Blog Articles
Requirements for Making and Selling Lamps
We often receive enquiries for our PAT testing courses from people looking to start a small business making and selling small electrical items, typically lamps and ...
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BS 1362 Fuse Operation Characteristics
What many people may not realise is that a 13A rated fuse is not designed to actually blow at 13A. In fact a 13A fuse will allow a current of 20A...
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20A Fuse
BS 1362, the British Standard for plug fuses, states: “The rated current may be any value not exceeding 13A...
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PAT Testing with Adaptors
For PAT testing equipment that does not have a standard 13A BS1363 plug, an adaptor is required to connect the appliance to the PAT tester......
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Socket Covers
The Department of Health has recently issued an alert notice to warn of the dangers of using socket inserts......
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Seaward Primetest 250 Vs Megger PAT150
Comparison of the Seaward Primetest 250 and the Megger PAT150 PAT Testers......
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Dangerous Water Heater
The heater consists of a plastic housing with two metal plates separated by a gap of about 5mm. The supply cord is two core 0.5mm2 fitted with a NEMA type plug.....
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Plug Pin Gauge
This simple piece of laminated card is cleverly designed to help consumers easily identify counterfeit and sub-standard plugs, chargers, and adaptors’....
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Seaward Apollo 400 Review
Seaward have recently introduced a new model to their Apollo range of PAT testers and describe it as ‘A straightforward, no-nonsense PAT tester’....
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Counterfeit BS1362 Fuses
One aspect of PAT testing that is becoming an increasing problem is identifying counterfeit equipment. Trading Standards report that counterfeit fuses "may explode violently and ...
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PAT Tester Calibration
Where, how, and when should you have your PAT tester calibrated ...
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Leakage Current Testing
The second most frequently asked technical question we receive is regarding equipment failing a leakage test ...
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Changes to the IET Code of Practice
We often get asked if it's okay to use an earlier version of the Code of Practice for the City & Guilds course, so I thought it would be useful to look at the changes ...
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DIY Checkbox Build
Commercial checkboxes are available, but you can easily and cheaply make a checkbox yourself. You just need a few resistors to test the readings for the earth continuity and ...
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Non-UK plugs and Adaptors
Unlike most other countries, the UK uses ring circuits. The ring circuit is designed to supply a large number of socket outlets and is usually protected by a circuit breaker rated ...
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PAT Testing 110V Equipment
A centrally tapped 110V transformer provides a split phase which reduces the line-to-earth voltage to just 55V. As the majority of electric shocks are caused by ...
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Tips to identify counterfeit chargers
Cheap counterfeit mobile phone chargers and other ac adapters are widely sold online via sites like Ebay. As these plastic encased devices have no metallic parts to ...
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Testing Class 1 appliances with no exposed metalwork
We often find class 1 equipment with no obvious exposed metalwork to connect the earth bond clip and get asked how ...
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Pass / Fail PAT Testers
There are a number of test instruments available with single button operation that provide a simple pass or fail result. These testers usually carry out the basic earth continuity and ...
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CE Marking
The CE mark is widely abused, especially on cheap Chinese imports, and this can help identify possible counterfeit and ...
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Using the City & Guilds Qualified Logo
A City & Guilds qualification shows that you have the ability to do a job to an industry recognised standard. Using the City & Guilds Qualified logo on your website...
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Nonsleeved plugs
In 1984 BS1363 was amended with a requirement that the line and neutral pins should have an insulation sleeve. 30 plus years later, equipment fitted with nonsleeved plugs is still in use ...
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PAT Testing Medical Equipment
Medical electrical equipment is not subject to the standard PAT testing procedures outlined in the IET Code of Practice. Medical equipment should ...
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Insulation test warning
When carrying out an insulation test it's important that the appliance is switched on. If the main switch is in the off position, any fault ...
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Conformity marks
This laptop charger has a confusing array of 20 certification, conformity, and approval marks crammed on the back, so what are they ...
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Earth Continuity Limit
Earth continuity readings higher than the (0.1 + R)Ω limit are often due to problems with the test procedure, rather than the appliance itself....
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How to wire a plug
A common cause of electrical faults is an incorrectly wired plug. Wiring a plug is not difficult however it is important to get it right...
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PAT Label Printers
We occasionally receive requests to supply or recommend a pat tester that can print a label. Fluke, Megger, Metrel, and Seaward all have...
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New Counterfeit Plug Type
We have recently become aware of a new type of counterfeit BS1363 plug entering the UK market from China. This is a rewirable plug with...
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Electric Shock
The severity of an electric shock is largely dependant amount of energy delivered to the body. This is a function of the magnitude of the current and the length of time the current flows...
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The Electrical Product Recall System
Research by Electrical Safety First estimates there are around 4 million recalled electrical appliances still being used in UK homes and businesses. The average success rate of a product recall is just 10% to 20% ...
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Microwave Leakage Testing
Previously microwave leakage testing was part of the standard PAT test. This requirement was removed from the Code of Practice when it was updated from the 3rd to the 4th edition...
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PAT testing - Legal Requirement
All electrical equipment used in the workplace must be maintained in a safe condition to meet the legal requirements of the Electricity at Work Regulations...
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Plug Museums
I have recently come across a couple of websites that are well worth mentioning here. The first is the Digital Museum of Plugs and Sockets ...
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Fuse Ratings
We often get questions about fuse ratings. The general advice is: If it has a moulded (non-rewirable) plug fitted, the easiest way is to check the ...
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Fixed Equipment Isolation
The in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment is almost always referred to as ‘portable appliance testing’ or ‘PAT testing’. Unfortunately this often leads to confusion about what equipment needs to be tested ...
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Second-Hand Electrical Appliances
If you supply or sell second hand electrical equipment it must be safe and meet the requirements of The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 ...
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Types of Electrical Equipment
There is a common misunderstanding that only portable equipment needs to be PAT tested. It’s easy to see how this has come about, after all PAT stands for portable appliance testing...
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Assessing the frequency of PAT Inspection & Testing
The frequency of PAT testing is based on a risk assessment approach. There are no set limits on how often equipment should be tested ...
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