What Affects Insulation Resistance Readings?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Factors that affect insulation resistance measurements include such things as

temperature, humidity, previous conditioning, test voltage, charging current and duration of the test voltage (electrification time)

.

How do you increase the value of insulation resistance?

one thumb rule is: For

every 10°C increase in temperature, halve the resistance

; or, for every 10°C decrease, double the resistance. For example, a two-megohm resistance at 20°C reduces to 1/2 megohm at 40°C. each type of insulating material will have a different degree of resistance change with temperature.

What is a bad insulation resistance reading?

The purpose of the IR test is to check for damaged insulation, this can be mechanical damage or damage by heat, (overloaded cables), readings

less than 2 Mohm indicate

damaged insulation, readings of 2-50 Mohm are indicative of long circuit lengths, moisture and contamination and do not indicate the insulation quality, …

What does insulation resistance test prove?

An insulation resistance (IR) test measures the total resistance between any two points separated by electrical insulation. The test, therefore, determines

how effective the dielectric (insulation) is in resisting the flow of electrical current

.

What causes low insulation resistance readings?


Long run lengths

: Longer cable runs have lower resistance because there is a large conductive area. The tester measures the insulation resistance by measuring the leakage through the insulation. Longer runs will result in lower insulation resistance values.

What is a good insulation resistance value?

Insulation resistance value Insulation level 5-10 Megohm Abnormal
10-50 Megohm


Good

50-100 Megohm


Very good

100 Megohm or more


Excellent

How do you calculate insulation resistance?

How is insulation resistance calculated and tested? We should all be familiar with Ohm’s law. If we apply a voltage across a resistor and then measured the consequential current flow, we can then use the

formula R=U/I

, (where U=Voltage, I=Current and R=Resistance) to calculate the resistance of the insulation.

What is high insulation resistance?

This voltage (usually 500V or more) causes a small current to flow through and over the insulation’s surfaces. … Based on our prior theoretical discussion, a high resistance value would indicate

a “good” insulation

while a relatively low resistance value would point to a “poor” insulation.

What is a bad Megger reading?

What is a bad reading on a Megger test? If the

megger reads a resistance under 1 (1,000 ohms) on

your meter after the initial 60-second interval, the cable has failed and the cable should be removed. If the megger reads a resistance between 1-1.25 on your meter, then the cable passes.

What is considered a bad Megger reading?

Turn on and read the meter. Anything reading between 2 megohms and 1000 megohms is usually considered a good reading, unless other problems have been noted.

Anything less than 2 megohms indicates an

insulation problem.

What is minimum insulation resistance?

Perform the insulation resistance test between conductors at a reduced test voltage of 250 V DC. However, where this option is used, the minimum acceptable insulation resistance remains

1 MΩ

.

How do you test Megger insulation resistance?

If you are testing insulation resistance to ground,

place the positive probe on the ground wire or the grounded metal junction box and the negative probe on the conductor or terminal

. Energize the Megger for 1 minute. Read the value of the resistance at the end of the minute test and note it in your table.

Can you test insulation resistance with a multimeter?

A typical multimeter can be used for’ low’ resistances to obtain a reading, usually between Ohms and Mega-ohms. … There is a family of test instruments designed to measure resistance into the billions of ohms or Giga-ohms far beyond the range of normal meters for testing insulation.

What does increasing insulation resistance with time indicate?

Insulation resistance values that are consistent over time indicate

that the equipment’s insulation properties are good

. If the resistance values are decreasing, it indicates that potential issues can occur sometime in the future and more thorough preventive maintenance should be scheduled soon.

What is the acceptable earth resistance value?

Ideally a ground should be of

zero ohms resistance

. There is not one standard ground resistance threshold that is recognized by all agencies. However, the NFPA and IEEE have recommended a ground resistance value of 5.0 ohms or less.

What is the minimum insulation resistance of a motor?

It is recommended that the insulation resistance of the motor should at least be

1 MΩ

1



)

, and for the voltage to ground of 200 V, I0r should be 200 μA or below.

David Martineau
Author
David Martineau
David is an interior designer and home improvement expert. With a degree in architecture, David has worked on various renovation projects and has written for several home and garden publications. David's expertise in decorating, renovation, and repair will help you create your dream home.