Pat Testing Fixed equipment????

beanie10

I have noticed in my travels across the country that more and more commercial premises are plastered with pat testing labels.
What concerns me is that these labels are showing up in the most peculiar places, ie addressable smoke detectors, sockets with nothing plugged into it, hand driers, bathroom fans, break glass units even light fittings in some cases.
Surely these item are not liable to a pat test?
Are these contractors slapping a pat testing label onto anything with a wire going to it?
It would be interesting to know hot to pat test a smoke detector.

Sir Arthur Daley

beanie10 wrote: »

addressable smoke detectors, sockets with nothing plugged into it, hand driers, bathroom fans, break glass units even light fittings in some cases.
Surely these item are not liable to a pat test?

I wouldnt say they are anyway as the above are not portable appliances but doing a PAT test on a hand drier is no bad thing.

beanie10

Its becoming more common to see this these labels slapped on anything with a cable going to it. I wonder is the equipment that needs a pat test even being tested.

Sir Arthur Daley

One would be dubious of it for sure.

.G.

Could be periodic installation testing going on and they are using these green and white labels for it.

Seanieke

Am I correct in saying that PAT Testing is not a legal requirement? More a handy reminder to physically inspect appliances.

Sir Arthur Daley

Seanieke wrote: »

Am I correct in saying that PAT Testing is not a legal requirement? More a handy reminder to physically inspect appliances.

It is, it is a requirement under Irish law that all businesses are obliged to carry out PAT Testing on all portable appliances to ensure the safety and welfare of both employees and customer.

Seanieke

WikiHow wrote: »

It is, it is a requirement under Irish law that all businesses are obliged to carry out PAT Testing on all portable appliances to ensure the safety and welfare of both employees and customer.

Time to buy me a PAT tester so!

10-10-20

From the perspective of an IT admin, It can become a bit of a battle in regards to the suitability or application of PAT testing on particular appliances
Part of the issue stems from the fact that the PAT test isn't a standard, but is a code of practice and the rule-set is completely open to interpretation. Secondly, PAT testing can be carried out by a 'competent person' and not necessarily an electrician.
Take a device such as a desk-side UPS of 2000va for example. Such a device would not readily be considered 'portable in use', but can still be considered a candidate for a PAT test given that it's fitted with a removable three-prong plug. Many of these UPS's will fail the insulation resistance test given the design of the internal circuitry.
Also, older equipment with the passive PFC components seemed to fail relatively easily. Often these tests were applied when the devices were rack-mounted.

I suppose that when tests are being carried out on a per-device/plug-rate, it's in the interest of the PAT-tester to keep his numbers high.

dolittle

Seanieke wrote: »

Time to buy me a PAT tester so!

as far as i can recollect, PAT testing can be a visual check only, as far as i can remember from reading the literature the only time you need an electrical test is when an item is repaired...i now stand back and prepare for the deluge of damnation if i am wrong

tomdempsey200

dolittle wrote: »

as far as i can recollect, PAT testing can be a visual check only, as far as i can remember from reading the literature the only time you need an electrical test is when an item is repaired...i now stand back and prepare for the deluge of damnation if i am wrong

wrong I'd say
can't prove anything with a visual

don't know anything about PAT though
just a guess

2011

PAT testing includes but is not limited to:

• Earth continuity test
• Polarity test of leads
• Insulation resistance test (often referred to a a "meggar test")
• Touch current leakage test
• Functional test

See link