Protective conductor test | Ground continuity test | Ground bond test

Testing the protective conductor is indispensable for assemblies, devices and systems of protection class I because it reduces the risk of life-threatening electrical accidents.
The test checks whether the protective earth (PE) fulfils the criteria specified in the standards and can correctly discharge the current occurring in case of a fault.

The ground continuity test checks whether the protective earth conductor is connected continuously to all metallic enclosure parts that can be touched by the user. The test can be carried out with low currents and voltages (simple continuity test).

The ground bond test places higher demands on the protective conductor test. Here, a high current is applied to the protective conductor during the test procedure, simulating the load in case of a fault. The test current is a multiple of the current occurring under normal operating conditions. In installations with a high degree of danger, the protective conductor can be energised with a constant current until the connection points are damaged or become highly resistive due to heating and no longer provide reliable contact. In this destructive test, the duration (dwell time) is determined to see how long it takes until the critical point is reached. Such tests are usually carried out before series production during type testing.

We stock protective conductor test devices in our shop that fulfil the above conditions. Our sales department will be happy to provide information.