The Automatic Insulation Boots Test Instrument under Wuhan UHV can help many power workers conduct various power tests more conveniently. Can tap water be used as the test medium in an Automatic Insulation Boots Test Instrument?
It is strongly discouraged and typically non-compliant with safety standards.
Detailed reasons:
1.Excessive Conductivity:
Tap water contains dissolved minerals (calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride ions, etc.) and impurities, giving it significant conductivity (high electrical conductivity).
During high-voltage testing, current flows through the conductive water, creating a leakage current path. This not only wastes the test transformer's energy but also:
Distorts measurements: Leakage current adds to the actual leakage current of the test object (insulated boots/gloves), leading to false rejection (incorrectly failing a compliant product).
Safety risks: Excessive leakage current may trigger equipment overload trips or damage. Conductive water may also cause dangerous surface discharges or arcing at container edges or electrodes.
2.Impurity Impact:
Impurities in tap water may accumulate on electrodes or test objects under high voltage, forming conductive paths that distort measurements and reduce actual breakdown voltage.
Impurities may also contaminate the inner surface of test objects.
3.Standard Requirements:
International and national standards for insulated boots/gloves testing (e.g., GB/T 17622-2008, DL/T 976-2017, ASTM F496, IEC 60903) explicitly require distilled or deionized water for withstand voltage tests (especially immersion tests).
These purified waters have extremely low conductivity (typically ≤5 μS/cm), minimizing background leakage current to ensure accurate results and test safety.
4.Test Purpose:
The core goal is to accurately measure the insulation performance of the test object itself (leakage current and breakdown). Using high-purity water minimizes "background noise." Tap water introduces severe noise, undermining the test's purpose.