PAT Newbie Questions.

[Curious]

Hi. Ive just started reading up on appliance testing and wondered if anyone could help me with a couple of things please.

1 Should ALL appliances, for arguments sake,ones with a plug only(in this instance) Be tested for a PAT Cert for a business to be issued?
For example. Even if there is a mass of cables to computers etc etc in a dark small area, Which was the case in a place i used to work.
All the stuff got tested apart from the areas that had video switchers, pa amplifiers pcs etc.
I gather you need to un plug ALL peripherals from each piece of equipment being tested?

Soo many input and output cables to be unplugged to test each device equals a testers nightmare i presume? Would this be why they dont get tested? and how does that effect PAT Certification for the business?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts offered on this.

 

[Adam W]

You need to disconnect anything which could cause a parallel path and affect the results.
Ordinarily you wouldn't unplug a server, life support machine etc if it would cause too much disruption.

 

[Curious]

You need to disconnect anything which could cause a parallel path and affect the results.
Ordinarily you wouldn't unplug a server, life support machine etc if it would cause too much disruption.

Thanks, for your help. Is it not just a case of the work being scheduled for a suitable time? as i presume all equipment of a certain age has to be tested at some point, no? or does it not really matter when it comes to the certification being 'complete' for insurance purposes.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

You need to have a look at the In service test and inspection of electrical equipment IEE book, this has a table inside which gives you guidance on what test is required and its frequency, taking into account the type of environment it is used in, and the frequency it is used. There is no generic date timescale for this, some equipment test frequency is NEVER, and some are daily. PAT Testing is just a generic term for In service test and inspection of electrical equipment, so it generally assumed that only appliances with plugs on are tested, but this is not the case.

Cheers.........Howard