help , ive pat tested a drill that as passed but doesnt work how please

[benh33]

ive pat tested a drill that as passed but doesnt work how please

 

[telectrix]

might have passed IR and earth bond ( if classI) tests, but not functional test. it can be electrically safe, but not work due to a number of possibles, worn carbon brushes, o/c winding, duff switch. take your pick. hope you checked the plug fuse.

 

[Darkwood]

What is your background, this would have been explained as part of your PAT test course, and your drill cant have passed if it isnt functional, it shouldn't have been issued a passed if it dosn't work, the test results may be misleading if part of the drill is faulty, why did you pass it????

 

[Guitarist]

Sigh....

 

[Silly Sausage]

It's wise to function test first.

I hope it wasn't a big Hilti or the like, could be a costly mistake!

 

[Darkwood]

It's wise to function test first.

I hope it wasn't a big Hilti or the like, could be a costly mistake!

Must disagree here, function test can only be done after passing the all other tests, consider the earth broken on a drill with a fault and you do the function test first, it could kill where as the broken earth would show and fail on the tester thus stopping you doing a dangerous function test.

Sorry to say but very poor advice!

 

[Silly Sausage]

Fair point, but what do you in the situation with the belligerent customer who turns round and says it worked fine before you tested it?

 

[poppypiesdad]

Fair point, but what do you in the situation with the belligerent customer who turns round and says it worked fine before you tested it?

you have time to talk at £1 a item ?

 

[oldtimer]

Its all down to experiance if you are handed an old drill for testing then I would tend to function test it first. I worked on a chemical plant years ago during a shutdown and the oil company said as part of good relations we will PAT test all contractor leads and equipment and if we find any dodgy leads we will replace / repair them free of charge so we bought in 100 drums of 1.5mm yellow flex and 300 110v plugs and socket. One of the contractors cottened on that nobody was auditing this so they got their van driver to shuttle back and forth with plant and leads so we started function testing the equipment and yes you guessed it all the old drills and grinders that was not working so hence why I function test

 

[Darkwood]

Fair point, but what do you in the situation with the belligerent customer who turns round and says it worked fine before you tested it?

You pre-empt any customer what the tester actually does and during the high voltage and high current test that it may cause any weak points in the electrics to fail during the tests but highlight the fact that it wont cause any issues if the item is electrically sound, explain part of the device failed during the testing as the tester tests the device beyond its normal working conditions, failure during this testing means the item wasn't safe to use. Never let the customer assume you've broken it in the first place, with IT equipment i cover my back with a cover note about the info on the hard-drive could in rare circumstances be corrupted and they need to back up any important data.
If your customer is blaming you for something not working after you tested it then you haven't explained correctly what you are actually doing when testing, i always talk to someone in charge and explain one to one the scope of small risks that come with testing and possibility of items failing fuctionally during tests.
This leaves no room for them to lie or claim back on any issues - don't forget to back it up in writing prior to the testing.

 

[Des 56]

you have time to talk at £1 a item ?

Do pat testers actually have vocalising abilities left, given that the brain has been attacked in such a numbing manner after a fair quantity of then there pat tests have been carried out

 

[Guitarist]

Must disagree here, function test can only be done after passing the all other tests, consider the earth broken on a drill with a fault and you do the function test first, it could kill where as the broken earth would show and fail on the tester thus stopping you doing a dangerous function test.

Sorry to say but very poor advice!

Disagree here. I have tested thousands of items over the years and the first thing I do is check it works, in exactly the same way that it was being used before it was handed over. I don't consider this a "function test", as this is done after all other testing. It is merely a quick check that the item is in working order before any other tests are carried out. Splitting hairs? Maybe. Saves a lot of hassle tho.

 

[ohreally]

I must admit, being a bit long in the tooth, I tend to function test first and then again after completion.

 

[Darkwood]

This could be a case of terminology, but my post does have a genuine point about the testing coming before from a safety aspect and yes agree if its in regular use and you know that its normal to just plug in first and try it but not evrything your given has a obvious frequency of use and its these i would test before functional testing, my tester also has a Run test which cant be used until all previous tests have passed and it also will refuse to run test if pre-set leakage detected. This is the monitored funtion test and it was stressed for safety on the course about the order these tests are carried out, yes its easy to fall into another routine but at the end of the day how many items fail that you have just plugged in and function tested over the years.... one day you may cop a nasty one.

 

[Darkwood]

Dont get my posts wrong as i said i do just plug and function test myself then PAT test it but only if i know its use and history, but im posting from an advice point of view and even though it may sound overboard you have to agree it makes sense from a safety point of view.