Testing

A

Alwayslearningelec

Senior Member
Location
NJ
Occupation
Estimator
What does ring out mean? Is that for low voltage work?

This Trade Partner shall ring out and test branch circuits and wiring directly after drywall install. Any deficiencies will be corrected prior to drywall subcontractors patch pass. Any cost including those of other trades due to corrections corrected after the pass patch program shall be responsibility of this contractor.
 
Alwayslearningelec said:
What does ring out mean? Is that for low voltage work?

This Trade Partner shall ring out and test branch circuits and wiring directly after drywall install. Any deficiencies will be corrected prior to drywall subcontractors patch pass. Any cost including those of other trades due to corrections corrected after the pass patch program shall be responsibility of this contractor.
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Just means to identify, check continuity. To make sure everything is fed, nothing is missing
 
Alwayslearningelec said:
This Trade Partner shall ring out and test branch circuits and wiring directly after drywall install.
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It just means that you'll test any cables or conductors that have been installed to ensure that something like the carpenter didn't put a screw through them and damage the conductors or that some other trade didn’t damage them. This will allow you to make the repairs before the walls and ceiling are finished. Often cables aren't energized until after the finishes are applied making repairs more difficult and costly.
 
infinity said:
It just means that you'll test any cables or conductors that have been installed to ensure that something like the carpenter didn't put a screw through them and damage the conductors or that some other trade didn’t damage them. This will allow you to make the repairs before the walls and ceiling are finished. Often cables aren't energized until after the finishes are applied making repairs more difficult and costly.
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Yes but they say to test "directly after drywall install". Then state any corrections should be made prior to drywall patch pass.
 
Alwayslearningelec said:
Yes but they say to test "directly after drywall install". Then state any corrections should be made prior to drywall patch pass.
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That's why they want them tested after the drywall is installed and before the patch pass. After the patch pass the contractor will be on the hook for the costs of repairing.
 
ptonsparky said:
Sounds like you may need to do an insulation test as well. Damaged conductor repair would be at the Trade Partners expense.
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Typically (in my experience) insulation tests were specifically called out for feeders and maybe select branch circuits.
 
"Ringing out wires" is a process of tracing and identifying individual wires using a continuity test, most often performed with a multimeter or a tone generator and probe. One person at one end of the wires connects a known pair (like black and white), while another person at the other end uses a meter to identify the corresponding pair by listening for a tone that indicates continuity.
 
We used to refer to "ringing out wires" as point to point testing. Quite often on control panels, field wiring between controls. Some times it was combined with functional testing. I always thought the term stemmed from the bell used as an audible verification of continuity. Sometimes the test equipment was field fabricated.
 
In the 80's, a company that I worked for required us to do this. We used used a 6 volt battery with bell/buzzer (hence the ring) Just put one wire from the bell and battery set on your neutral bar and tie the hots of all of your home runs together with the other one. When you are cutting in your boxes, twist your hots and twist your neutrals if they feed through. Then after the wiring is complete, just walk around and touch them together. If you don't hear the bell go off, you've left out a feed. We did this before drywall though. Much easier to remedy if no drywall is up.
 
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