Shabbily crafted electrical tools have cost the Australian electrical industry at least AUD 2billion in 2018 alone. From a small business’ perspective, improper measurement of your electrical work may not only damage your customer’s business but hurt your reputation as well. If you are planning to launch your services with top-notch electrical tools, it isn’t enough to only stock on machinery and devices for maintenance.
You should also invest in quality measurement tools, such as follows:
- Measurement tape
While a tape is not exactly an electrical device, it does help in making some basic calculations. For example, this would help you correctly measure the exact length of your wiring. Based on this length, you can make other calculations like electrical load, current, and other variables
- Multimeter
Protecting your electrical equipment against voltage surges is your job. In Australia, voltage surges caused business losses worth $500 million in 2017 and this figure is likely to increase in 2019. One reason why many businesses suffer because of these surges is the lack of trained electrical technicians. But if you are trained in electrical jobs and have a Multi metre, you should feel happy; businesses are looking out for you.
A Multimeter is a hand-held device that measures fluctuations of electrical current. Simply plug your device to any equipment that you want to test, and it would give you its voltage consumption. For example, if a fridge requires 220 VOLTS but is experiencing voltage surges, you can check those spikes and do the needful. Multimeters like those of Mektronics are easy to handle, portable and extremely simple to use.
- Testers
These are some of the most basic electrical safety and monitoring devices. A tester checks whether current is running in any electrical equipment or not. To check the current flow, apply the tip of the tester to the surface of the equipment and touch the broad end of your tester. If the bulb inside glows, this means there is some current running. If not, then it is time to repair your machine. Testers are not used in gigantic machines like transformers, generators, turbines, etc. This extremely simple device is used in homes and offices.
- Non-contact voltage detector
There would be many cases where you’d be required to test the flow of electric current in a circuit. While you can use testers to find that out, you can still opt-in for a non-contact voltage detector. This electrical device lets you check the flow of current without actually touching the circuit. You simply bring your voltage detector close to the machinery, and the former will sense the current flow.
- Level
Start with the basics first. Ensure that all your equipment is level. This means your machinery is at a level surface so that there are no errors. A level ensures just that. Your wall plates, holding sockets, etc will be on a level surface when you use this measuring equipment. Levels are extremely cheap and you can buy one for as low as $5.
While these tools may help you calculate better, you would also need a few basic ones. Fasten your equipment with quality screwdrivers. You can have these simple devices from any shop in Australia and these won’t cost you a bomb. A good screwdriver keeps all the parts in place and is an essential part of any electrical contractor’s kit.
You would need clippers to cut the rubber piping that holds the wire inside, Clippers come in various forms, are extremely easy to use and very importantly, are insulated. Sometimes you would be working in darkness and would need a source of light. A flashlight serves that purpose and provides you with the required illumination.
