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Chris

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Hi all,

I currently work for a company but looking to go self employed in a couple years (When ive got a mortgage!) and someone has just asked me if i do pat testing, i said no as i dont have the pat tester but it got me thinking.

How lucrative is it?
Is it worth the investment in the pat tester?
and whats the going rate per item these days?

Thanks
 
I charge a completely uncompetative £2 per item. Because i do them properly... And only for regular cusomers... And its a bore.
I've started adding a site attendance fee on top of asset charges. I have more than enough PAT Testing and don't need more!

If someone is just interested in the cheapest quote then frankly I'm probably not the person for them.
 
I worked in a factory doing maintenance.
It was decided we should PAT test all the portable equipment.
I started in the workshop, just to get the knack.
After completing the testing in the workshop, I convinced my Manager to lose the PAT tester.
I think he sold it to a bouncy castle hire company?
 
To be honest, I don't think it's worth it. You are up against firms that charge less than £1 in some cases per item. They are the ones also that seem to see it as just a sticker exercise. Having said that if you get in with a couple of estate agents/ landlords, you may find it ok. You could offer EICR and and pat testing as a complete service, but I wouldn't bank on it. If you do decide to do it just make sure it is worth your time and effort. Seems a good idea from ristesrd, charge a site attendance fee as well as a good price for testing each item, and do a thorough job.
 
We do a bit of it, normally for our landlord/agent customers.
We don't charge for up to 5 items when done with an EICR or if its a separate job we charge an £80 flat rate (which is our standard initial labour charge anyway) for the first 10 items & £1 thereafter.

We do get the odd bigger job, but not many. It is boring though & we normally only use it as an extra or a way in.
I spent 3 long days working through every item in a local community centre last year and it nearly broke me , there was no previous record to work from & everytime I thought I had finished they remembered another room or something else :pensive:
 
Ok thanks for the replies everyone, seems its only really good as an extra then! I would be looking to get in with some landlords as i have some i do work for now and as my sister works in the industry she is sending landlords my way often,

Perhaps it might be worth buying one for use in getting work with EICRs when this legislation comes in for private landlords..
 
If you do go down the 'PAT' route then it's worth bearing in mind these points:

1. PAT Testing is not the correct term - It is 'In Service Inpection & Testing of Electrical Appliances'
2. Not everything has to be tested - many items these days would only need inspection (hence ISIEE, and not PAT)
3. It doesn't just apply to hand-held equipment
4. It doesn't just apply to items with 13A plugs fitted (or plug-tops)
5. The interval is not every year for many items
6. Read the HSE guidance on office equipment
7. Obtain the code of practice (current version) - it is useful
8. Understand the tests you are doing. Don't be like the guy I saw testing figure 8 leads and watching it say 'PASS' on the machine each time :)

There's probably more, but your attention span will be exceeded now probably.
 
I once spent two weeks putting numbers on cables.... That was fun...
But I'm taking it off topic.... soz...
 
Having spent time as an Asset Manager at my place of work, as well as other things, the maim thing that would be, in my opinion a must, will be an Equipment Register (ER), whereby all your electrical equipment covered by the CoP of ISITEE.
It is my belief that if you're serious about maintain your equipment, and don't have a ER, then if you get someone to do the testing on your behalf, the first port of call would be to get them to produce one, a ball busting job I agree, but a necessary one, will be costly to produce, but necessary in order to test and keep records, just testing what you can lay your hands on is a pointless exercise, but remember it is down to the Duty Holder of your equipment that is responsible for record keeping, and deciding the frequency of testing, people may rubbish this statement, my advice to them is read the CoP.
 
Agree with Pete - it's the Duty Holder that will be called to account if anything bad happens. Make sure you can prove that the system you have in place is adequate.
 
When I was young I once got a job through an agency at a crouton factory. My task was to stand at the end of the production line and pick the burnt ones out as they travelled past me on a conveyor. I lasted 8 hours.
I'd rather do that than PAT though.
 
Also, there's a PAT testing section in this forum somewhere - might be worth having a look through some of the threads.
 
Also, there's a PAT testing section in this forum somewhere - might be worth having a look through some of the threads.
No such animal as PATesting, comes under ISITEE CoP

To be honest Pete I hate term PAT Testing (see my post earlier on this thread) but I think it is called the PAT Testing section on here sadly.
 
Also, there's a PAT testing section in this forum somewhere - might be worth having a look through some of the threads.


To be honest Pete I hate term PAT Testing (see my post earlier on this thread) but I think it is called the PAT Testing section on here sadly.
Should be altered then Mate imo, save all the nit picking.
 

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