Pat testing 3 phase extention leads

Hi all

Can I test 3 phase extention leads using 3 pin plugs with L1,L2,L3 and N looped together?

test for what?

Earth Continuty and Insulation

how do you plan on testing IR between conductors if you have shorted them together?

You could check the continuity of the earth wire by using one of the live cores  or as its an ext. lead just bring the ends together & put the meter across them. 

Test IR with ends open .

Open both plugs to inspect connections .

Inspect the cable sheath for damage .

And that should cover it I'd have thought .  Slap a sticker on .

graeme mac said:

3 pin plugs with L1,L2,L3 and N looped together

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you must mean 5 pin L1,L2,L3,N,and Earth ,connect them all together for Continuity then remove links to test IR across all 5 pins 

L1-L2

L1-L3

L1- N

L1- E

L2-L3

L2- N

L2- E

L3- N

L3- E

N - E

its important to do continuity first 

poni said:

you must mean 5 pin L1,L2,L3,N,and Earth ,connect them all together for Continuity then remove links to test IR across all 5 pins 

L1-L2

L1-L3

L1- N

L1- E

L2-L3

L2- N

L2- E

L3- N

L3- E

N - E

its important to do continuity first 

Click to expand...

Why would you want to connect them all together for continuity? defo not the way to do it, you want to open both ends first, i.e plug and socket, to make sure the wires are connected correctly and securely. Then test for continuity end to end, L1to L1, L2to L2 L3 to L3,and so on, then IR test between each conductor, connecting them all together for a continuity test will not pick up any problems.

phil d said:

Why would you want to connect them all together for continuity

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I was just making a comment about looping them all together and the importance of checking continuity first , you may be getting continuity and polarity confused, that needs to be end to end,and by no way the first test to be carried out

poni said:

I was just making a comment about looping them all together and the importance of checking continuity first , you may be getting continuity and polarity confused, that needs to be end to end,and by no way the first test to be carried out

Click to expand...

I understood what you meant, I was afraid that the OP may be confused, if you connected each core end to end, i.e L1 at one end to L2 ,then at other end L2 to L3, and went like that then effectively connected your meter to L1 at one end and earth at the other, then you'd be testing all cores in series, thus proving each core is good, however if you connected all cores in parallel then a continuity test would prove nothing, this is the point I was trying to make.