Cable testing and diagnostics provides information about the cable’s global condition (e.g. the cable’s overall insulation system), and will reveal localised problems, such as poor joints and terminations; it will also reveal localised weak spots in the insulation.

Various cable tests are carried out to spot potential failures before they can cause severe outages. Megger and HVInc cable test equipment provides access to all of the technology needed to make informed cable management decisions through the different stages of the cable’s life cycle.

Newly laid cables may be tested to reveal any faults arising from transportation or installation

During the life of power cables, older PE/XLPE insulation cables may require testing to assess aging, particularly water-tree growth, which causes sections of the cable to weaken.

Another way to save costs is to efficiently replace cables based on their condition. For critical cables that are already in operation, permanent or periodic condition analysis can identify potential faults, so that planned, condition-based maintenance work can be carried out. This avoids unplanned outages and again, the associated costs that would otherwise be incurred by network failure.