by ericmark »
Sun Apr 27, 2008 8:37 pm
There is only one way to find out if things are earthed and that's to test for it. No amount of debate will give an answer. There are different levels of testing. A plug in mantindale tester will show you have something but really only any good at showing the wires are right way around. An earth loop impedance tester will give a very reliable result. The problem with all old houses is what has been added or removed throughout the years. And when I first started as an electrician we had very few test instruments we thought we were bee's knees if we had a "Mega" (Installation Tester) so even where alterations were done by electricians there are no guarantees. Around the 1990's when the IEE regulations became a British Standard was when we started to see more inspection and testing and even today you will meet the old electrician who thinks inspection and testing is only for houses where there may be some DIY work and he is an industrial electrician and doesn't need it. So only answer it to test it. And unless you have some formal training that means calling an electrician. Ones trained to inspect and test will normally hold an City & Guilds 2391.
