PAT Testing in Hampshire

Why do I need PAT Testing?

PAT Testing is a way of periodically checking that electrical items are safe for continued use. As there are a high number of fires and injuries caused every year by faulty electrical appliances it makes sense that periodic PAT Testing will keep this number to a minimum. Every year whilst carrying out PAT Testing in Hampshire we find hundreds of dangerous, faulty and counterfeit items that pose the risk of fire or injury.

• Electrical items are one of the risk factors to be considered when carrying out fire risk assessments. Businesses it is highly likely that PAT Testing will be mentioned in your fire risk assessment. Your insurance company may also stipulate that you need to have PAT Testing carried out.
• If you are a Landlord the electrical appliances that you supply as part of the tenancy must be safe at the start of the tenancy and checked for safety periodically throughout.
• If you are a sole trader like a DJ and carry out services using electrical items at other business locations like hotels or community halls you may be asked to provide a PAT Testing certificate before attending.

How long does PAT Testing take?

The time taken to carry out PAT Testing is subject to several variables however the main one is how accessible the items to test are. To carry out PAT Testing we would need to:

• Power down the equipment.
• Disconnect it.
• Carry out a visual inspection including opening the plugs.
• Carry out electrical tests if required.
• Record results and label the appliance.
• Reconnect equipment and power up.

We have had some customers and potential customers who have claimed that other PAT Testing companies have been able to test up to 100 items per hour however this is simply impossible if you are performing the testing correctly. Can you realistically believe that someone performing a competent job can perform all of the above steps in just over half a minute?

As a rough guide we would estimate that in offices we would be able to test 20-30 items an hour. In commercial settings 20 items an hour and 10-20 items an hour when testing 110V equipment.

How much does PAT Testing cost?

Looking on line there is wide variation in the prices quoted for PAT Testing, if you do a quick Google search you will see prices as low as 50p an item. It sounds like a good deal but it is often not. Some of these prices are quoted by national companies who do not actually carry out the work themselves and instead just subcontract it out to other companies in your area. Some of our customers have come to us after having poor experiences with their previous budget PAT Testing companies. They have complained of difficulty getting certificates after the testing has been completed, equipment being damaged due to incorrect testing and the test company missing items and not testing them.

We often find dangerous items which have passed labels on from previous PAT Testing companies. Some of these are counterfeit items which will never have passed PAT Testing from the day they were made. As an example, one day whilst carrying out PAT Testing in Andover we came across an items that was counterfeit that had probably been purchased online. It had 7 years of green passed labels on the plug, however it had no earth continuity and never had from the day it was made. All the previous company had to do to find this out was plug it into their tester and press the test button. The problem is that for 7 years they hadn’t, still think think 50p an item is a good deal?

We carry out PAT Testing in accordance with the IET Code of Practice which details all of the required steps and tests which should be performed. This is essential to ensure that items are inspected and tested correctly and that any faults or dangerous conditions are found and rectified. In the past when we have been carrying out PAT Testing our customers have often been surprised to see us opening up plugs and checking fuses because their previous companies never did this.

As a rough guide our prices start from £75 plus VAT which covers call out and testing of the first 30 items. Landlord PAT Testing certificates are £87 inclusive of VAT and cover up to 20 items.

If you need an accurate price for your PAT Testing then simply fill out our quote form and we will email you a quote promptly.

Can PAT Testing damage electrical equipment?

If carried out correctly then PAT Testing should not cause damage to any of your equipment.

The main test that can have the potential to cause damage to sensitive electrical components is the Insulation Resistance test. This is normally carried out at 500V DC but can be reduced to 250V DC in cases where there is the potential to cause damage to electrical equipment. There are some budget PAT Testers on the market that are only able to carry out an insulation resistance test at 500V. If you employ someone to do your PAT Testing who is inexperienced or who only has access to one of these testers then there is the potential to cause damage to your electrical equipment.

All of our staff who carry out PAT Testing have passed the City & Guilds 2377 qualification and are experienced in testing a wide range of electrical equipment. All test equipment that we use is calibrated frequently and has the ability to carry out an insulation resistance test at the reduced voltage of 250V.