SIST EN 50395:2005

Electrical test methods for low voltage energy cables

EN 50395 contains electrical test methods required for the testing of harmonized low voltage energy cables, especially those rated at up to and including 450/750 V.  NOTE 1   A description of the origin of these test methods and the background to this European Standard is given in the Introduction and in Annex B. The particular cable standard dictates the tests which need to be performed on the relevant cable type. It also specifies whether the specific test is a type test (T), a sample test (S) or a routine test (R) for the particular cable type. NOTE 2   T, S and R are defined in the relevant cable standard. The requirements to be met during or after the test are specified for the particular cable type in the relevant cable standard. However, some test requirements are obvious and universal, such as the fact that no breakdown shall occur during voltage tests, and these are stated in the particular test method. Test methods for use specifically in utility power cables are not covered by this European Standard. They can be found in HD 605. Test methods for use specifically in communications cables are the responsibility of the Technical Committee CENELEC TC 46X, Communication cables. At present such test methods are given in EN 50289 series.

Elektrische Prüfverfahren für Niederspannungskabel und -leitungen

EN 50395 enthält elektrische Prüfverfahren für die Prüfung von harmonisierten Niederspannungskabeln und  leitungen, insbesondere für die mit Nennspannungen bis 450/750 V. ANMERKUNG 1   Eine Beschreibung der Herkunft dieser Prüfverfahren und des Hintergrunds dieser Europäischen Norm findet sich in der Einleitung und im Anhang B. Die jeweilige Kabel- und Leitungsnorm bestimmt die Prüfungen, die an der entsprechenden Kabel- und Leitungsbauart durchgeführt werden müssen. Sie legt ebenfalls fest, ob die spezielle Prüfung eine Typ- (T), Auswahl- (S) oder Stückprüfung (R) für die jeweilige Kabel- oder Leitungsbauart ist. ANMERKUNG 2   T, S und R sind in der zutreffenden Kabel- und Leitungsnorm festgelegt. Die Anforderungen, die während oder nach der Prüfung erfüllt werden müssen, sind für die jeweilige Kabel- oder Leitungsbauart in der zugehörigen Kabel- oder Leitungsnorm festgelegt. Einige Prüfanforderungen sind offensichtlich und allgemeingültig, zum Beispiel die Tatsache, dass kein Durchschlag während der Spannungsprüfung auftreten darf; diese Anforderungen sind im jeweiligen Prüfverfahren niedergelegt. Prüfverfahren, die speziell bei Energieversorgungskabeln anzuwenden sind, werden durch diese Europäische Norm nicht abgedeckt. Sie sind in HD 605 zu finden. Prüfverfahren, die speziell bei Kommunikationskabeln anzuwenden sind, liegen im Zuständigkeitsbereich von dem Technischen Komitee CENELEC TC 46X "Kabel für Fernmelde- und Informationsverarbeitungsanlagen". Zur Zeit sind diese Prüfverfahren in EN 50289 Reihe angegeben.

Méthodes d'essais électriques pour les câbles d'énergie basse tension

La EN 50395 définit les méthodes d’essais électriques destinées au contrôle des câbles d’énergie basse tension harmonisés, en particulier ceux de tension assignée au plus égale à 450/750 V. NOTE 1   L’indication de l’origine de ces méthodes d’essais et du contexte de cette Norme Européenne est donnée dans l’introduction et dans l’Annexe B. La spécification particulière du câble prescrit les essais devant être effectués sur le type de câble considéré. Elle définit également si un essai spécifié est un essai de type (symbole T), un essai sur prélèvements (symbole S) ou un essai individuel (symbole R) pour le type particulier de câble considéré. NOTE 2   T, S et R sont définis dans la norme de câble applicable. Les résultats à obtenir pendant ou à l’issue de l’essai pour un type de câble donné sont définis dans la  spécification particulière correspondante. Toutefois, certains résultats ont un caractère évident et général, comme le fait qu’aucun claquage de l’isolation ne doit se produire pendant les essais de tension, et ils sont prescrits en conséquence dans la méthode d’essai particulière. Les méthodes d’essais spécifiquement applicables aux câbles de puissance pour réseau de distribution publique ne figurent pas dans cette Norme européenne. Elles peuvent être trouvées dans le HD 605. Les méthodes d’essais spécifiquement applicables aux câbles de communication relèvent du comité technique CENELEC TC 46X, Câbles de communication. Elles figurent actuellement dans la série de normes EN 50289.

Metode za preskušanje električnih lastnosti nizkonapetostnih energetskih kablov

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-Nov-2005
• ICS: 29.060.20 - Cables
• Technical Committee: IEKA - Electric cables
• Current Stage: 6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 01-Dec-2005
• Due Date: 01-Dec-2005
• Completion Date: 01-Dec-2005
• Directive: Not Harmonized2006/95/EC - Directive 2006/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on the harmonisation of the laws of Member States relating to electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits (codified version)
  OJ Ref: C 348/03 OJ Date: 28-Nov-2013
• Directive:

  ---

  Slovenian Regulation2010-01-3290 - Pravilnik o železniškem telekomunikacijskem omrežju
• Directive:

  ---

  Harmonized Standard2014/35/EU - Directive 2014/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits
  OJ Ref: C 249/03, UMIK 13.6.2025 OJ Date: 08-Jul-2016
• Directive:

  ---

  Not Harmonized73/23/EEC - Electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits
• Ref Project: EN 50395:2005 - Electrical test methods for low voltage energy cables

Relations

• Replaces: SIST HD 21.2 S3:1998 - Cables of rated voltages up to and including 450/750 V and having thermoplastic insulation -- Part 2: Test methods
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2023
• Replaces: SIST HD 22.2 S3:1998/A1:2003 - Cables of rated voltages up to and including 450/750 V and having cross-linked insulation -- Part 2: Test methods
• Effective Date: 01-Jul-2008
• Replaces: SIST HD 22.2 S3:1998 - Cables of rated voltages up to and including 450/750 V and having cross-linked insulation -- Part 2: Test methods
• Effective Date: 01-Jul-2008
• Replaces: SIST HD 21.2 S3:1998/A1:2003 - Cables of rated voltages up to and including 450/750 V and having thermoplastic insulation -- Part 2: Test methods
• Effective Date: 01-Jul-2008
• Official Journal Project Relation: SIST HD 22.2 S3:1998/A1:2003 - Cables of rated voltages up to and including 450/750 V and having cross-linked insulation -- Part 2: Test methods
• Effective Date: 05-Mar-2010
• Official Journal Project Relation: SIST HD 21.2 S3:1998/A1:2003 - Cables of rated voltages up to and including 450/750 V and having thermoplastic insulation -- Part 2: Test methods
• Effective Date: 05-Mar-2010
• Referred By: SIST EN 10245-1:2012 - Steel wire and wire products - Organic coatings on steel wire - Part 1: General rules
• Effective Date: 10-Feb-2026
• Referred By: SIST HD 22.16 S2:2007 - Cables of rated voltages up to and including 450/750 V and having cross-linked insulation -- Part 16: Water resistant polychloroprene or equivalent synthetic elastomer sheathed cables
• Effective Date: 03-Feb-2026
• Referred By: SIST HD 22.14 S3:2007 - Cables of rated voltages up to and including 450/750 V and having cross-linked insulation -- Part 14: Cords for applications requiring high flexibility
• Effective Date: 03-Feb-2026
• Referred By: SIST HD 22.13 S2:2007 - Cables of rated voltages up to and including 450/750 V and having cross-linked insulation -- Part 13: Halogen-free flexible cables having low emission of smoke
• Effective Date: 03-Feb-2026
• Referred By: SIST EN 50143:2009 - Cables for signs and luminous-discharge-tube installations operating from a no-load rated output voltage exceeding 1 000 V but not exceeding 10 000 V
• Effective Date: 03-Feb-2026
• Referred By: SIST EN 50214:2024 - Flat flexible cables
• Effective Date: 03-Feb-2026
• Referred By: SIST EN 50618:2015 - Electric cables for photovoltaic systems
• Effective Date: 03-Feb-2026
• Referred By: SIST EN 50382-2:2008 - Railway applications - Railway rolling stock high temperature power cables having special fire performance -- Part 2: Single core silicone rubber insulated cables for 120 °C or 150 °C
• Effective Date: 03-Feb-2026
• Referred By: SIST EN 50214:2007 - Flat polyvinyl chloride sheathed flexible cables
• Effective Date: 03-Feb-2026

Overview

SIST EN 50395:2005 specifies electrical test methods for harmonized low voltage energy cables, particularly those rated up to and including 450/750 V. Developed and issued by the Slovenian Institute for Standardization (SIST), this European Standard harmonizes requirements across member states, supporting cable conformity, safety, and quality in the energy sector.

The standard details the procedure for essential electrical tests used to evaluate low voltage cable performance. The specific cable standard for a product determines which tests must be applied and classifies them as type tests (T), sample tests (S), or routine tests (R). The requirements for passing these tests are outlined in the relevant cable standard, while universal requirements-such as no insulation breakdown during voltage tests-are included in this document.

SIST EN 50395:2005 does not cover test methods for utility power cables (see HD 605) or communications cables (covered by EN 50289 series).

Key Topics

• Electrical d.c. resistance test: Ensures conductor resistance meets prescribed specifications.
• Voltage tests: Assess cable insulation integrity under electrical stress, both in dry conditions and when immersed in water.
• Insulation resistance: Measures resistance of insulation to electrical current flow to confirm suitability for intended use.
• Long-term insulation resistance: Evaluates durability of insulation under continuous d.c. voltage over time.
• Fault detection: Utilizes spark and voltage tests to verify absence of insulation defects or faults.
• Surface resistance of sheath: Determines the electrical resistance of the cable sheath to ensure proper insulation.
• Transfer impedance: Tests the screening efficiency of cable shielding to prevent electromagnetic interference.

These standardized test methods help manufacturers, testers, and end-users verify product reliability, performance, and compliance with European safety and quality requirements for low voltage cables.

Applications

SIST EN 50395:2005 is essential in various applications involving low voltage energy cables, including:

• Energy distribution systems: Ensuring that installation cables for residential, commercial, and industrial buildings reliably transmit power without risk of failure.
• Product quality control: Used by cable manufacturers to demonstrate compliance with harmonized European specifications during type approval, production sampling, and routine batch testing.
• Cable certification and conformity assessments: Providing a uniform basis for regulatory bodies and certification organizations to assess products before entering the market.
• Safety assurance: Supporting electrical installers and maintenance teams in verifying that cables installed in electrical systems meet required electrical integrity and insulation standards.

By implementing these test methods, organizations reduce the risk of cable failure, electrical faults, or unsafe operation, thereby increasing the safety and dependability of electrical installations.

Related Standards

Several standards are referenced or related to SIST EN 50395:2005, including:

• HD 21.2 S3 & HD 22.2 S3: Superseded by EN 50395 for electrical test methods related to cables up to 450/750 V.
• HD 605: Contains additional test methods specific to utility power cables.
• EN 50289 series: Specifies test methods for communications cables, maintained by CENELEC TC 46X.
• EN 50356: Method for spark testing of cables.
• EN 60228: Describes requirements for conductors of insulated cables.

Practical Value

By following SIST EN 50395:2005, stakeholders in the low voltage cable industry gain access to harmonized, reliable, and recognized testing procedures that underpin product safety, performance consistency, and regulatory compliance within European and global markets. This standard is an essential reference for electrical engineers, cable manufacturers, quality assurance professionals, and safety inspectors involved in the design, production, testing, or certification of low voltage energy cables.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI SIST EN 50395:2005
STANDARD
december 2005
Metode za preskušanje električnih lastnosti nizkonapetostnih energetskih
kablov
Electrical test methods for low voltage energy cables
ICS 29.060.20 Referenčna številka
©  Standard je založil in izdal Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje ali kopiranje celote ali delov tega dokumenta ni dovoljeno

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN 50395
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM August 2005
ICS 29.060.20 Partly supersedes HD 21.2 S3:1997 + A1:2002 &
HD 22.2 S3:1997 + A1:2002
English version
Electrical test methods for low voltage energy cables

Méthodes d'essais électriques  Elektrische Prüfverfahren
pour les câbles d'énergie basse tension für Niederspannungskabel und -leitungen

This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2005-07-01. CENELEC members are bound to
comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European
Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on
application to the Central Secretariat or to any CENELEC member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and
notified to the Central Secretariat has the same status as the official versions.

CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland and United Kingdom.

CENELEC
European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung

Central Secretariat: rue de Stassart 35, B - 1050 Brussels

© 2005 CENELEC - All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC members.

Ref. No. EN 50395:2005 E
Foreword
This European Standard was prepared by the Technical Committee CENELEC TC 20, Electric cables.
In accordance with the decision of TC 20 at its Setubal meeting (June 2004), the text of the draft was
submitted to the formal vote. It was approved by CENELEC as EN 50395 on 2005-07-01.
This European Standard, together with EN 50396:2005, supersedes HD 21.2 S3:1997 + A1:2002 and
HD 22.2 S3:1997 + A1:2002.
The following dates were fixed:
– latest date by which the EN has to be implemented
at national level by publication of an identical
national standard or by endorsement (dop) 2006-07-01
– latest date by which the national standards conflicting
with the EN have to be withdrawn (dow) 2008-07-01
__________
– 3 – EN 50395:2005
Contents
Page
Introduction.5
1 Scope.5
2 Normative references.5
3 General requirements .6
3.1 Pre-conditioning.6
3.2 Test temperature .6
3.3 Test voltage .6
3.4 Test values .6
4 Definitions.6
5 Electrical d.c. resistance of conductor .6
6 Voltage test on completed cable .6
7 Voltage test on cores in water .7
7.1 Test sample .7
7.2 Procedure .7
7.3 Requirement .7
8 Insulation resistance test .7
8.1 Insulation resistance for cables having maximum conductor temperatures
not exceeding 90 °C .7
8.1.1 Test sample .7
8.1.2 Procedure .8
8.1.3 Requirement .8
8.2 Insulation resistance for cables with maximum conductor temperatures
exceeding 90 °C .8
8.2.1 Test sample .8
8.2.2 Procedure .8
8.2.3 Requirement .8
9 Long term resistance of insulation to d.c.9
9.1 Test sample .9
9.2 Procedure .9
9.3 Requirement .10
10 Check for the absence of faults in insulation .10
10.1 General.10
10.2 Spark test.10
10.2.1 Procedure .10
10.2.2 Requirement .10
10.3 Voltage test.10
10.3.1 Procedure .10

10.3.2 Requirement .10
11 Surface resistance of sheath .11
11.1 Test samples .11
11.2 Procedure .11
11.3 Requirement .11
12 Transfer impedance .11
Annex A .12
A.1 Basic formula.12
A.2 Rounding .12
A.3 Examples of calculation.12
Annex B (informative) Source of electrical test methods in EN 50395.13
Bibliography.14
Figure 1 – Positioning of electrodes .9

– 5 – EN 50395:2005
Introduction
EN 50395 contains the electrical test methods that are used for harmonized low voltage energy
cables. These electrical test methods include all those previously contained in HD 21 and HD 22.
Annex B gives a comparison between the original location of each test method and its place in this
new European Standard.
The content of EN 50395 is not, and will not be, restricted only to test methods for cables to HD 21
and HD 22. Other test methods for harmonized LV cables may be included. Furthermore, the use of
test methods in EN 50395 for cables outside HD 21 and HD 22 is not prohibited, but it is strongly
recommended that expert advice be taken before such use, or before any proposal for incorporation
into another standard.
1 Scope
EN 50395 contains electrical test methods required for the testing of harmonized low voltage energy
cables, especially those rated at up to and including 450/750 V.
NOTE 1 A description of the origin of these test methods and the background to this European Standard is given in the
Introduction and in Annex B.
The particular cable standard dictates the tests which need to be performed on the relevant cable
type. It also specifies whether the specific test is a type test (T), a sample test (S) or a routine test (R)
for the particular cable type.
NOTE 2 T, S and R are defined in the relevant cable standard.
The requirements to be met during or after the test are specified for the particular cable type in the
relevant cable standard. However, some test requirements are obvious and universal, such as the fact
that no breakdown shall occur during voltage tests, and these are stated in the particular test method.
Test methods for use specifically in utility power cables are not covered by this European Standard.
They can be found in HD 605.
Test methods for use specifically in communications cables are the responsibility of the Technical
Committee CENELEC TC 46X, Communication cables. At present such test methods are given in
EN 50289 series.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 50289-1-6 2002 Communication cables – Specifications for test methods -
Part 1-6: Electrical test methods – Electromagnetic performance
EN 50356 2002 Method for spark testing of cables
EN 60228 2005 Conductors of insulated cables

3 General requirements
3.1 Pre-conditioning
All the tests shall be carried out not less than 16 h after the extrusion or cross-linking, if any, of the
insulating or sheathing compounds.
3.2 Test temperature
Unless otherwise specified, tests shall be made at an ambient temperature of (20 ± 15) °C.
3.3 Test voltage
Unless otherwise specified in the individual clause of this European Standard or in the product
standard, the test voltage shall be a.c. of approxi
...