testing eletrical heating

[maynard]

hi guys I have been asked to perform a pat test in a rented property. one of the items on my list is electric heating. Im not sure if this comes under the inservice testing and inspection, surely this would be part of a periodic test?

 

[Sintra]

A periodic test or EICR as it's now known is for the fixed wiring of the installation.

 

[maynard]

Yes I know that. But what I am saying is the electrical heating would be fixed. I don't believe it is a single heater I believe it may be a electrical heating system therefore becoming part of the fixed electrical wiring

 

[Pete999]

Hi Mate
Items that require testing under the cop are as follows,
Portable appliances or equipment
Movable appliances or equipment
Hand held appliances or equipment
Stationary appliances or equipment
Fixed equipment or appliances

As Sintra said these items do NOT form part of the fixed wiring

 

[maynard]

Ok thanks guys

 

[maynard]

It's not a general wall mounted heater off of a spur. It's a hot air ventilation heating system. That's why I'm a little confused

 

[Pete999]

Have you got the cop? that explains everything in detail

 

[maynard]

Yes I have

 

[Pete999]

Then if you read it your heating unit is not part of the fixed wiring, it's subject to in service testing

 

[Richard Burns]

If you have a specific circuit fopr this heating system then an EICR woudl test the circuit up to the point where it was connected to the wiring for the hot air unit istelf.

The hot air unit, whether it is a self contained fan / heater element or individual elements and a fan system, would be subject to In Service Testing.
The testing would be for the unit itself or the individual parts and not for the supplying circuit.

This is often the sort of item that will get missed out, but something like this would normally be under a maintenance regime which would render the In Service Testing unnecessary.

 

[ohreally]

Not sure why there's confusion here. From the Q. the electric heating would be inspected and tested as a fixed appliance.

 

[Pete999]

Not sure why there's confusion here. From the Q. the electric heating would be inspected and tested as a fixed appliance.

Exactly

 

[Meggerman]

This is the same reasoning that NSH's often don't get tested

 

[Pete999]

It's time the facilities management people and others, realised that the EICR requires the FIXED wiring is tested, years ago when I worked for the DoE we tested the wiring and also tested the power consuming apparatus as it was then called. Now its called something else, call it want you like PAT or in house inspection, it's sadly overlooked and I'm sure until these people realize this there will be more accidents, so come on guys, lets not treat PAT or in house inspection as an evil must do.

 

[Darkwood]

What about a combi-boiler?

 

[amckay]

Combined boiler would come under stationary equipment in the cop so would require pat testing wether it has a plug on the end or not.

 

[Darkwood]

It may be under exclusions depending on whether it has a annual service contract in place... sometimes they have a clause in the service contract also hired equipment falls under the same exclusion as its not the property of your customer and should be maintained and checked by the hire company.