An electrical ground serve as a return path for electricity and also protects exposed metal parts in an electrical system from having contact with dangerous voltages in case the insulation fails. It is vital for a ground connection to have good contact with the Earth to ensure proper operation. After a while, the earth connection may develop a high resistance with the Earth. This can lead to erratic operation of equipment and an increased electrical risk. Poor ground connection happens when the soil is too dry which makes the ground less conductive, pulled out ground stake or the terminals are corroded. It is important to routinely test the ground connection for problems.
Ground resistance measurement is a test done to assess the condition of the ground connection. Ideally, a good ground connection should have low resistance. Problems can cause the ground connection to develop resistance and make it inefficient. Most testers on the market today offer multiwire testing methods. However, 2 or 4 -wire ground resistance measurement takes time to setup and needs a lot of leads. If you want a fast and easy way to measure ground resistance, opt to get a clamp-on tester. This ground resistance meter measures resistance through a set of jaws. The jaws contain sensors which accurately measure ground resistance. This type of tester can definitely save time and effort.
If you are planning to get a clamp-on tester, consider the DET14C or Megger DET24C Ground Resistance Tester. They have smooth mating surfaces and large elliptical clamp design that can accept cables or rods with a diameter of up to 37 millimeters. They also have a noise filter function to isolate external interference from affecting the readings. If you can’t decide which model best suits you, read on for a comparison of features.
Megger DET14C Ground Resistance Meter
This Megger meter is designed to measure ground resistance quickly and also has an internal memory for storing results. The DET14C has a data hold function that allows you to keep the measurement steady which makes it suitable for testing in difficult locations.
Product Features
- Automatic range selection
- Elliptical clamp design
- No interlocking teeth to prevent dirt accumulation
- CAT IV 600V safety rating
- Internal interference filter for increased noise immunity
- Resistance measurement range from 0.05 Ω up to 1500 Ω
- 2-threshold alarm types
- Audio-visual resistance and current alarm limit functions
- Can measure current from 0. mA up to 35 A
- True RMS measurements up to a 5.0 crest factor
- Accurate measurements at 50 or 60 Hertz
- Max current at 100 A RMS continuous and 200 A RMS for 60 seconds 50/60 Hertz
- Easy to clean design
- 39mm x 55mm jaw dimensions
- 4+6 backlit digital display
- Can store 256 records
- Ingress Protection 30 with clamps closed
- Class B, BSEN 61326 and IEC 61326 EMC compliant
Megger DET24C Ground Resistance Tester
The DET24C Ground Resistance Tester has similar features with the DET24C but with a larger internal memory and also has an optically isolated IrDA-USB connection for data transfer to a PC.
Product Features
- Automatic range selection
- Elliptical clamp design
- No interlocking teeth to prevent dirt accumulation
- CAT IV 600V safety rating
- Internal interference filter for increased noise immunity
- Resistance measurement range from 0.05 Ω up to 1500 Ω
- 2-threshold alarm types
- Audio-visual resistance and current alarm limit functions
- Can measure current from 0. mA up to 35 A
- True RMS measurements up to a 5.0 crest factor
- Accurate measurements at 50 or 60 Hertz
- Max current at 100 A RMS continuous and 200 A RMS for 60 seconds 50/60 Hertz
- Easy to clean design
- 39mm x 55mm jaw dimensions
- 4+6 backlit digital display
- Can store 2000 records
- Optically isolated IrDA-USB connectivity
- Ingress Protection 30 with clamps closed
- Class B, BSEN 61326 and IEC 61326 EMC compliant
Let Protec Equipment Resources be your partner for the test equipment you need. You’ll get excellent technical support when you source equipment from us. You can reach us at 1-866-352-5550 for more information about our services.
