Please Help Design a Dummy 230v ac Electrical Load.

Even if you can make this artificial load, it will not be a small plastic box, or more convenient than a toaster . 10 A at 230V is 2.3 kW, that is a lot of power to dissipate.

No matter what circuit you come up with , you have to dissipate this power away which ill require big fan and hugh heatsink, certainly not cheaper than a toaster

So, the cheapest and most practical way , though not elegant is still toaster, kettle or electrical stove.

Stick with the kettle, you can have cup of tea to celebrate finding the cable.

A 1500 watt portable heater (120v 12.5a) is exactly what you are describing and it is inexpensive and readily available. It already has a plug on it also. If needed an adapter cord of 14-3 or 12-3 wire with an appropriate socket on one end and well insulated clamps on the other end will facilitate testing other than circuits with outlets on it.

I have used this for many years when I need a dummy load within this working range. It also doubles as a heater during the winter if needed.

Good Luck, Old Salt

do you really do it that way in the USA? You would not be allowed on site with that in the UK.

Interesting.

After noticing that my generator wasn't quite working 100% during a recent power outage, I performed some maintenance and adjustment to it today. When I was finished, I wanted to load test it. I thought of the heaviest portable loads I could find, but none was as easy to grab and plug in as a toaster. Funny that you should ask about a load on the same day that I happened to use such a load.

The toaster is great for a quick and dirty test. But I have to agree with tcmtech. Mount a heating element in a metal tool box. Keep in mind that a heavy load puts out a lot of heat. Make sure not to leave it on in an enclosed area or near combustibles.

Lastly, load testing is one thing, but if all you need to do is trace a circuit, there are instruments that do just that.

That's what I do, but I'm lazy. Takes about a minute, works great, costs less than $50 new, lasts a long time. A GA.

missed this first time around.. good answer from me. In fact its the ONLY answer required.

Simple! What you want is a resistor, but a resistor requires a mineral oil bath to dissipate the heat, or, you need a blower to dissipate the heat directly to the air, so...wire a couple of high-power hair driers used by the ladies in series. The high power ones ought to draw 10 amps, and if they are the travel sized ones, you can reduce their footprint on the platform you choose to mount them on. Just remember - and this is important!!! Don't EVER use this in an environment where you may have combustible fumes. This is the same precaution you would take if you were thinking of using a propane torch or propane soldering iron. There is a possibility that the heating element could ignite dust drawn in from the fans, and ignite the fumes. Otherwise, Ohmite makes mil-spec resistors with anodized aluminum heat sinks built in to dissipate the heat, and the ones in the range you're talking about are about the size of a pound cake. Even these are made to mount to something to dissipate most of the heat. In the TV and elevator industries, transmitters and motor control circuits would routinely have huge resistors like this to dissipate energy, but then again, forced-air cooling.

since when has a PI required you to do what you've suggested with a dummy load. If you think about it any item of equipment that draws a current is NOT a dummy load.

I strongly suggest to get back to your book and 2391 guide book and study again.

do you have your C&G 2391 certs?

CR4 members.. if you don't know anything about BS7671 C&G 2391.. then please DO NOT offer answers to this post.

I'm not sure you understood what I was trying to achieve or maybe It was me not going into enough detail......

I have had my C&G 2391 and 2400 amongst a few othes too, for quite some time now. My problem is I work for the MOD and the 726 buildings I look after vary in age from grade 1 listed over 250 years old to modern day. some of the wiring has not been upgraded since installation and hardly any is marked with its designated circuit indentification. Some of these buildings contain secret and top secret equipment and computer servers etc and because of this there is no way it can be switched off. There are usualy a number of distribution boards all in the same vacinity (again, not marked with what they are supplying). As I said, I am unable to turn them off to trace them and as for a circuit tracer, they may be ok in certain situations, (i've had one for years) they are completely unreliable in this situation. That's why i went down the route of introducing a load to the circuit of a known value so making it easy to trace at the distribution board.......

Being pretentious is easy when you're ignorant of the facts so next time maybe just ask?

If the facts aren't provided how can anyone be accused of being pretentious?

And if you think I believe that computer servers are fed off random unidentified distribution boards, your dreaming. For such "high security" establishments do you think for one minute you would be allowed to take some home made device in?

Another potential solution for you:

Many years ago an electrician who was working for a contractor on a project I was in charge of loaned me a signal tracer that is identical to those used by comm personnel and telephone personnel for tracing of communication wiring. Put the signal generator (a very small box with two leads) on one end of the circuit (either hot-neutral, hot-ground or hot-hot) on one end of the wires under test and use the sensor unit to trace down the other parts of the circuit. Sensor does not have to touch the live circuit, just be in close vicinity to the wire. Worked every time it was used with no fuss, no risk and always accurate. Only problems occurred when it needed fresh batteries for receiver.

The best part was that the unit could be used on either dead or live circuits up to 600V, not just comm wiring. It had been dropped so many times that it was held together with electricians tape. When I went to return it to the electrician he refused to take it and gave it to me as a thanks for working on the project.

I would suggest you look into something like this. Perhaps FLUKE or some other manufacturer of instruments. Don't think it would cost more than $60-100 US for sender and receiver.

you cannot be serious

For a quick and safe temporary load bank you may want to use a bank of halogen lamps. It's quick and easy and gives reliable results through the use of switch-in circuits for additional bulbs/load.