So which PAT Tester is best? There is no short answer so it’s best to choose based on your needs.
This is an important question, as when deciding which machine you want, you need to ensure that you understand enough about PAT Testing to choose the right machine, so that you’ll be able to use it. The H.S.E. (Health & Safety Executive) say that any competent person can PAT Test. But how do you know if you’re competent? We run a free online PAT Testing course, which shows everything that’s involved in PAT Testing. Depending on your experience and work, this may be enough for you pass and feel competent enough to carry out the PAT Testing. If you struggle to understand the course you will need to seek additional face to face training.
The free online PAT Testing course can be accessed by clicking HERE
Either way you will need to use a Pass / Fail PAT Tester. So when choosing limit your search to those that give you the outcome, and not just the readings. A PAT Tester that only gives you measurements would not be suitable.
Like most things, what you have in your budget determines the functionality on the PAT Tester. So if you only have a few hundred, it’s best to go simple but well made. A PAT Tester should last for years but all will require annual calibration. Check what the ongoing maintenance costs are for calibration and whether there are any additional benefits. Things like warranties can be very beneficial. Cheap PAT Testers that cost a lot each year to be calibrated may be a false economy; so shop around. A company with a good reputation in the industry is ideal. Seaward are world leaders in the manufacture of electrical testing equipment. Their Primetest PAT Testers are manufactured here in the UK. Seaward manufacture the PB500, which is the equivalent of their Primetest 100. Our PAT Tester, the PB500 comes with a 10 year warranty for internal component failure, however the PAT Tester will need to be calibrated with us annually in order to qualify.
If you are a competent person doing the PAT Testing. You must use a Pass / Fail machine. This means that the PAT Tester may give readings, but always give a Pass or fail outcome. It is not suitable to use a machine that gives readings only. When you look at the PAT Tester, It may sound obvious, but do all the buttons make sense? It should all be pretty straightforward. An appliance is either:
All leads will be earthed as in Class I appliances, but you should test using the cord/lead button as this will also check polarity. There may be a switch to step down the voltage. There may there are other options – just be sure you understand exactly what each button does and don’t make assumptions.
When choosing which PAT Tester to buy, it’s great if someone recommends a product. Just make sure it does everything you need. If you are lacking in recommendations, do some simple research online. Look for a machine that has really easy to follow instructions. If you aren’t keen on reading instruction manuals (and let’s face it, most of us aren’t!) find one with an instruction DVD of course alongside which uses the machine you plan to use. Finally make sure you have support. When PAT Testing from time to time you will come across anomalies. It is good to have someone that you can call for free support & advice, rather that spending ages trying to figure a problem out yourself.
If you would like free advice regarding PAT Testing, please don’t hesitate to call Dale on 01392 364933. When you call have the PAT Tester and the appliance you are PAT Testing in front of you, and we can take you through the test step by step. It’s helpful if you know the Class of the appliance before you call.