PAT testing equipment

Choosing a Tester

There is a wide range of PAT testers and accessories available, this can make choosing the correct tester confusing.

As you will have noticed, we only sell a small range testers. We have carefully selected only the best models that represent the best value in terms of ease of use, functionality, reliability and price.

Basic PASS/FAIL Testers

Pass/Fail testers only display an indictaion of a pass or fail result, they do not display any measured values. To correctly test an appliance you must interpret the readings the instrument is measuring. A tester with just a pass or fail indication does not allow for this. The IEE Code of Practice recommends that equipment failing an earth continuity test using a Pass/Fail tester should have the actual resistance value measured with another test instrument. We do not supply or recommend purchasing a Pass/Fail tester.

Entry Level Testers

These testers are most suitable for testing a relatively small number of items. All of the testers in our entry level range have an LCD display to allow test data to be recorded and interpreted. The entry level testers we recommend are the Kewtech KT71, Seaward Primetest 100 and the Seaward Primetest 250.

Mid Range

The step up to the testers in 'Mid Range' has two main advantages, the ability to download test data and use automatic test sequences. Test data can be stored and download to a PC, this speeds up the testing process and provides traceability to show the tests have been carried out correctly. The mid range tester we recommend is the Metrel GammaPAT PRO.

Professional Testers

Professional testers can perform a wider variety of tests and have more features. They can store more appliance information and have a qwerty keyboard for fast data entry. The professional testers we recommend are the Metrel BetaPAT Plus and the Metrel SigmaPAT .

The most suitable tester

The main factors to consider when selecting a tester are the amount of appliances you will be testing, the type of records you want to keep, and your budget. The most cost effective solution for testing up to about 500 items, we recommend an entry level tester. For companies with more than 500 items, the time saved by using a downloadable tester usually outweighs the higher initial cost. For regularly testing larger quantities, the speed and versatility of a professional tester is worth considering.

Comparison Table

	Seaward	Kewtech	Seaward	Metrel	Metrel	Metrel	Metrel
	Primetest 100	KT71	Primetest 250	GammaPAT	GammaPAT Pro	SigmaPAT	BetaPAT Plus
Low Current Earth Test
High Current Earth Test
Polarity Test
250V Insulation Test
Earth Leakage Test
Substitute Earth Leakage Test
230v Load Test
110V Load & Leakage Test
Battery Powered
Download Test Data
User Programmable Test Sequence
Upload Test Data
Barcode Reader Compatible
Qwerty Keyboard
Label Printer Compatibility
USB Port
RCD Trip Time Test

Features

Earth Continuity - There are two types of earth continuity test - low current and high current. The high current test is designed to simulate a fault current flowing through the earth path. This will detect any weaknesses in the protective conductor circuit as well as measuring the resistance. The low current test measures the resistance of the protective conductor but does not test its integrity. IT and other sensitive electronic equipment should be tested using a low current earth continuity test.

Insulation Test - Insulation resistance is usually measured using a 500V DC test voltage, however, this may damage some older electronic equipment that is not built to modern BS EN 60950 standards. To avoid damaging this equipment an alternative 250V insulation test may be used. The 250V test is also useful for testing surge protected equipment that would otherwise fail the standard test.

Earth Leakage / Touch Current - This test measures the current flowing through the protective conductor, or in the case of class II appliances, the current flowing through the body should someone touch the appliance (touch current). The test instrument supplies a mains voltage and operates the appliance. An alternative to this test is the Substitute Earth Leakage test, this is performed at a reduced voltage and will not power up the appliance. The substitute leakage test will normally provide similar results to a standard leakage test.

Load Test - The test instrument supplies a mains voltage to the appliance. The current consumption and/or the power consumption is then measured. Most testers can only test 230V equipment.

110V Operation - Some testers can perform leakage and load tests at 110V as well as the standard 230V. If a test instrument does not have this ability, a substitute leakage test is usually used as an alternative.

Battery Operation - Has the advantage of not requiring a mains supply to operate. The limitations of the battery supply means that most of these testers can not perform a high current earth test or earth leakage and load test. Some testers such as the Metrel SigmaPAT are able to operate on both battery and mains power to overcome this.

Test Sequences and Auto Tests - Can significantly speed up the testing. The correct series of tests and limits are automatically selected according to the class and specific type of appliance.

Upload & Download test data - Some testers can download the test data to a PC. Others can also upload test data from the PC to the test instrument. This allows the test sequence and limits to be selected automatically by entering the appliance number. This also means that the appliance description and location do not have to be re-entered.

Barcode Reader - Can speed up the entering of appliance numbers and can also be used to select auto tests.

Label Printers - Some test instruments can be connected directly to a printer to print an appliance label using the data on the tester. Generally this is a slower than using standard labels and the cost of the printer, labels and ink cartridges usually makes this prohibitively expensive.

Qwerty Keyboard - This makes inputting appliance information much easier and quicker than other types.

RCD Trip Time - The IEE Code of Practice recommends that the trip time of appliances fitted with an RCD is measured.