
actually as an inspector when using my gfci plug in tester with no supply on and only my meggar 500vdc the gfci tester will not light why so
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Someone told me that since the Megger output is DC it won't harm the AC devices such as GFCI's, AFCI's, and dimmers. I asked if they tried it their own house but never got an answer. 
gar
Senior Member
- Location
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Occupation
- EE
180304-2121 EST
infinity:
Whoever that someone is is totally ignorant of electrical/electronic circuits. One needs to know what is inside a black box before applying a Megger to the black box. Will a Megger set at 500 V damage any of said devices? Maybe or maybe not. Therefore, you don't gamble.
On older and possible new GFCIs neither neutral or any hot terminals have an electrical connection to the EGC, and a Megger is unlikely to cause damage if the measurement is from any hot or neutral to EGC. The breakdown paths are long and of very high resistance on a good unit.
Electronics exist between hots and neutral, and might be damaged by a 500 V Megger. This has nothing to do with AC or DC.
gurlal:
Your questions contain too little information for there to be any answer. I suggest you open a GFCI or other device, study electronic circuit and device theory (will take several years), and analyze said device for what may happen when a Megger signal is applied.
.
.
infinity:
Someone told me that since the Megger output is DC it won't harm the AC devices such as GFCI's, AFCI's, and dimmers. I asked if they tried it their own house but never got an answer.
Whoever that someone is is totally ignorant of electrical/electronic circuits. One needs to know what is inside a black box before applying a Megger to the black box. Will a Megger set at 500 V damage any of said devices? Maybe or maybe not. Therefore, you don't gamble.
On older and possible new GFCIs neither neutral or any hot terminals have an electrical connection to the EGC, and a Megger is unlikely to cause damage if the measurement is from any hot or neutral to EGC. The breakdown paths are long and of very high resistance on a good unit.
Electronics exist between hots and neutral, and might be damaged by a 500 V Megger. This has nothing to do with AC or DC.
gurlal:
Your questions contain too little information for there to be any answer. I suggest you open a GFCI or other device, study electronic circuit and device theory (will take several years), and analyze said device for what may happen when a Megger signal is applied.
.
.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Apparently 240 VAC input doesn't effect P&S GFCI receptacles.
Last summer a carpenter rewired one of my temp outlets to run his 240 V air compressor:blink:
His compressor has a switch to change voltage - he has a 5-15 plug on it, but apparently does this "reconnecting" a lot to run it on 240, because it doesn't trip the breaker as often as it does on 120 volts. Meanwhile nobody ever pays attention to his "220 volt" marking he puts on the outlet and plugs in 120 volt equipment because it is a 5-15 receptacle:rant:
P & S GFCI I had still works just fine, trips when tested even.
Last summer a carpenter rewired one of my temp outlets to run his 240 V air compressor:blink:
His compressor has a switch to change voltage - he has a 5-15 plug on it, but apparently does this "reconnecting" a lot to run it on 240, because it doesn't trip the breaker as often as it does on 120 volts. Meanwhile nobody ever pays attention to his "220 volt" marking he puts on the outlet and plugs in 120 volt equipment because it is a 5-15 receptacle:rant:
P & S GFCI I had still works just fine, trips when tested even.
growler
Senior Member
- Location
- Atlanta,GA
If you want to test the GFCI receptacles with no power to the building then why not get a 120V power source (generator, inverter ).
You dn't really need a big generator just to test out receptacles and lights.
- Status