Insultation Resistance

What is insulation resistance?

Insulation resistance is defined as the resistance to current
leakage through and over the surface of the insulation
material surrounding a conductor. It is measured in Ohm`s
and its value represents a very important factor to
electricians working within the electrical industry.

What is insulation resistance testing?

The insulation resistance test is an electrical test which uses
a certain type and level of voltage (500V d.c. for low voltage
installations i.e.: 230V) to measure insulation resistance in
Ohm`s.

The measured resistance indicates the condition of the

insulation between two conductive parts. An infinite
resistance would be the perfect result, but no insulator is
perfect, so the higher the reading the better.

The table below shows the required test voltage and the
minimum required resistance in accordance with BS 7671.

Nominal Circuit Voltage Test Voltage Minimum Resistance

Between 0 V and 50 V a.c. 250 V d.c. 0.5 M ohm
Between 50 v and 500 V a.c. 500 V d.c. 1M ohm
Between 500 V and 1000 V a.c. 1000 V d.c. 1 M ohm
Insulation Resistance sequence
Step 1: Switch OFF Power supply
Step 2: By using an Insulation Resistor Tester Connect one lead to the
Earth conductor and the other to the Neutral conductor.
Step 3: Set the test required voltage (generally 250V) and check the
installation. Repeat the test with the Live conductor to earth
conductor, and between the Live and Neutral conductors. An
acceptable result should be not less than 1MΩ
Step 4: If result is below 1MΩ then one must repeat the tests on
every individual circuit by disconnecting the live and the neutral
conductors of each individual circuit. (By this way one can find which
is the faulty circuit)
Step 5: Fix the faulty circuit. Repeat the test on the individual circuit
and if the result is more then 1MΩ connect again all circuits and
repeat the test on the whole installation