PAT testing Kettles

[nickjowett]

Hi I have been responsible for the PAT testing at work for the past 8 years and in general all is well apart from one situation that arrises almost every year. I have just tested the kettle in the staff room and at first couldn't get a continuity reading at all. The kettle sits on a base with the Earth connection being made when the kettle is put on the base. I cleaned the contacts with wire wool and got a reading of about 0.2 ohms and even if I could get the kettle to pass with a bit more cleaning of the contacts I would be reluctant to do so as I am sure the readings would go up within a short time. Over the past 8 years this has been a recurring problem and I have thrown at least 6 kettle away. Does anyone esle have this problem.

Thanks

Nick

 

[Adam W]

Put the kettle on the base and test to the element.
I expect someone will tell me that's 'wrong' but that's how I test them.

 

[nickjowett]

Hi

Thanks for the reply, maybe I wasn't very clear in my post, I have tested with the kettle on the base but the readings are very high which must be due to a poor connection. Although I can see that the means of connection for the Earth is not great and will only get worse over time as the kettle is taken off and replaced several times every day. I cant imagine that kettles will only last a year or so before they fail a pat test.

Nick

 

[roukel01]

Every kettle that I have tested that sits on a base fails earth continuity.They seem to be utter rubbish, like you say its a case of cleaning the contacts up and holding the kettle firmly in the base to get a good result!! What you should really do is decrease the length of time between inspections until you find how long the kettle lasts before earth continuity becomes a problem.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Yep...binned lots of kettles with this problem...one day I'm going to get linched if it happens to be just before T time :66:

 

[mogga]

You will also find that "Kettles" are designed for domestic market not commercial use in an office where possibly 100 cuppas made every day as oposed to domestic where its boiled 5,6 times a day cant you persuade them to invest in a ZIP tap or similar ?

 

[RWJ]

A stills - Pull around 30amps.

No ... Ok maybe a good old fashioned urn.. or as mogga says a new fangled Zip tap

 

[roukel01]

You will also find that "Kettles" are designed for domestic market not commercial use in an office where possibly 100 cuppas made every day as oposed to domestic where its boiled 5,6 times a day cant you persuade them to invest in a ZIP tap or similar ?

That really isn't going to happen! (not in the places I work anyway!!)

 

[Adam W]

Could you get them to invest in an 'old-fangled' kettle with an IEC plug on it instead?

 

[RWJ]

Could you get them to invest in an 'old-fangled' kettle with an IEC plug on it instead?

And when they fails it's only £6 from ASDA to replace!!!!

 

[MarkieSparkie]

I've found many cases of cordless kettles using the Strix R72 thermal switch where the kettle has been filled and dropped onto the base connector pushing one or more of the pins upward (usually the earth pin, as its the first to hit the connector), thus causing poor or failure to make connect the next time it's used.

 

[nickjowett]

Many thanks to you all, its good to hear that it isn't just me with this problem. It doesn't seem right that these kettle can be sold if they are so bad. It is probably even worse that they are intended for the domestic market where they will probably never be tested.

Thanks
Nick