Taking "Cleanliness" into consideration when selecting oil dielectric test set
(1) Insulating fluids are hazardous. Skin contact with these fluids should be avoided. Instrument should be designed to minimise the risk of spilage, and to make spillage as easy as possible to deal with if it should occur.
(2) Test vessel ease of cleaning. The vessel should be designed so that it has no corners, as these trap dirt and are difficult to clean.
(3) Chemical resistance. The test vessel should be made of a material that is highly resistant to chemical attack. Glass is not the best choice because of its fragility. A correctly specified moulded material will not affect test results - note that even glass vessels have moulded bushes to support the electrodes, and these bushes are in contact with the test sample.
(4) Ease of pouring. Always look for a test vessel that has a spout to aid pouring.
(5) When testing as per ASTM D1816, remember that this standard requires the oil sample to be stirred with an impeller, and also specifies that the test vessel must have a cover of be fitted with a baffle to prevent air from coming into contact with the sample. In many instruments, oil is displaced by the lid, resulting in messy spills. Look for a test set that does not have this problem.
(6) Test chamber ease of cleaning. Like the test vessel itself, the test chamber should be designed so that it has no corners to trap dirt and contaminants.
(7) Dealing with spillage. Inevitably, oil is sometimes spilled into the instrument's test chamber. It needs easy to remove this spilt oil is by using cloth or tissues.
