ND 5481-4 61-164 165 Ins 11/21/06 1:28 PM Page 1 #61-165 #61-164 #61-165 The SureTest® w/AFCI, #61-165, also tests arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) devices to ensure that AFCI breakers protecting the circuit have been installed correctly. This test disrupts the electrical supply if a functional AFCI is present. This tool also checks for a shared neutral condition that leads to AFCI nuisance tripping. To maintain stated accuracies during repeated use, allow 20 seconds between insertions to adequately dissipate any heat buildup during the load testing. WARNING: Do not use on outputs from UPS systems, light dimmers or square wave generating equipment as damage to the analyzer will occur. SureTest® Circuit Analyzer Instruction Manual GFCI AFCI Introduction Utilizing patented technology, the SureTest® circuit analyzers "look behind walls" to identify wiring problems that can lead to personal shock hazards, electrical fires, or equipment performance issues. Personal shock hazards stem from poor grounding, false grounds, and/or no ground fault protection. Electrical fires are primarily caused from arc faults and high resistance points that lead to glowing connections in the circuit wiring. And, equipment performance issues arise due to insufficient voltage available under load, poor ground impedance, and high ground-to-neutral voltage. In fact, it's estimated that 80% of power quality performance issues are related to the faulty wiring issues stated above. True RMS Su r e SureTest® Circuit Analyzer T es t Product Features · True RMS · Measures voltage drop under 12, 15 and 20-amp loads · Measures voltage: Line, Ground-to-Neutral, Peak, Frequency · Measures Hot, Neutral and Ground conductor impedances · Identifies proper wiring in 3-wire receptacles · Identifies false (bootleg) grounds · Tests GFCIs for proper operation · Tests AFCIs for proper operation (61-165) · Checks for Shared Neutrals that lead to AFCI nuisance tripping (61-165) · Verifies dedicated circuits (with 61-176 adapter) · Includes 1-ft. extension cord and carrying case General Operation The SureTest® Circuit Analyzer takes only seconds to test each outlet and circuit under a full load. This test tool checks for various wiring conditions including: correct wiring, polarity reversal and no ground per UL-1436. A simple menu gives access to measurements of line voltage, voltage drop under a full load condition, ground-neutral voltage and line impedances. The ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) test is performed separately in accordance with UL1436 and disrupts the electrical supply if a functional GFCI is present. True RMS Menu Navigation The microprocessor's top priorities are to take live measurements and then analyze the data. Hence, the microchip occasionally will not recognize the keypad buttons being rapidly depressed, while it's executing these routines. To avoid this issue, hold down the keypad button each time until the menu changes. The measurements taken by the SureTest are broken into five main menus positioned down the left side of the display: Wiring Configuration (···), Voltage (V), Voltage Drop (VD), ASCC, and Impedance (Z). To navigate to each of the main menus, use the down arrow button ( ). The Wiring Configuration (···) screen indicates correct wiring, reverse polarity, hot/ ground reversal and no ground conditions by sequencing the three balls. The label on the back of the product explains the wiring sequence indications. 2 Su r e SureTest® Circuit Analyzer T es t SureTest Circuit Analyzer 1. Menu Structure 2. Navigation Buttons 3. GFCI Test Button 4. AFCI Test Button #61-165 1 2 3 4 GFCI AFCI ND 5481-4 61-164 165 Ins 11/21/06 1:28 PM Page 3 The Voltage (V) menu displays the True RMS line voltage in real-time. This main menu has a sub-menu positioned horizontally at the bottom of the screen that displays the line voltage (RMS HN), ground-to-neutral voltage (RMS GN), Peak voltage (Peak), and Frequency (Hz). To navigate through the submenu, use the side arrow button ( ). The Voltage Drop (VD) screen dual displays percent voltage drop with a 15 amp load along with the resultant loaded voltage (VL). This main menu has a submenu, which also displays the percent voltage drop and loaded voltage with 20 amp and 12 amp loads. To navigate through the submenu, use the side arrow button ( ). The ASCC screen displays the Available Short-Circuit Current that the branch circuit can deliver through the breaker during a bolted fault (dead-short) condition. The Impedance (Z) main menu displays the impedance in ohms () of the hot conductor. This main menu has a sub-menu positioned horizontally at the bottom of the screen that also displays the neutral (N) and ground (G) conductor impedances. To navigate through the submenu, use the side arrow button ( ). Note that testing the ground impedance will trip a GFCI protected circuit. GFCI Test Button Depressing this button displays the GFCI main menu. Two tests can be performed in this menu: GFCI and EPD. The GFCI tests Ground Fault Circuit Interrupting devices by faulting 6-9mA from hot-toground per UL-1436. The EPD tests those breakers, which have an Equipment Protective Device feature that trips the breaker if a ground fault of greater than 30mA is detected. Pressing the side arrow button ( ) navigates between these two tests. Once the desired test is highlighted, depress the GFCI test button on the keypad to activate the test. AFCI Test Button Depressing this button displays the AFCI main menu. Two tests can be performed in this menu: AFCI and NEUT. The AFCI tests Arc Fault Circuit Interrupting devices by creating a 106-141 amp short-duration arc between the hot and neutral conductors per UL1436. The NEUT tests for a Shared Neutral or falsely grounded neutral conductor, which causes AFCI breakers to nuisance trip with normal loads. This test applies 300mA between hot and neutral to ensure that the AFCI breaker does not trip. Testing Procedure Wiring Verification Immediately after being inserted into a receptacle, the SureTest displays the IDEAL logo while it performs a battery of tests. The first test result displayed is the wiring condition. The SureTest checks for the following conditions and indicates the test result on the display. Wiring Condition Correct Wiring No Ground Polarity Reversal Open/Hot Neutral False Ground Display Indication HGN Legend On Off Flashing F If the wiring condition is other than normal, the SureTest is limited on its measurements that can be performed. If a no ground condition exists, only the line voltage and voltage drop measurements are available. In a hot/ground reversal, open neutral or open hot condition, the unit will not have any power so the display will be blank. Notes: 1) Will not detect two hot wires in a circuit. 2) Will not detect a combination of defects. 3) Will not detect reversal of grounded and grounding conductors. False Ground Indication NEC article 250-23(a) only allows for a neutral-to-ground bond to occur at the main panel. The SureTest suggests any improper neutral-to-ground bonds within 15-20 feet upstream (towards the panel) of the tester. If this bond improperly occurs in the branch circuit through a bootleg ground via a jumper wire at the outlet device or inadvertent contact of the ground wire to the neutral connection, the SureTest indicates a false ground condition. Note that if the SureTest is within 1520 feet of the main panel, the unit will indicate a false ground condition on a properly wired circuit due to its close proximity to the proper ground-neutral bond in the main panel. 3 4 ND 5481-4 61-164 165 Ins 11/21/06 1:28 PM Page 5 Voltage Measurements The line voltage measurement should be 120VAC +/-10% fluctuation at 60 Hz. The peak voltage should be 1.414 times the rms line voltage reading for a clean sine waveform. Ground-toneutral voltage should be less than 2 VAC. In a single-phase circuit, a higher ground-neutral voltage indicates excessive current leakage between the neutral and ground conductors. In a 3phase circuit with a shared neutral, a high ground-neutral voltage could indicate an unbalanced load between the three phases or harmonic distortion on the shared neutral. Excessive groundneutral voltage may result in inconsistent or intermittent equipment performance. Troubleshooting Tips for Voltage Issues WARNING: Do not exceed the unit's maximum voltage rating of 250VAC. Measurement Expected Result Problem Possible Causes Too much load on the load on circuit. High resistance connection within the circuit or at the panel. Supply voltage too high/low. Current leaking from neutral to ground. Unbalanced 3phase system. Triplen harmonics returning on neutral in 3-phase system. Supply voltage too high/low. High Peak Loads on line caused by electronic equipment on line. Supply frequency too high/low. Possible Solutions Redistribute loads on the circuit. Locate high resistance connection/device and repair/replace. Consult power company. Identify source of leakage: multiple bonding points, equipment or devices. Check load balance and redistribute load. Oversize neutral to impedance. Reduce harmonic effect via filter or other methods. Consult power company. Evaluate number of electronic devices on circuit and redistribute if necessary. Consult power company. Voltage Drop (VD) Measurements The SureTest measures the line voltage, applies a load on the circuit, measures the loaded voltage, then calculates the voltage drop. Results are displayed for 12A, 15A, and 20A loads. The National Electrical Code recommends 5% as the maximum voltage drop for branch circuits for reasonable efficiency (NEC article 210-19. FPN 4). And, the voltage under load (VL) should not drop below 108VAC for reliable equipment operation. A good branch circuit should start out with less than 5% voltage drop at the furthest receptacle from the panel at the end of the cable run. Then, each receptacle tested in sequence towards the panel should show a steady decrease in voltage drop. If the voltage drop is above 5% and does not noticeably decrease as you get closer to the first device on the circuit, then the problem is between the first device and the panel. Visually check the terminations at the first device, the wiring between the device and the panel, and the circuit breaker connections. High resistance points can usually be identified as hot spots using an infrared thermometer or by measuring the voltage across the breaker. If the voltage drop exceeds 5% but noticeably decreases as you nearer the panel, the circuit may have undersized wire, too long of a cable run, or too much current on the circuit. Check the wire to ensure that it is sized per code and measure the current on the branch circuit. If a voltage drop reading changes significantly from one receptacle to the next, then the problem is a high impedance point at or between two receptacles. It is usually located at a termination point, such as a bad splice or loose wire connection, but it might also be a bad receptacle. Troubleshooting Tips for Voltage Drop Measurement Expected Result Problem Possible Causes Too much load on the circuit. Undersized wire for length of run. High resistance connection within the circuit or at the panel. Possible Solutions Redistribute the load on the circuit. Check code requirements and re-wire if necessary. Locate high resistance connection/ device and repair/replace. Line Voltage 120VAC 220VAC 108-132VAC 198-242VAC High/low Neutral-Ground Voltage <2VAC Voltage High G-N >2VAC Voltage Drop <5% High Voltage Drop Peak Voltage 120VAC 220VAC 153-185VAC 280-342VAC High/low peak voltage ASCC Measurement The SureTest calculates the Available Short-Circuit Current (ASCC) that the branch circuit can deliver through the breaker during a bolted fault (dead-short) condition. The ASCC is calculated by dividing the line voltage by the circuit's line impedance (hot + neutral). Depressing the side arrow ( ) displays the worst-case scenario where all three conductors (hot, neutral, ground) are shorted together -- the neutral and ground provide a lower impedance via a parallel return path. Note that this second test will trip a GFCI. See the following equations for clarification. 6 Frequency 60HZ High/low frequency 5 ND 5481-4 61-164 165 Ins 11/21/06 1:28 PM Page 7 ASCC1 = Line Voltage (VHN)/ (Hot + Neu ) ASCC2 = Line Voltage (VHN)/ (Hot + 1/(1/Neu + 1/ Grd ) Impedance (Z) Measurements If the voltage drop measurement exceeds 5%, analyze the hot and neutral impedances. If one is significantly higher than the other, the problem is with the conductor with the much higher impedance. Then, check all connections on that conductor back to the panel. If both impedances appear high, the source can be undersized wire for the length of run, a bad device, or poor connections at the pigtails, devices, or panel. The ground impedance measured should be less than ...