Whats the best way to PAT these items. Water heater,shower,towel radiator

[Adrian Bowditch]

Hi

Ive been asked to PAT the below and I'm slightly unsure how they should be done or if they should be done.

Small water heater over a sink just for washing hands
Shower
Towel radiator with 100w heater in a bathroom

Thanks for any help

 

[Last plumber]

Hi

Ive been asked to PAT the below and I'm slightly unsure how they should be done or if they should be done.

Small water heater over a sink just for washing hands
Shower
Towel radiator with 100w heater in a bathroom

Thanks for any help

They aren't portable appliances are they ?
the water heater isn't, is it ?

 

[Rosco]

As above correct not portable equipment, if you have been asked to test them because they have been changed like for like then I suppose you could do a minor works (even though circuit was possibly not altered in its entirety)
Otherwise if these items have been installed from scratch (new circuit for each item) then an installation cert is needed.

 

[bigspark17]

It isnt known as a PAT test anymore it is call ISITEE in serivice inspection and testing of elecetrical equipment. Yes they would come under it i would sugest the cooker may come under it also.

 

[Adrian Bowditch]

They aren't portable appliances are they ?
the water heater isn't, is it ?

The small water heater is just like a kettle just wired in to a FCU so I would say yes but as it is connected to the water mains i'm unsure what the best way to PAT it would be.

 

[Rosco]

It isnt known as a PAT test anymore it is call ISITEE in serivice inspection and testing of elecetrical equipment. Yes they would come under it i would sugest the cooker may come under it also.

How would these be tested, I personally haven't come across this when pat testing offices or care homes that I have attended the items listed above are fixed wiring so would this also apply for a cooker, cooker hood, boiler, hob, panel/storage heater etc as these items have the same sort of wiring method from outlet to load?

 

[westward10]

It will need disconnecting from it's point of connection and connect to your tester. This can be done using a plug top with insulated croc clips. Or use an insulation continuity tester. You will obviously need to undertake safe isolation procedures.

 

[Adrian Bowditch]

It will need disconnecting from it's point of connection and connect to your tester. This can be done using a plug top with insulated croc clips. Or use an insulation continuity tester. You will obviously need to undertake safe isolation procedures.

Thanks for the reply,I can do safe isolation.

So they are treated the same even though they are connected to the water supply with regards to the earth?

 

[bigspark17]

Yes, an eicr would normally cover the fixed wiring within a premesis to isolators/outlets then the isitee covers all electrical equipment usuable. The classic example is say you have 2 bedrooms both identicle panel heaters bed 1 is wired into a sfcu and bed 2 is on a plug top... would you only test bed2.?? They are exactly the same with the same metal body and should be treated the same. I hate the thought of these cheap pat test sticker companies going around pluging it in hit test and stick a sticker on they dont even oppen the plug top to look at fuse rating or cable termination the earth may not even be conected so if there was a fault to the body of a class 1 item the test would state pass!!! Argh. Rant over.!

 

[Rosco]

Yes, an eicr would normally cover the fixed wiring within a premesis to isolators/outlets then the isitee covers all electrical equipment usuable. The classic example is say you have 2 bedrooms both identicle panel heaters bed 1 is wired into a sfcu and bed 2 is on a plug top... would you only test bed2.?? They are exactly the same with the same metal body and should be treated the same. I hate the thought of these cheap pat test sticker companies going around pluging it in hit test and stick a sticker on they dont even oppen the plug top to look at fuse rating or cable termination the earth may not even be conected so if there was a fault to the body of a class 1 item the test would state pass!!! Argh. Rant over.!

Thank you for your example it has helped me understand , I have not thought about that sort of scenario before

 

[Adrian Bowditch]

Yes, an eicr would normally cover the fixed wiring within a premesis to isolators/outlets then the isitee covers all electrical equipment usuable. The classic example is say you have 2 bedrooms both identicle panel heaters bed 1 is wired into a sfcu and bed 2 is on a plug top... would you only test bed2.?? They are exactly the same with the same metal body and should be treated the same. I hate the thought of these cheap pat test sticker companies going around pluging it in hit test and stick a sticker on they dont even oppen the plug top to look at fuse rating or cable termination the earth may not even be conected so if there was a fault to the body of a class 1 item the test would state pass!!! Argh. Rant over.!

I'm with you on that. The place I'm working at has a house for clients and 1 bedroom has a heater with a plug and the other bedroom has the same heater fitted to a FCU or it might be a SFCU. Can't understand why they did that as they where fitted at the same time.

 

[Deleted member 72666]

Yes, an eicr would normally cover the fixed wiring within a premesis to isolators/outlets then the isitee covers all electrical equipment usuable. The classic example is say you have 2 bedrooms both identicle panel heaters bed 1 is wired into a sfcu and bed 2 is on a plug top... would you only test bed2.?? They are exactly the same with the same metal body and should be treated the same. I hate the thought of these cheap pat test sticker companies going around pluging it in hit test and stick a sticker on they dont even oppen the plug top to look at fuse rating or cable termination the earth may not even be conected so if there was a fault to the body of a class 1 item the test would state pass!!! Argh. Rant over.!

Really, are you sure about that? My tester would definitely pick it up as a fault!

 

[HandySparks]

I recon that the best time to 'PAT' wired-in equipment is when testing the fixed wiring. After all, most of these items are going to need infrequent testing.

For example, if you have the cover off an electric shower to check Zs, it's no big deal to inspect it and to do a 'L+N to E' IR test on the cable and on the unit.

 

[LeeH]

To answer the question in the title.

Best way is to preform safe isolation, remove from the spur and use a MFT, or a 'pat tester' with a made up lead.

Do a visual on the shower, nothing you can do on that. No flex, no expose metal that I've ever seen. Even the metal hose just screws onto plastic threads.

You could say these items are a grey area caught between PAT and PIR(what evs) but the code of practice clearly shows testing of all appliances.

Just my 10p.

 

[FatAlan]

They'd be classified as fixed appliances according to the book and tested as others have suggested above. Table 7.1 gives frequencies of testing v type v environment / use / location.