# Receptacle tension test



## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

Grainger has 2
https://www.grainger.com/category/r...power-testing/test-instruments/ecatalog/N-b9z

Have no experience with them and can't vouch for them.

Maybe the customer's head of facilities has one and that's how they know they're bad?


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Act like you have a special tool and just use the basic 3 light tester. Then replace anything that looks old.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

buy the(good) tester, buy the literature, charge them enough to cover everything. they are just covering their collective a$$3$. they probably checked 10 receptacles. specify the tester used,testing procedure, etc in the report/invoice.


http://communities.leviton.com/servlet/JiveServlet/previewBody/2143-102-1-3291/Spec%20RTT99.pdf


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

wildleg said:


> buy the(good) tester, buy the literature, charge them enough to cover everything. they are just covering their collective a$$3$. they probably checked 10 receptacles. specify the tester used,testing procedure, etc in the report/invoice.
> 
> 
> http://communities.leviton.com/servlet/JiveServlet/previewBody/2143-102-1-3291/Spec RTT99.pdf




Woodhead one is the only one I see available 

Leviton no longer available 


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## jw0445 (Oct 9, 2009)

Yes sir Mr. head of maintenance, how about I replace all of them? If 80% are bad now how far behind can the other 20% be? Then you will have a fresh base line of durability. ChaChing!


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

sbrn33 said:


> Act like you have a special tool and just use the basic 3 light tester. Then replace anything that looks old.


An actual tension tester will get him much bigger replacement results.


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## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

MechanicalDVR said:


> An actual tension tester will get him much bigger replacement results.


The hospital may see it as a safety issue not just a maintenance issue, so, do it right.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Fine do it right then.


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

Bird dog said:


> The hospital may see it as a safety issue not just a maintenance issue, so, do it right.


liability, especially since they know about it.


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

These guys claim to have one in stock for $975

https://www.cesco.com/Leviton-RTT99-RTT99-LEVITON-RECEPTACLE-TENSION-TESTER/p2399148


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Bird dog said:


> The hospital may see it as a safety issue not just a maintenance issue, so, do it right.





MikeFL said:


> liability, especially since they know about it.


*Exactly!*


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

The woodhead / molex 1760 is a simple mechanical device, should be between $50 and $100, you could easily calibrate it yourself. The Leviton is electronic and it lets you give a software generated report rather than handwritten. Unless they are insane and insist on the electronic tester, I'd spend the $75 and make it back the first time you used it.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

WronGun said:


> Woodhead one is the only one I see available
> 
> Leviton no longer available
> 
> ...


https://www.cresthealthcare.com/Receptacle-Tension-Tester_792

https://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Woodhead-Receptacle-Tension-Carrying/dp/B003D7KB7O


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

jw0445 said:


> Yes sir Mr. head of maintenance, how about I replace all of them? If 80% are bad now how far behind can the other 20% be? Then you will have a fresh base line of durability. ChaChing!


 I agree with this completely. If 80% of the outlets are bad and need to be changed, that is pretty solid evidence that the remaining 20% will go bad pretty soon so they should be changed at the same time.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

MikeFL said:


> These guys claim to have one in stock for $975
> 
> https://www.cesco.com/Leviton-RTT99-RTT99-LEVITON-RECEPTACLE-TENSION-TESTER/p2399148




$975! 

Ouch 

I may go with the woodland for $100 


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

I would only replace the ones that are below the spec or marginal. I wouldn't assume they are all wearing the same amount, there may be receps that get used / abused a lot, others that have never had anything in them. 

I might test three times and report the lowest reading, and tell them I do it that way - this is not a super controlled test.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

splatz said:


> I would only replace the ones that are below the spec or marginal.


Yeah, cause like, why would you want to make money? :vs_laugh:

If the hospital says that 80% needs to be replaced, why leave 20%?

Between the time it would take to do the testing/reporting and the cost of continued future repair of the remaining 20% on a piecework basis, the savings in replacing all of the outlets can easily be articulated to the hospital.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

Sure replacing all makes more money. However , even though I can recommend it, I only do what the facility director asks for. 


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I have a Woodhead receptacle tension tester. It's actually a required test as part of the International Property Maintenance Code (aka "rental code"), which has the force of law in all but 8 states. They might be a little pricey, but they're not too bad when they show up on eBay. They're basically a fish scale connected to two receptacle prongs. When you own one, it makes for easy upsells. For instance, a common resi service call is to replace a receptacle where the plug doesn't stay in tight. This is generally the "vacuum cleaner outlet" or a receptacle on the kitchen countertop most popularly used for interchanged countertop appliances. "You want me to check the others while I'm here", you should say. Sometimes turns a quickie service call into something more worthwhile.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

MDShunk said:


> I have a Woodhead receptacle tension tester. It's actually a required test as part of the International Property Maintenance Code (aka "rental code"), which has the force of law in all but 8 states. They might be a little pricey, but they're not too bad when they show up on eBay. They're basically a fish scale connected to two receptacle prongs. When you own one, it makes for easy upsells. For instance, a common resi service call is to replace a receptacle where the plug doesn't stay in tight. This is generally the "vacuum cleaner outlet" or a receptacle on the kitchen countertop most popularly used for interchanged countertop appliances. "You want me to check the others while I'm here", you should say. Sometimes turns a quickie service call into something more worthwhile.




Definitely seems like a great up-sell tool ! 

I can think of many times I could’ve used this.. 


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

WronGun said:


> Sure replacing all makes more money. However , even though I can recommend it, I only do what the facility director asks for.


Of course. But in this instance, you have mutually beneficial reasons to push them towards upgrading all of them.


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## cuba_pete (Dec 8, 2011)

*Cletus strikes again...*

Cletus installed all of the receptacles upside down… You know… Ground pin up. Now whenever the plug gets loose the ground pin comes out and all those neutral/ground bonds he made down the line energize the chassis of the medical equipment…:wink:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

The hospital job can turn into a repeat, because it's required every 12 months. You only have to check the ground pin in patient care areas, unless the specs say otherwise. The actual hot and neutral prongs are not a required test under NFPA 99, but it would be dumb not the check them otherwise. Be advised that if the job specs require that the instrument be calibrated or that the instrument is UL listed, the Woodhead tester will not suffice. If the job specs don't require that, the Woodhead tester is fine.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

HackWork said:


> Yeah, cause like, why would you want to make money? :vs_laugh:
> 
> If the hospital says that 80% needs to be replaced, why leave 20%?
> 
> Between the time it would take to do the testing/reporting and the cost of continued future repair of the remaining 20% on a piecework basis, the savings in replacing all of the outlets can easily be articulated to the hospital.


Actually with a hospital you're probably right, it will be a costly pain in the ass to shut down, so might as well do them all. 

Now unlike you, I would not come back in a year and offer to re-test with a greased receptacle tester. That's just wrong. :devil3:

Incidentally ... I wonder if hospital grade receptacles have slid in quality the way regular receptacles have, or they're still as good as ever?


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

splatz said:


> Actually with a hospital you're probably right, it will be a costly pain in the ass to shut down, so might as well do them all.
> 
> Now unlike you, I would not come back in a year and offer to re-test with a greased receptacle tester. That's just wrong. :devil3:
> 
> Incidentally ... I wonder if hospital grade receptacles have slid in quality the way regular receptacles have, or they're still as good as ever?


For the price they should give you a bubble bath and whisper sweet nothings in your ear.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

1 of 3 of my only T/M accounts. It always works out well especially after marking up material. We have plenty of time for shutdowns or waiting for patients to clear out of rooms [emoji1360]


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

splatz said:


> I would only replace the ones that are below the spec or marginal. *I wouldn't assume they are all wearing the same amount, there may be receps that get used / abused a lot, others that have never had anything in them. *
> 
> I might test three times and report the lowest reading, and tell them I do it that way - this is not a super controlled test.


Like those girls I worked with in college. :vs_laugh:


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

MikeFL said:


> Like those girls I worked with in college. :vs_laugh:


Reminds me of the wanting the 'unused' part joke!


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## 3rdUserName (Nov 23, 2018)

Never heard of this but makes total sense. I'm sure well used, old recepts cause all kinds of issues. Pretty cool. Well, looks like it just stopped raining... ugghhhh. Time to put down the toys n pick up the tools. As always, Thanks for the info.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

WronGun said:


> Unfamiliar with this type of test.
> 
> One of my hospital accounts wants us to tension test every Receptacle and replace ones that don’t meet their criteria, which they claim is close to 80%.
> 
> ...


Did it all the time when I worked in the hospital. The grounding was what they mostly were concerned about. It had to engage first and release last. It was a yearly requirement. Doing the test was quick and I normally swapped out loose ones on the spot. It's amazing how quickly they wore out. 

There in an NFPA manual for hospital facilities. Don't remember the number, (99?)

I would recommend you reading 99 or buying it before doing hospital work. The joint commission will head hunt if things go bad later.. The only excape would be if the hospital had written a specific contract detailing what was to be done and it was signed off by their competent licensed engineer.


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## B-Nabs (Jun 4, 2014)

Up here, "blade tension" testing is part of the CSA Z32 standard for patient care areas (also covers grounding and voltage drop). When you build a patient care facility you have to hire a 3rd party to test the patient reference grounding, voltage drop, and blade tension, and it all goes in a report to the engineer as part of the close out documents. The company we hire uses a mechanical one, looks similar to the Woodhead posted.

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## jw0445 (Oct 9, 2009)

@WronGun how did you ever make out with this?


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

sbrn33 said:


> Act like you have a special tool and just use the basic 3 light tester. Then replace anything that looks old.


This is for a hospital, right tool for the job this is for a certification of the hospital and papering this job is WRONG. Papering any testing job is wrong.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

brian john said:


> This is for a hospital, right tool for the job this is for a certification of the hospital and papering this job is WRONG. Papering any testing job is wrong.


Just curious if they have a certified tool. I looked online and the only one I could find was the Ideal one, which has been discontinued. The only other tool I could find was that Woodhead unit, which has no certification.

What do they do when they have a requirement that no tester meets?


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

WronGun said:


> $975!
> 
> Ouch
> 
> ...


Buy cheap get cheap results you want a quality product that will give consistent results


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Switched said:


> Just curious if they have a certified tool. I looked online and the only one I could find was the Ideal one, which has been discontinued. The only other tool I could find was that Woodhead unit, which has no certification.
> 
> What do they do when they have a requirement that no tester meets?


I would submit specifications of the tester and have them approve it.


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## Kawicrash (Aug 21, 2018)

splatz said:


> HackWork said:
> 
> 
> > Yeah, cause like, why would you want to make money?
> ...


 I have a couple of the red Hubbell ones from about 20 years ago, built like a tank. Nicest receptacles I've ever seen, other than being all straight blade screws.


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## wmbettsjr (Aug 24, 2018)

I have some old hospital grade receptacles as well. I've got a double duplex made up in a 4x4 w/ raised cover still going strong after twenty years of hard use 


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## B-Nabs (Jun 4, 2014)

wmbettsjr said:


> I have some old hospital grade receptacles as well. I've got a double duplex made up in a 4x4 w/ raised cover still going strong after twenty years of hard use
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk


I like using (and reusing) HG receptacles for construction power. They're like Timex, they take a licking and keep on ticking! 

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