Q: What reading is considered a “fail / no-go” condition on the Hot Stick Tester?
(Reference: Hubbell® / A.B.Chance® catalog # C403-3178 & C403-3179)
A: Industry regulations for hot stick testing include IEEE Standard 978-1984
and OSHA Standard 1910.269(j)(2)(iii) which state: “Live-line tools used for primary employee protection shall be removed from service every 2 years and whenever required under paragraph (j)(2)(ii) of this section for examination, cleaning, repair and testing . . .”
The hand-held Hot Stick Tester qualifies for hot stick testing under paragraph 1910.269(j)(2)(iii)(E)(3).
Though no standard has been established for acceptable levels of leakage current concerning Hot Sticks, the Chance® Hot Stick Tester does have an analog scaled meter which shows numeric readout in micro-amps. A generally accepted rule is that a reading of 80 micro-amps or more on the wet test or a reading of 20 micro-amps or more on the dry test is considered excessive and indicates contamination and/or water inside the stick. The tester comes with a Check Bar to verify the unit is functional before each use.
The tester actually performs the equivalent of full-scale test setups for both Wet (75kV per foot) and Dry (100kV per foot). In either case, the meter displays the increase in leakage current due to placing the meter on a hot stick. This value may be compared to the level allowable by the individual utility.
This quantitative test result immediately indicates the stick’s true leakage condition, inside and out. It detects leakage currents due to surface and internal contamination, independent of stray currents because the tester is “zeroed” while empty before each use.
If you own a previous Chance® LS-80 or LS-81 Tester with a Pass/Fail meter, the Wet/Dry selector-switch circuitry can be factory retrofitted. Contact M.W. Bevins for further information to get your old unit upgraded to meet the current Industry Standards for Hot Stick testing.
In addition to the fully-illustrated owners manual which must be read and understood before operating the Hot Stick tester, a seven-minute video is included with each unit. Not a substitute for the manual, the instructional video demonstrates “how-to” basics for Setup, Dry and Wet tests.
A DVD version of the video is available from the Hubbell Power Systems® Video Library; an application bulletin for the Wet/Dry Hot Stick Tester can downloaded on line at FAQs HLT Meters & Hoists
