A fish tape is used to pull stranded or solid wire through metal or PVC conduit.

Cable lube is available to assist you in pulling the wires through the pipe. A tape measure is use to measure heights for switches and outlets. You will also need it to center lighting fixture boxes. How to Ground House Wiring By Chris Deziel, eHow Contributor

Ungrounded wiring is a hazard.

Electricity is delivered to your house from the power company via two hot wires, each carrying 110 volts, and it is returned via a common wire that must be connected to ground. In the past it has been thought sufficient to connect this return wire to the cold water pipes, but current National Electrical Code, or NEC, rules mandate a separate grounding path. This is usually provided by pounding a metal stake in the ground and connecting it to the house panel. Does this Spark an idea? Other People Are Reading How to Install Ground Wiring How to Tell If Your House Wiring Is Grounded

Print this article Things You'll Need Metal grounding rod Sledge hammer Grounding rod wire clip Show (3) More Instructions 1

Connect all electrical fixtures in all circuits in the house to the ground buss bar in the main panel using the bare wire bundled in the sheathing of the house wire. 2

Ensure that the neutral buss is connected to the ground buss. This is usually done by means of a nut on the neutral buss that, when tightened, makes contact with the ground buss.

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Run a length of 10-gauge wire from the panel to an inconspicuous location outside near the panel where a ground rod can be installed. 4

Pound the ground rod at least 8 feet into the ground. 5

Attach a wire holder to the ground rod and tighten it with a screwdriver. Insert the ground wire into the holder and tighten the holding screw. 6

Insert the other end of the ground wire into the receptacle on the ground buss of the panel. Tighten the holding screw. Earthing Systems Published on January 23, 2012, by admin in Electrical.

What is Earthing? Earthing is the green and yellow insulated cable that runs throughout your property. The earthing system is a special system designed to protect you from the faults that frequently develop with electrical systems.

The earthing wire defines the electrical potential of the conductors relative to the earths conductive surface a (PE) for short. To put it very simply it stops you from getting an electric shock when a live cable touches things it shouldnt be. The issue is almost instantly read by your residual current device and your power is then tripped off by your circuit breaker.

This clever earthing system plays a crucual role in the health and safety aspect of electricity systems. http://www.candnpropertysolutions.co.uk/blog/electrical/earthing-systems.html.10th july How to Detect a Short in Electrical Wiring in a House By G.K. Bayne, eHow Contributor

Detecting a short in electrical wiring is a simple task once you understand what it means and how it was caused. An electrical short can be caused by two wires coming in contact with each other. Another cause may be a defective receptacle outlet or light fixture. An electrical short will show itself by fuses being repetitively blown or the circuit breaker tripping out constantly. Following the steps below should allow you to troubleshoot the problem. Other People Are Reading How Does a Safety Switch in a House Work? How to Ground Your Home Electrical Panel

Print this article Things You'll Need Volt ohmmeter Screwdrivers: Philips and slotted Wire pliers Instructions 1

Unplug the device--toaster, microwave or lamp--that is connected to the circuit. Reset the breaker or replace the fuse. You want to eliminate any device that may be defective before proceeding. Energize the circuit; if the breaker or fuse does not blow, then the device is bad and should be repaired or replaced. If the circuit still trips out or blows the fuse, then there is a possible short in the wiring or the receptacle. 2

Switch off the circuit that keeps tripping or remove the fuse from the troubled circuit. Take the volt ohmmeter and switch it to volts. Insert the metal probe ends into the troubled receptacle and test for voltage to be sure the circuit is off. The voltage should read zero volts. Remove the receptacle or fixture from the box with the screwdriver. Pull the wires from the sides of the receptacle or fixture using the screwdriver and wire pliers.

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Use the volt ohmmeter and switch it to ohms. Test the wires for a short condition by placing each lead to one of the bare ends of the insulated wires. Touch one lead of the ohmmeter to the black wire and the other lead to the white wire. The meter should show infinite ohms or an O.L. if its a digital meter. If it does, the receptacle or fixture is defective and needs to be replaced. If the meter reading does show continuity, the short could be in the wire or the circuit breaker. 4

Remove the cover from the circuit breaker box after first shutting off the main breaker that controls the power. Remove the wires from the troubled breaker or fuse connection and the corresponding white wire. This white wire will be enclosed in the same insulated jacket as the black wire. 5

Test the wires for a short condition. The meter should read wide-open, infinite ohms or O.L.. If it does, the breaker is defective; replace the bad circuit breaker with an original replacement. If the wire shows a short condition, reading zero ohms or any resistance reading at all, the wire is shorted in the circuit. The wire will have to be replaced. Sponsored Links AutoCAD is a software application for computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting. The software supports both 2D and 3D formats. The software is developed and sold by Autodesk, Inc.,[1] first released in December 1982 by Autodesk in the year following the purchase of the first form of the software by Autodesk founder, John Walker. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoCADn july10th snappybob Aug 8, 2005, 10:16 AM I am re-wiring an old house. It is a small 2 bedroom, 1 bath house. We put in a 200 amp service and need to run a sevice entrance cable about 20 -25 ft to the inside breaker panel. My question is how big of a gauge wire should we run for the sevice entance cable. #? 3 conductor with ground in copper. We have 18 -110v outlets, 3 - 220V outlets (Window AC, Kitchen Stove and clothes dryer), 3 ceiling fans with lights, Electric bathroom heater in ceiling. Etc. Thanks kp2171 Aug 8, 2005, 12:07 PM

I'm really not trying to be a snot when I say this, but if you have to ask in this case, you may not be qualified.

I think its one thing to work within a panel. To run service to the panel is another. Don't tighten that connection correctly and you're certain to have a fire eventually.

I'd personally hire a licensed and qualified electrician to run service to the panel.

I know the guys in the know will have some advice.... snappybob Aug 8, 2005, 02:45 PM Acually KP I'm helping an electrician wire my house. I do the grunt work, he does the real wiring. The reason for the post was to just check and see if important things like the service are being done correctly. kp2171 Aug 8, 2005, 03:17 PM I'm sure one of the pros here can confirm the demand need. tkrussell Aug 8, 2005, 04:30 PM

First off, a 200 amp service with a panel 20-25 feet away shall have a disconnect outside at the meter location. This can be either a 200 amp breaker, or fuses, in a NEMA 3R Raintite enclosure. Some meter trim come with a disconnect built in together.

Agai, due to the distance, the cable can be a #4/0 XHHW insulation Aluminum 4 wire cable. Thsi is called SER cable. This is a very popular cable. Even thou some aluminum cable is listed to be connected without an anitoxident treatment, "grease" treatment similar to gray lotion, most electricans still use it.

Another important issue is grounding at the panel. The neutral must be isolated from the backbox of the panel and no green or bare grounds shall be connected to it, only branch circuit neutrals. A separate ground bar (terminal strip) shall be bolted to the panel backbox and this is for all the greens and the bare wires, including the bare in the SER cable. Connected in any other way can cause various problems to detailed to go through here.

If you chose copper, and keep in mind, aluminum feeder cable is fine providing it is installed per manufacturers instructions, cable similar to SER cable is not very common, but is available usually by special order.

You may be able to wrestle 2 inch PVC conduit in , and you can use #3/0 copper wire with THHN/THWN insulation, three for the feeders, and a #6 copper ground green wire.

By the way, again due to the distance and the main breaker located outside, the system ground must connect to the neutral out at the meter/disconnect.

This system is usually two eight foot ground rods , spaced 6 foot or more apart, and a wire going the water system. If you have a water meter, the #6 wire may need to connect to both sides of the water meter to jump out the meter, so to speak.

Hope this answers your question.

Friend has a permit,right? snappybob Aug 8, 2005, 05:29 PM Yes, we have a permit. I'm putting the house up for sale when all of the renovations are complete so the electrical has to be inspected by the city. One thing that has me concerned is the fact that the service cable that the electricians are having me locate and get is #1-3 w/ground copper. None of the supply houses stock this cable. A 200A service is what is required by the city. I would think it would be readily available. In my mind this raises a red flag. Also, the electricians are saying that you size the service cable to the panel inside the house which is under 200A and there will be a 100A breaker on the primary panel outside so that the house can only draw 100A. Thanks for all your input. This is a really great website

tkrussell Aug 9, 2005, 12:53 PM Well #1 copper has a ampacity of 150 amps , when used for residential service.

I do need to make a correction, you can use #2/0 copper for 200 amp residential service, I gave you #3/0, which is for all applications other than residential.

Whoever signs the permit, even if the inspector does not catch the mistake, will be held liable for any problems that occur later. So if the #1 does get installed, the permittee will own it.

You as the seller, may be doubly responsible, as the seller of a property with a faulty condition, that you were knowledgeable of and possibly installed or party to.

You may want to check with an attorney for the exact liability exposure.

Make this go away, and install either #2/0 copper or #4/0 aluminum.

The #4/0 Al SER cable is readily avaialbe at every electrical supply house, and every big box home improvement store. So simple to make this all go away.

I am trying to follow what is being installed. City wants a minimum[ of 200 amps, but the main panel is less than 200, then you do not have a 200 amp service. A little difficult to determine exactly what you are installing. I hope I have cleared up any question you still may have. snappybob Aug 10, 2005, 06:30 AM TK and others, thanks again for your input. Let me try and clarify the situation. The city code requires 200A service at the primary panel outside on new consruction and re-wires so that all residential home are upgraded. I suspect this is driven by the fact that the people that write the city codes are mostly electricians and enfluenced by local electrical contractors and electrical equipment suppliers.

I guess my real question here is, what parameters do you use to determine the size of wire used that feeds the secondary interior panel:

A) the rating of the primary outside panel regardless of any breakers or fuses that would limit it's potential. In this case 200A

B) the rating of the inside secondary panel regardless of any breakers or fuses that would limit it's potential. In this case I believe 150A

C) The potential of the inside panel after concidering it's potential that would be limited by the number and size of breakers installed for the circuits installed in the house.

I hope this is a little clearer.

Thanks tkrussell Aug 11, 2005, 04:01 PM Having a little trouble following this. What do you mean by primary panel outside? Does this mean you will have a 200 amp breaker panel outside? Will this contain branch circuit breakers, and then you will have a subpanel in the basement which will be 100 amp?

The inside panel will have an amp rating, I get from your post 100 amp rated. This panel must be protected by a circuit breaker, 100 amp in the outside panel, the wire can be # 3 copper THHN or XHHW insulation or # 2 aluminum XHHW insulation, three wires each plus a ground, lets just keep this at #8 copper to keep it simple.

The outside panel needs to have a 200 amp breaker protectng it.

Is my understanding correct? Does any of this make sense?

teacha Aug 19, 2005, 10:55 AM Just reading some of this and was curious since it has been said the distance from the meter base to load center was 20-25 feet it required a disconnect at the meter base. If the distance is less than that, is a disconnect still required at the meter or will the main in the 200 amp load center serve for this? tkrussell Aug 19, 2005, 12:32 PM The location of a main breaker is up to the local authority and/or the local utility company. It is intended to be as close to the entrance of the service conductors in to the building as soon as possible. Practicality means that if a meter is outside, and the cable comes in just above the panel and drops down into the panel, there may be approximately 4-6 feet of exposed cable.

The code does not specifically state the maximum amount of cable that can be in the building with out a main outside. Many jurisdications rely on the 10 foot rule established by the code, and will state in their requirements after 10 feet, the main must be located outside, if 10 feet or under the main can be inside.

The reason for the main to be outside if the cable is 10 feet or over is the cable that feeds the panel is unprotected without a main being outside. Imagine a cable coming in from a meter, running 30-40-50 feet through a building, say a basement, and if damaged by a nali, screw, or someone using the cable as a clothes hanger, with no main breaker to trip in the event of a short, would continue to burn.

So, with the question posted stating the panel inside with 20-30 feet of cable exposed, this senario calls for a main breaker outside. A short distance is allowed exposed without a main.

If there is ever any question, default to installing a main outside at or in the meter trim, and you will be covered no matter what.

Fire depts appreciate having a main outside in the event they arrive to a structure fire, they can immediately shut all power off to a building if deemed necessary. If the main is inside, they will not endanger a firefighter to go into a burning structure just to find a main to shut off so they can hose the building with water or prevent the lives lines in the building from shorting and cauisng more damage.

I hope this helps explain the situation. If not get back with more questions. labman Aug 19, 2005, 12:50 PM In a few fires I witnessed, the fireman went ahead and pulled the meter. tkrussell Aug 19, 2005, 03:38 PM Pulling the meter is clever, and will shut down power to the building, however still dangerous. This will leave the two live line jaws of the meter socket exposed wide open to all personel in the vincinity.

They may do it in certain cases, where a structure is only partially involved, and they deterimine the structure can be saved by flooding that area with water. Hopefully the fire is on the opposite side away from the meter.

Most firemen, I believe, religiously respect electricity. They say it does not mix well with water, another perspective is that electricity mixes all too well with water.

I have had to respond to sites with firemen on site, standing off to the side, waiting for me to make something safe before they would proceed with their task, of course never been a raging fire. teacha Aug 19, 2005, 04:00 PM Thanks!

I appreciate the use the main has on the outside by the fire department. Certainly even a home owner or renter could also throw it if an emergency happened inside without any danger to themselves from the electricity. I think it ought to be in the code, if for no other reason than what you have said.

Tom

tkrussell Aug 19, 2005, 05:48 PM It is code, like I said, if line is over ten foot, the main must be located outside. war_animal Jun 20, 2008, 07:07 PM I am re-wiring an old house. It is a small 2 bedroom, 1 bath house. We put in a 200 amp service and need to run a sevice entrance cable about 20 -25 ft to the inside breaker panel. My question is how big of a gauge wire should we run for the sevice entance cable. #? 3 conductor with ground in copper. We have 18 -110v outlets, 3 - 220V outlets (Window AC, Kitchen Stove and clothes dryer), 3 ceiling fans with lights, Electric bathroom heater in ceiling. Etc. Thanks You need to run #3/0 or 3ort which is the same term.make sure to mark your neutral,and that you wire the neutral correctly in the meter pan. war_animal Jun 20, 2008, 07:09 PM [QUOTE=war_animal]you need to run #3/0 or 3ort which is the same term.make sure to mark your neutral,and that you wire the neutral correctly in the meter pan.[/QUOTEthere has to be 3-#3 cables two hot and one neutral. war_animal Jun 20, 2008, 07:10 PM [QUOTE=war_animal]you need to run #3/0 or 3ort which is the same term.make sure to mark your neutral,and that you wire the neutral correctly in the meter pan.[/QUOTEthere has to be 3-#3 cables two hot and one neutral. :o :rolleyes: dave12123 Oct 25, 2011, 05:43 PM No I think he means a disconnect style meter socket.There is no real Code article that tells you when a situation requires a disconnect at the socket,I do know that we always used a disconnect type meter socket when the interior panel was located more than 8 feet from the socket.We also used disconnect sockets when the AHJ(the inspector)for the locality required it.Some do and some dont.OK using a disconnect style socket requires you to use SER style cable or 3 conductors and a ground wire conduit

because it is illegal to have only one grounded wire on feeder circuit.You need a properly sized equipment grounding wire too on a feeder.To prevent ground loop current one must INSULATE the neutral conductor from the bare ground wire inside the secondary panel..This is a must.It is also a good idea to drive a ground rod at the disconnect socket and tie the neutral and ground wires at the disconnect meter socket terminals to the rod and any other grounding electrodes that might be present.Okay now snappybob:this is how we do it..We use NEC Article 220 Branch Circuit and Feeder Calculations.Okay you say you have a 200 amp required by the city.That pretty much tells you what size feeder cable you are going to use period.4/0 Aluminum SER style cable or 2/0 copper SER style cable or THHN wire in conduit.What we usually do derate the neutral wire (which must be white!)one size down so a nunk of 1/0 wire if you are going to usecopper.You will need #4 bare wire from the service disconnect breaker/meter socket combination to the ground rod but you and use #6 bare copper to the interior panel.Can you tell I have done my share of services?No matter what the panel all panelboards are limited to 42 circuits only.You will never find one with more tyhan 42 circuits,again that an NEC article.YOur interior panel is rated for 200 amperes and the rating shall not exceed 125% of 200 amperes continuous load. stanfortyman Oct 25, 2011, 06:33 PM No I think he means a disconnect style meter socket.There is no real Code article that tells you when a situation requires a disconnect at the socket,I do know that we always used a disconnect type meter socket when the interior panel was located more than 8 feet from the socket.We also used disconnect sockets when the AHJ(the inspector)for the locality required it.Some do and some dont.OK using a disconnect style socket requires you to use SER style cable or 3 conductors and a ground wire conduit because it is illegal to have only one grounded wire on feeder circuit.You need a properly sized equipment grounding wire too on a feeder.To prevent ground loop current one must INSULATE the neutral conductor from the bare ground wire inside the secondary panel..This is a must.It is also a good idea to drive a ground rod at the disconnect socket and tie the neutral and ground wires at the disconnect meter socket terminals to the rod and any other grounding electrodes that might be present.Okay now snappybob:this is how we do it..We use NEC Article 220 Branch Circuit and Feeder Calculations.Okay you say you have a 200 amp required by the city.That pretty much tells you what size feeder cable you are going to use period.4/0 Aluminum SER style cable or 2/0 copper SER style cable or THHN wire in conduit.What we usually do derate the neutral wire (which must be white!)one size down so a nunk of 1/0 wire if you are going to usecopper.You will need #4 bare wire from the service disconnect breaker/meter socket combination to the ground rod but you and use #6 bare copper to the interior panel.Can you tell I have done my share of services?No matter what the panel all panelboards are limited to 42 circuits only.You will never find one with more tyhan 42 circuits,again that an NEC article.YOur interior panel is rated for 200 amperes and the rating shall not exceed 125% of 200 amperes continuous load. Well, you may have done your share of these, but much of what you write is incorrect.

There is a code telling that an outside disco is required. The one that says if the panel is too far into the structure, or a local code amendment. The inspector cannot request what has not been written. It's not his call.

"Ground loops" are not an issue in AC building wiring. Not sure where you got that one from.

It is not just a good idea to drive an electrode at a main disconnect. It is a requirement.

You do not need #4cu to a ground rod. A connection to just a ground rod requires no larger than #6cu. Also the correct size equipment ground from a 200A main disconnect to panel is #4cu.

The 42 circuit limit was lifted for the 2011 NEC cycle.

A continuous load is ABSOLUTELY NOT 125% of the panel rating. A 200A panel is rated for 200A, and 80% of that for a continuous load, or 160A.

And lastly, you are addressing the OP like he is around to read and apply your advice. This thread is from 2005. I think it is a safe bet that this is all done by now. :rolleyes: Riders3627 Jan 11, 2012, 04:24 PM Tk Russel wrote "This system is usually two eight foot ground rods , spaced 6 foot or more apart, and a wire going the water system. If you have a water meter, the #6 wire may need to connect to both sides of the water meter to jump out the meter, so to speak."

This is incorrect.... Sorry tk but the NEC requires that anything within 2/0-3/0 Copper or 4/0-500 kcmil requires a # 4 Copper wire for a grounding electrode to the water main only if such pipe is copper and in direct contact with the earth no less that 25'( usually you would just hook it up anyways and always

jump the meter). Now the ground rods are okay to use with #6 copper wire and must be green or reidentified inside the panel or meter box.

Now to the service question a 2 bedrm house with 1 bath seems quite small for a 200A service. Now i dont know the demand of the house and maybe you want a Hot tub outside (which requires a 200a service) oR you have a lot of electric heat... But 9 times out of 10 an electrician will suggest a 200 a service to get the 17-1800 dollars (Massachusetts price) but in reality 100 or 150 a service will do just fine and also the sizing of the wire tk got it right a 4/0 SER aluminum cable is great and it depends on the disconnect. If it is 25' on the exterior of the wall and penetrating through the house the wire goes directly to the panel ( Usually 10' in wire length) there is no disconnect required. Copper for residential wiring is not needed considering we up here in mass feed 5 unit bldgs with 125 A Panles each with 500 KCMIL Aluminum wires and lasted for 10 years thus far no problems. Hope this helps stanfortyman Jan 11, 2012, 06:18 PM ... But 9 times out of 10 an electrician will suggest a 200 a service to get the 17-1800 dollars.... No, they will suggest it because it makes little sense in today's world to install a new 100A service, or replace an old 100A with another 100A. Unless of course it is some kind of 800 sq/ft bungalow. And it makes absolutely no sense to install a 150 when a 200 is only a few dollars more in material and NO different in labor.

Lastly, I feel sorry for you if you can only get $1700 for a 200A upgrade in MA. You are selling yourself short. SparkyyKcK Apr 26, 2012, 03:53 PM so i take it the meter can is 200 amp ready, the riser wire should be 4/O the se cable can probally be 2/O, a 150 amp breaker in the disconnect, and then 100 amp breaker in the pannel. thats a really weird code to retro-fit up too a 200 amp meter, but the city wants their moneys i guess... btw dont forget your water ground!! stanfortyman Apr 26, 2012, 04:41 PM Why don't people read all the posts???

This thread has gone from originally 2005, to 2008, to 2011, to Jan of this year. All with the OP not returning since 2005! Copyright 2005-, Ask Me Help Desk

How to do Electrical Testing By Jerry Walch, eHow Contributor

There are many tools and procedures involved in electrical testing. The techniques covered here will allow you to solve 90 percent of your electrical troubleshooting issues. The testing procedures will not only help you locate almost any electrical problem, but they will help you ensure the electrical safety of your home and loved ones. Does this Spark an idea? Other People Are Reading How to Test a Wall Socket How to Test the Wiring in a House

Print this article Things You'll Need Plug-in GFCI (Ground Fault Current Interrupter) receptacle tester DMM (Digital Multimeter) Clamp-On Ammeter Instructions Receptacles and GFCI Receptacle Circuits 1

Unplug everything on the circuit for a general-purpose receptacle that appears to be working normally, then plug the GFCI receptacle tester into each receptacle on the circuit in succession. Depending on the number of lights lit and their pattern, you will know instantly if the receptacle is properly wired and functioning correctly. You will know if the "hot" and "neutral" conductors--the black and white wires-are reversed, or if the "grounding" and "neutral" conductors--green or bare and white wires--are reversed. This will also show if the "neutral" or the "grounding" conductors/circuits are open. An open grounding conductor is very dangerous. 2

Locate any nonfunctioning receptacles. If there are a number of dead receptacles on the same branch circuit, begin your testing at the one closest to the service panel. More often than not, the problem will be found in that device box or the last functioning one just ahead of it. Most of the time, the culprit is a wire splice that's come undone.

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Follow the same process to test GFCI receptacles as for testing general-purpose, except that you'll press the test button on the GFCI plug-in tester to simulate a ground-fault condition on the circuit. Pressing the "Test" button should cause the GFCI receptacle/breaker combination to trip or cause the GFCI circuit breaker in the service panel to trip, shutting off all power to the receptacle being tested. A malfunctioning GFCI poses a serious safety threat and needs to be repaired immediately. Circuit Breakers That Trip Inexplicably 4

Remove the cover to the service panel. Clamp the jaws of the clamp-on ammeter around the conductor attached to the circuit breaker. Note the reading.

Figure out 80 percent of the circuit breaker's rating. For example, 80 percent of 20 is 16. If the load on a 20A circuit breaker exceeds 16A, the nuisance tripping is caused by an excessive load on the circuit. A circuit breaker is like a thermostat and operates off heat, which can build up in the breaker's case and cause it to open, even if the current flowing is less than its full rating. 6

Check if the circuit breaker is loaded at 80 percent or less and still trips randomly. You have either an intermittent overload, intermittent short circuit or bad circuit breaker. Intermittent overloads and shorts can be extremely difficult to trace, but are more likely than a bad circuit breaker.

Definition for service entrance cable:Web definitions: The conductors that connect the service conductors (drop or lateral) to the service equipment of the building.. www.qvsdirect.com/technical/electrical_terms.html July 10, 2012

ectrical conductivity is a physical property that indicates how well a given material conducts electricity. A current originates when electrical charges flow in response to a difference in electrical potential. The conductivity is defined as the ratio of the density of this current to the strength of the electric field. The electrical conductivity can be calculated measuring the resistance, area and length of the test material. The test material typically has a box-like shape for ease of measuring. Other People Are Reading How to Determine Conductivity How to Test the Conductivity of Metal

Print this article Things You'll Need

4 terminal ohmmeter test material Instructions 1

Use a four-terminal ohmmeter for greater accuracy. This type of ohmmeter is more accurate because one pair of terminals measures current, while the other pair measures voltage. This allows the ohmmeter to ignore the resistance of the first pair of terminals. 2

Measure the resistance of the test material with a four-terminal ohmmeter by placing each pair of terminals on opposite ends of the test material.

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Record the resistance of the test material. The ohmmeter automatically performs the calculation R = V/I where R is the resistance in ohms, V is the voltage in volts and I is the current in amperes. 4

Measure the dimensions of the test material in meters. The length is the distance between the ohmmeter terminals. The area is the area of the surface that the ohmmeter is measuring current across. 5

Calculate the electrical conductivity from the resistance, length and area of the current. The resistivity is given as p = RA/l where p is the resistivity, R is the resistance, A is the area and l is the length. The conductivity is s = 1/p where s is the conductivity. The conductivity is therefore s = l/AR and will be measured in ohm^-1 meters^-1, also known as siemens. How to Test an Electrical Outlet With a Digital Multimeter By G.K. Bayne, eHow Contributor

Digital multimeters are an inexpensive diagnostic tool that can aid in troubleshooting many electrical problems. Some models of digital multimeters will give automatic readings on the display. The acronyms most typically displayed are VAC (volts alternating current), VDC (volts direct current) and ohms, which is used for reading the resistance of an electrical circuit. When using the digital multimeter for testing any household electrical circuit, such as an outlet, you will want to read VAC. Does this Spark an idea? Other People Are Reading How to Test an Outlet With a Multimeter How to Test a Receptacle with a Multimeter

Print this article Instructions 1

Insert the red lead into the multimeter's connector labeled "volts." There may also be a red ring around the connector. Place the end of the black lead into the connector labeled "com." It too may have a black colored ring around it. 2

Switch the dial on the face of the meter to VAC or it may be labeled only as "volts." If the face is labeled as VAC on the switch, the display should read "0.0 VAC." If the switch is labeled as only volts, then the display may read "0.0." The meter is ready to use.

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Insert the red lead into the right vertical slot of the wall outlet. Place the black lead into the left vertical slot of the wall outlet. The meter should be displaying either "110 VAC" or "120 VAC" depending on the utility companies supplied electrical power. If there is no reading or "0.0" on the meter display try jiggling the leads inside the slots. If there is still no voltage being read, the wall outlet may have an electrical problem. 4

Withdraw the black lead from the vertical slot. Insert the black lead into the lower oval slot which is the electrical ground. The meter should be displaying a voltage reading. If it is not, the circuit breaker may be tripped or the fuse is blown. How to Test if an Outlet Is Grounded By Mike Johnson, eHow Contributor

An outlet with three prongs can be tested.

There might be a lot going on with your home's electrical system and outlets that you're not aware of. However, when you want to introduce a new electrical component, such as a surge protector, knowing more about how the system works can be helpful. For example, a surge protector cannot work properly

and will be much more efficient if the outlet that you plug it into is properly grounded. A simple test will help you determine whether the outlet is grounded. Does this Spark an idea? Other People Are Reading How to Loosen Ground Soil With Detergent Prenatal Testing

Print this article Things You'll Need Circuit tester Instructions 1

Purchase a circuit tester. You need a circuit tester to test whether the outlet is grounded. You can find them at hardware stores and similar retail establishments. 2

Examine your outlet to get a better idea of what it entails. Outlets that can be grounded have three slots. One short and one long next to each other, and a rounded hole beneath those two.

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Follow the instructions of the circuit tester to test whether the outlet is grounded. The instructions can vary slightly, but you will likely need to insert one probe into the shorter slot and one into the rounded hole. 4

Watch for the indicator light on the circuit tester. If your outlet is grounded, the indicator light should come on. If the outlet is not grounded, the light will not come on.