Comparing 3 Multifunction Testers for Insulation Resistance

Comparing 3 Multifunction Testers for Insulation Resistance

For electricians, contractors, and do-it-yourselfers who need to gauge the resistance of electrical insulation and guarantee the performance and safety of electrical installations, insulation resistance testers are crucial.

Introduction

But how can you pick the ideal option for your needs when so many are on the market?

Three well-known insulation resistance testers—the Fluke 1664 FC Installation Multifunction Tester, the Kyoritsu KEW 6516BT Powerful Multifunction Tester, and the Fluke 1662 Multifunction Tester—will be compared and contrasted in this article.

To assist you in making an informed choice, we will examine their features, advantages, disadvantages, costs, warranties, and accessories.

Why do you need insulation resistance testers and what do they do?

Let’s first discuss what insulation resistance testers are and why you need them before we compare the three of them. Insulation resistance testers measure electrical insulation resistance between conductors or a conductor and ground.
Electric current can only pass through an electrically insulating material if such flow is desired.

As an illustration, the plastic covering on a wire is insulated to stop the electric current from seeping out or creating a short circuit.Testers for insulation resistance are crucial because they may assist you in finding any flaws or problems in the insulation that could jeopardize the performance and safety of electrical systems.

Electric shocks, fires, power outages, equipment damage, and interference with other electrical systems can all be brought on by defective insulation. You may evaluate the calibre and condition of the insulation and decide whether it needs to be repaired or replaced by measuring the insulation resistance.

Insulation resistance testers can also assist you in adhering to regional standards and regulations that call for the routine testing of electrical installations. For instance, AS/NZS 3000:2018 in Australia mandates insulation resistance testing before energizing new installations and following modifications or repairs.

Insulation resistance testing at initial verification and periodic inspection of electrical installations is mandated by the UK standard BS 7671:2018. Depending on the features and purposes of an electrical installation, insulation resistance testers can conduct a variety of tests.

Fluke 1664 FC Installation Multifunction Testers

Common tests include the following:

Insulation resistance test:

This test uses a high DC voltage (often 250 V, 500 V, or 1000 V) to measure the insulation’s resistance between conductors or a conductor and ground. The quality of the insulation improves with increasing resistance values.

Test for loop impedance:

This test gauges the resistance of a loop circuit made up of a phase conductor and either a neutral conductor (N) or a protection conductor (PE). The fault current path and electric shock protection improve with decreasing impedance values.

A residual current device (RCD) is a device that detects leakage currents and disconnects the circuit to prevent electric shocks. The RCD test analyzes the trip current and trip time of an RCD. The test determines whether the RCD functions within the established parameters for various types and ratings.

Multifunctional Installation Tester Fluke 1664

The most sophisticated and complete tester of the three is the Fluke 1664 FC Installation Multifunction Tester.It can conduct tests in accordance with all local standards, safeguard appliances from inadvertent damage during insulation testing, and transmit test results in real time via Fluke Connect to your smartphone.

Additionally, it can test RCD type A-EV or RDC-DD DC protection devices found in EV charging stations. It contains a rotary dial knob, a color LCD display, and a special zero adaptor for quick and precise correction.It can measure RCD trip current and duration for a variety of kinds including AC, A, F, B, EV, and variable RCDs. It can also measure insulation resistance up to 1000 M, loop impedance up to 2000, and RCD trip current and time.

Additionally, it features a phase sequence indication, a portable appliance tester function, and a surge protection device test. IEC 61010-1 CAT IV 300 V, CAT III 600 V, and IEC 61557-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 requirements are all met by this product.

The following are some advantages of using this tester:

By identifying whether an appliance is connected to the system being tested and halting the test with a visual warning, it can shield appliances from unintentional damage during insulation tests.This assists you in avoiding potentially catastrophic and expensive errors that could harm the ancillary equipment of your clients.

Through Auto Test, it may run up to seven installation tests sequentially using a single connection. As a result, there are fewer manual connections, which cuts down on the chance of errors and shortens test duration.Through Fluke Connect, it can transmit test results in real time to your smartphone. Without leaving the field, you can use this to convey data to your team or clients.

For convenient access and retrieval from any location, you can also save your test findings to Fluke Cloud storage. To process and generate certifications, you can also import your data into Fluke DMS (Data Management Software).

It can test RCD type A-EV or RDC-DD DC protection devices found in EV charging stations. These particular RCDs were created with the purpose of guarding against DC leakage currents in electric vehicle charging stations.The trip current and time can be measured with this tester in accordance with IEC 61851-1 Annex A specifications.

The following are some disadvantages of utilizing this tester:

It costs more than comparable testers on the market. The cost of this tester ranges from about $2,800 to $3,700, which may be prohibitive for some users with tight budgets or little use cases.Accessories for evaluating earth resistivity are not included.

This tester does not come with earth spikes or leads for evaluating earth resistance, in contrast to other testers that do. If you wish to use this tester to test earth resistance, you must purchase them separately.

Powerful Multi-Function Tester from Kyoritsu

The Kyoritsu KEW 6516BT Powerful Multi-Function Tester is a robust and user-friendly tester that can measure earth resistance and perform no trip loop testing on all RCDs with the accompanying accessories.When used by experts in electrical installation, it offers a lot of testing power. It contains a color LCD screen with a help feature that explains how to connect the instrument for the desired function.

With 2 and 3 wires, it incorporates anti-trip technology that prevents trip loop L-PE testing on all RCDs. It can measure loop impedance up to 2000 with a resolution of 0.001 and use Z’s limit function to compare the values to the electrical installation standard.For a variety of RCD types, including AC, A, F, B (general & selective), EV, and variable RCDs, it can also measure RCD trip current and time. With all accessories present, it can test the earth resistance using 2 and 3 wires.

Additionally, it can monitor voltage up to 600 V, continuity up to 2000, insulation resistance up to 1000 M, surge protection device tripping voltage, and protective conductor resistance for portable appliances. By using the “KEW CONNECT” app, it has Bluetooth connectivity.IEC 61010-1 CAT IV 300 V, CAT III 600 V, and IEC 61557-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 requirements are all met by this product.

The following are some advantages of using this tester:

With the use of anti-trip technology (2 and 3 wire), it can test all RCDs for no trip loops. It can therefore measure loop impedance without tripping any RCDs in the circuits that are being tested. This avoids disruptions during testing, which saves time and hassle.

With the provided accessories, it can measure earth resistance. This tester comes with everything you need, including earth spikes, leads, and an auxiliary spike, in contrast to other testers that need for you to purchase separate accessories for measuring earth resistance. IEC 61557-5 specifications allow for the testing of earth resistance using two or three wires.

It contains a color LCD screen with a help feature that explains how to connect the instrument for the desired function. Because of this, even new users who are unfamiliar with various test types and connections can use it with ease.For easier reading and comprehension, the display also includes unambiguous icons, symbols, graphs, values, and other information.

By using the “KEW CONNECT” app, it has Bluetooth connectivity. By using Bluetooth, you can do this to wirelessly send data from your tester to a smartphone or tablet. Your data can be seen using graphs or tables on your device, saved as PDF or CSV files, sent via email or cloud services, etc.

The following are some disadvantages of utilizing this tester:

It lacks an insulation pre-test feature that guards against inadvertent damage to appliances during insulation tests.

This tester lacks the feature of other testers that stops the test with a visual warning if an appliance is attached to the system being tested. When conducting insulation tests, you must take care to avoid damaging any equipment that could be linked to your circuits.

Multifunction Tester Fluke 1662

The Fluke 1662 Multifunction Tester is a reliable and capable tester that can carry out installation testing tasks. It provides you with all the fundamental testing power you require for routine installation testing.

It passes all local rules’ testing and is simple and clear to use. It contains a self-test capability to save time and increase your trust in your results, as well as an on/off switchable auto-start for RCD and loop tests.

It is capable of measuring insulation resistance up to 1000 M, loop impedance up to 10 M in high current mode, prospective earth fault current (PEFC) or prospective short-circuit current (PSC) up to 10 KA (50 KA), RCD trip current and time for types of AC (general & selective), A (general & selective), voltage up to 500 V, and frequency up to 66 Hz.

For quick and precise correction, it also incorporates a phase sequence indicator and a special zero adapter. It complies with the requirements of IEC 61010-1 CAT IV 300 V, CAT III 600 V, and IEC 61557-1,2,3.

The following are some advantages of using this tester:

It is capable of carrying out installation testing functions reliably. Fluke is a reputable company that provides top-notch goods that are reliable, precise, and simple to use. You can rely on this tester to carry out fundamental installation testing tasks without sacrificing performance or safety.

It can help you save time and increase your trust in your outcomes. For RCD and loop tests, it has an on/off switchable auto-start feature that launches the test when the probes are connected. This minimizes test time and eliminates the need to press the test button.

It also features a self-test feature that examines the display, switches, and connections as well as the battery level before each use. This makes sure the tester is operating correctly and increases your trust in your findings.

With a high current mode, it is able to detect loop impedance. For more precise results, you can use this mode to measure loop impedance with a test current of up to 10 A.

When evaluating low loop impedance values, which are typical of contemporary installations with high-quality wiring, this mode is particularly helpful.

Kyoritsu KEW 6516BTKyoritsu KEW 6516BT insulation resistance tester

The following are some disadvantages of utilizing this tester:

It lacks the sophisticated features and capabilities that other testers have.

It lacks, for instance, a surge protection device test, a portable appliance tester function, an insulation pre-test functions that guard’s equipment from unintentional harm during insulation tests, and an RCD test for EV charging stations.

Consider other tests that offer these capabilities and functions if you require them.

It lacks a colour LCD display and a help feature that would explain how to connect the instrument to the chosen function. This tester lacks a help function and has a monochrome LCD display, in contrast to other testers that offer these functions. For some users, this can make it less readable and user-friendly.

Conclusion

In conclusion, after comparing the Fluke 1664 FC, Kyoritsu KEW 6516BT, and Fluke 1662 insulation resistance testers, it’s clear that each offers distinct features and benefits. The Fluke 1664 FC stands out as the most comprehensive option, boasting advanced capabilities and connectivity via Fluke Connect. The Kyoritsu KEW 6516BT impresses with its user-friendly design and earth resistance testing capabilities. Meanwhile, the Fluke 1662 offers essential testing power with reliable performance.