I test my leads about every 6 mths or before I head off anyway.............................. using my multi meter I check each lead as well as any leakage on van, that check is done by sticking one probe in the ground and the other to a bare metal surface on van, the mains power is plugged in to van, usually just running the fridge, the multi meter is set to AC and it should just show a .01vac, if it shows up over a volt or 2 then you more than likely have an earth problem ..... don't stick the multi meter in a live power point ....
Going away for a couple of days so I was fitting some near empty gas bottles onto van instead of using the 2 full ones I have, while doing this I felt a tingle on back of a finger, not enough to tingle on a full touch but back of a finger tingles, bother I say ............... a sure sign of things astray, tested the van, not good I have heaps of voltage, (38.6vac) I shut down power at the RCB, all good no volts, so I unplug the lead and test it , first test OK, jiggle lead around it fails, do a few tests, the Earth has break somewhere, off with the plugs but it still happens on bare wires, my 10mt lead is binned, grab the 30m lead, test okay, jiggle still okay, fire up van with it, van still shows a leak, test everything in van, microwave is suss but not the cause, retest big lead it also fails when shaken with vigour, so it to is in bin, all that I'm left with is a short 5m lead, victory it works after a good test, van shows .001v, who would have picked 2 leads failing and both within 5 mths of last check, being a old Sailor they are always coiled up properly but age may have caught up with them, anyway all good now ............ maybe shed door at daughters chomped a lead ??????
Testing leads is something anyone can do, its easy and safe, so long as you unplug them of course ........... Checking a van for 240v leakage is easy and safe to do, as your are not probing into the power itself....... just testing van to ground........... If unsure get a Sparky.
If you get a tingle at any time while its usually a sign that an earth has failed could be Van, Mains Lead or Shore Power box, if you are unsure how to check shut it down and call a sparky as if anything shorts out your RCD may not operate and you could have curly hair ...........
Someone will surely lob in with a more descriptive explanation, but testing leads is not a waste of time...
You can even do a Test and Tag Course, used to be $75 but now in the $400 - $500 area ...
Going away for a couple of days so I was fitting some near empty gas bottles onto van instead of using the 2 full ones I have, while doing this I felt a tingle on back of a finger, not enough to tingle on a full touch but back of a finger tingles, bother I say ............... a sure sign of things astray, tested the van, not good I have heaps of voltage, (38.6vac) I shut down power at the RCB, all good no volts, so I unplug the lead and test it , first test OK, jiggle lead around it fails, do a few tests, the Earth has break somewhere, off with the plugs but it still happens on bare wires, my 10mt lead is binned, grab the 30m lead, test okay, jiggle still okay, fire up van with it, van still shows a leak, test everything in van, microwave is suss but not the cause, retest big lead it also fails when shaken with vigour, so it to is in bin, all that I'm left with is a short 5m lead, victory it works after a good test, van shows .001v, who would have picked 2 leads failing and both within 5 mths of last check, being a old Sailor they are always coiled up properly but age may have caught up with them, anyway all good now ............ maybe shed door at daughters chomped a lead ??????
Testing leads is something anyone can do, its easy and safe, so long as you unplug them of course ........... Checking a van for 240v leakage is easy and safe to do, as your are not probing into the power itself....... just testing van to ground........... If unsure get a Sparky.
If you get a tingle at any time while its usually a sign that an earth has failed could be Van, Mains Lead or Shore Power box, if you are unsure how to check shut it down and call a sparky as if anything shorts out your RCD may not operate and you could have curly hair ...........
Someone will surely lob in with a more descriptive explanation, but testing leads is not a waste of time...
You can even do a Test and Tag Course, used to be $75 but now in the $400 - $500 area ...
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