Some common questions on PAT Testing, answered

 

·      What is PAT Testing?

The full form of PAT is Portable Appliance Testing and in simple words, it involves examining the electrical appliances and home equipment to ensure the safety of your house. In Wimbledon, PAT Testing primarily involves visual inspection of equipment, cables and plugs to ensure that they are in good working condition. The main aim of the inspection is to verify the grounding continuity and testing the soundness of insulation between current-carrying parts.

 

·      What is involved in PAT testing?

Electricians in Wimbledon do a variety of inspections tasks, depending on the complexity involved. Considering the tool set up involved in general PAT tests, here are the common activities involved in PAT testing in Wimbledon:

-          Visually inspecting electrical appliances for wire cuts, sparks or loose connections

-          Running a check on metal items exposure to electrical appliances

-          Examining cables to see possible cuts

-          Testing insulation between electrical parts

-          Grounding verification

Once the tests are completed, the electrician marks them as either a pass or a fail. The items passed are safe for usage while the ones that failed need either replacement or repair work.

If we loosely talk about it, any and every appliance that’s plugged into a socket needs PAT testing. This includes radios, steam irons, television sets, CD players, electric clocks, computer systems etc.

 

·      Is PAT testing compulsory by law?

As per the provisions laid down in ‘The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989’, businesses are required to get their electrical equipment tested for safety reasons. However, the provisions don’t specify:

ü  What exactly needs to be done to verify safety?

ü  How frequently is the verification to be done?

ü  Who is eligible to do the verification?

This is where the formal PAT inspection comes into role. Although no specified by law, a periodical PAT Testing in Wimbledon is all you need to stay on top of safety measures.

 

·      Role of PAT in Fire Safety

In Britain, around 2007, over 60% of all accidental domestic house fires were the result of poorly cared & faulty electrical equipment. In England, between 2014 & 2015 only, 12% of the total domestic fires reported were caused by electrical misfires. The figure has significantly declined. Thanks to an increased awareness of electrical well-being as well as the increasing trend of PAT testing in Wimbledon.

PAT testing done by a professional electrician in Wimbledon can help you test the electric equipment in your house on the grounds of fire safety. It ensures that the appliances are safe to use and have ‘Little to No chance’ of any accidental injuries due to faulty electronics. This helps you avoid reduce the substantial risk of damage to or due to electrical equipment.

 

·      When should PAT testing be done?

Although it is not mandated by law but is suggested to have regular PAT testing in Wimbledon. For buildings with higher risks such as schools, colleges, hospitals, banks, office buildings and more, it is important to maintain a required regimen of safety checks.

Especially, if you are renting out your property, make sure it’s PAT tested by a professional electrician in Wimbledon before you hand over the keys to the tenant. Apart from this, a quarterly PAT test, in case of older equipment and a half-yearly test, in case of new equipment is suggested.

Since the PAT test is to ensure the safety of everyone who lives in a building, it becomes everyone’s responsibility to keep an eye for electrical safety. Employees, residents of apartments, family members should actively feel involved in maintaining a check on periodical PAT testing in Wimbledon.

 

·      How to choose a PAT testing company

To get your house PAT tested, make sure you only choose the most reputed electrician in Wimbledon. To check the geniuses of the work of an electrician company lookout for:

ü  References: If you know or someone you know knows an electrician, hire them

ü  Licensing: Always make sure that the electrician you are hiring is licensed by the government for doing his or her job.

ü  Professionalism: Meet them; ask them questions about their experience, knowledge, skillset, team and working style. The answers will give you a brief idea about their level of professionalism.

ü  Hire Us: We at Wired & Wonderful provide all kinds of professional Electrical Safety Certificates Wimbledon and nearby areas. From PAT testing to complete house inspection, repair and system setup from scratch, we have the people, knowledge and experience for everything. Visit our website and get the best quotes for PAT testing.