Electrical

The UK government announced a series of measures to end the country’s contribution to climate change by 2050 and achieve a greener transport future. These steps include phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars/vans by 2030 and ensuring that all new cars/vans are fully zero-emissions at the tailpipe from 2035. Plans are supported by over £1.8 billion of government funding intended to encourage the uptake of greener vehicles. Funding includes grants for purchasing zero or ultra-low emissions cars/vans, as well as grants for local authorities, businesses, and homeowners to install EV chargepoints. The UK government has pledged £1.3 billion to accelerate the installation of electric vehicle charging stations in homes and on streets across the UK, as well as on motorways in England.[1] However, installing an EV charger is not as simple as just connecting it to your supply. There are many factors to consider and electrical parameters that need to be monitored. Investing in a portable energy logger, such as Chauvin Arnoux’s PEL103, provides an easy, ergonomic, and economic solution to evaluating your company’s capacity to support multiple EV chargepoints.[2] Continue reading →

It is estimated that most of the UK’s businesses are energy inefficient; recent studies show that some businesses are squandering 50% of their electrical energy usage. Not only is this bad for business as it drives overhead costs up and, therefore, profits down, it also results in unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions. The damaging economic impacts and positive environmental side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic mean it has never been more important to monitor energy usage. PELs (portable energy loggers), such as the Chauvin Arnoux PEL103, provide a compact, convenient, and clever solution to monitoring, optimising, and subsequently reducing energy consumption.[1] Continue reading →

Portable energy loggers, or PELs, are compact, comprehensive test instruments that measure, monitor, and record an array of electrical parameters. They can be used to troubleshoot electrical systems and, more importantly, identify sources of energy and/or power wastage contributing to inflated utility bills, as well as excessive and unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions.[1] Continue reading →

Metrel has advised that the firmware update for their MI3152 Multifunction Testers, which should have been available to download from their website/ software, has been delayed. To rectify this, Metrel has provided a link from which customers can download the firmware update and install it onto their Metrel MI3152 Multifunction Tester for free. This firmware update will enable the Metrel MI3152 Multifunction Tester to carry out an EV test it was previously unable to support. Continue reading →

For International Women’s Day (8th Match 2021), we thought we would tell you about Hertha Ayrton, a pioneer in the field of electrical engineering and the first woman to be elected as a member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers, known these days as the IET (The Institute of Engineering and Technology). The IET is a multidisciplinary professional engineering institution, advisory body, and publisher of electrical regulations. Continue reading →

Clamp meters and power quality analysers (PQA) can be used to measure and monitor inrush current in order to prevent inconvenient and irritating flickering lights, crashing computers, and tripping circuit breakers. However, Chauvin Arnoux has identified a failing of traditional clamp meters and PQAs: most can only measure inrush current in a system that is initially switched off. This makes them ill-equipped for measuring inrush current that is drawn when a load (light, computer, or motor) is connected to a live installation. Chauvin Arnoux’s True InRush® function, available on a range of their clamp meters and power quality analysers, provides a solution to this issue as Julian Grant explained in a recent EM Magazine article, Uncovering the truth about inrush current.[1] Continue reading →

Fluke has identified a safety problem affecting certain Fluke 902 FC Clamp Meters and has issued a voluntary recall of these items. If you are affected by this recall please return your Fluke 902 FC Clamp Meter to Fluke and/or contact Fluke for more information. For further details, please read Fluke’s Customer Notice, or download their customer letter here. Continue reading →

Having the right tools at your disposal can significantly improve the ease and certainty with which you can identify electrical problems, while simultaneously reducing the time you spend diagnosing issues. Leading thermal camera and test equipment manufacturer, FLIR has compiled a list of products that every electrical contractor should have in their toolbox. This list includes a thermal camera, voltage detector, clamp meter, wire/ cable tracer and multimeter. View the video and overviews below for further information regarding FLIR’s recommendations. Continue reading →

Building on the success of the FLIR C2 Pocket-Sized Thermal Camera, FLIR has developed two new, upgraded Cx-series models, the FLIR C3-X (the successor to the C2) and the FLIR C5. These compact cameras are suitable for inspecting and troubleshooting buildings, facilities, and HVAC/R and electrical systems. They can be used to find hidden hotspots on electrical equipment, detect sources of energy waste, and locate HVAC/R issues as well as structural defects. The FLIR C3-X and C5 Thermal Cameras are ideal for electricians, plumbers, and maintenance technicians. Continue reading →

This article was updated on 04/02/2021 to include additional images and a link to Professional Electrician & Installer's 'Safe isolation saves lives | Di-Log'. When working with live low-voltage installations or equipment, following safe isolation procedures is vital to protecting you and your team. PASS Ltd and Di-log are dedicated to ensuring the safety of electricians and tradesmen; together we offer a range of lockout, voltage indication and proving equipment, such as Di-log’s CombiVolt 1 & CombiVolt 2 Voltage Testers, PU690V Proving Unit and DLL0C1 Personal Lockout Kit, designed to help you meet safe isolation regulations. These kits were featured in a recent article by Professional Electrician & Installer. Continue reading →