help , ive pat tested a drill that as passed but doesnt work how please

[Pete999]

What is your background, this would have been explained as part of your PAT test course, and your drill cant have passed if it isnt functional, it shouldn't have been issued a passed if it dosn't work, the test results may be misleading if part of the drill is faulty, why did you pass it????

Agree how can you PASS something if it doesn't pass the functional tests, double sigh

 

[K-PAT]

I'm not quite sure why this thread was reopened after such a long time, but I have to agree with those who say don't do the function test until you have ascertained that the appliance is safe to energise.That is exactly why my Metrel BetaPat machine won't let me do a function test unless the EB and IR tests have been carried out and passed.If a client wants to claim that my testing has damaged his appliance in any way, I would invite him to prove it with some sort of testimony from another tester or electrician, who I'm sure would give him suitable advice....Regards to all on the forum!!!

 

[amckay]

Must disagree here, function test can only be done after passing the all other tests, consider the earth broken on a drill with a fault and you do the function test first, it could kill where as the broken earth would show and fail on the tester thus stopping you doing a dangerous function test.

Sorry to say but very poor advice!

Disagree here. I have tested thousands of items over the years and the first thing I do is check it works, in exactly the same way that it was being used before it was handed over. I don't consider this a "function test", as this is done after all other testing. It is merely a quick check that the item is in working order before any other tests are carried out. Splitting hairs? Maybe. Saves a lot of hassle tho.

Darkwood is right.

Check appliance, check flex, check plug, remove plug inspect internal, earth bond test, ir test, earth leakage test, functional test. As set out in 4th edition cop. Reason why functional test is done last is because you are there to check the electrical safety of equipment and you have no idea if the appliance has a fault which makes the equipment dangerous to use potentially getting a shock. Test first check last.
But each to their own...

 

[Adam W]

Interesting argument. Personally I'd make a decision as to what to do on a case by case basis - if you're testing in an office and you have to get someone to power down their workstation before you test it, you can be pretty sure it 'worked' before you test it. If you find an appliance in a box in the corner of a dusty old storeroom there might be a reason it's there, ie it doesn't work. Again it depends on who you're testing for - a facilities manager might be less likely to argue about an extension lead failing than a licensee when their ice maker stops working, although you'd probably see that working before you took it out of service to test it. I suppose if it were, say, a bottle fridge in a function room that was switched off you could counter-argue that it wasn't working when you tested it and could have failed in the time between the test and when it was last used, hence the reason for testing every so often.

Technically the retest should be conducted before the previous test expired, so will be covered by the previous test, and obviously you would carry out an 'all senses except taste' inspection before switching it on; if a skilled/instructed person risks a shock from functional testing an appliance then what chance does the end user have?