How do I test earthed ducting

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

jpt

Established Member
Joined
23 Feb 2007
Messages
1,183
Reaction score
0
Location
Peterborough
HI

I have a vacuum system running around the workshop in clear 65mm ducting inside of which I have run an earthing wire which I have then taken to earth. I am not sure that I am getting a good earth though so how do I test it please?

john
 
Hi,

You should have a good earth on your mains sockets, a meter connected to a faceplate screw and your earthing wire should show a very low resistance.

Pete
 
The usual way to test earth bonding is to pass a high current through it, which would identify any potential poor quality joints. If you don't have the appropriate test equipment to do that, I guess a multimeter would at least confirm continuity.
 
Thank you for the comments.

I used a piece of bare earth wire given to me by a friend it doesnt seem to make any difference to the amount of dust that sticks to the outside of the pipe though.

john
 
What you are after is not earthing but bonding, you would find it very difficult to earth an aircraft flying at 30,000 ft or any distance above the ground for that matter.
But they do have a considerable amount of bonding to make sure there is an electrical path between components, in all but a severe lightening strike these bonding points just make sure there is an electrical path to discharge a 'friction induced' high voltage, low current across a join point to avoid the spark discharge such as that obtained by combing you hair, remember that stuff, or stroking the wifes new fur coat in the department store. As bob says that will not stop the potential build up along a plastic pipe which is an insulator in its own right and has a high resistance to current flow along its length, bonding just makes sure that it can leak across to the next piece of equipment without jumping a gap and producing a spark.

The final earth point of the bonding system only has the object of preventing you from getting a 'static' shock if you are well earthed and touch a 'floating' system, it does not have to carry high current therefore any reasonable connection to an earth bonded machine would be enough.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top