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Booking you PAT could not be easier. Simply book via our Book Online page and select your desired appointment date and time online. We will confirm your appointment within 4 hours via email. Alternatively, visit our contact us page for phone, email or chat to us via the chat button

Our engineers are all local and serve the following towns and surrounding areas: ​​ Burgess Hill Crawley Dorking East Grinstead Gatwick Haywards Heath Horley Horsham Redhill Reigate ​ If you are outside our service area, please contact us as we may be able to get to you. Alternately visit our homepage for a list of other recommended PAT testing companies

You can cancel or reschedule your appointment for free up to 4 hours before the appointment start time. Cancelations less that 4 hours before the appointment start time will still be charged. Failure for our engineer to get access to the site within 30 minutes of the appointment time will be charged at £50.00 and a new booking will be required.

What is PAT - Portable Appliance Testing Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is the inspection of electrical appliances to ensure they are safe. Most faults can be found from a visual examination of the item, but some defects can only be found with a test. PAT Test Preparation: PAT testers must have knowledge of basic electrical modes, mechanical loss to the Appliance and the kind of issues might occur in a work environment. To carry out pat testing, the first step is preparation. At the very beginning, two main things are to be done before the actual testing. Firstly, a visual inspection needs to be done to find out any major faults and the equipment, cable, and its plug etc. must be tested for any damage. Secondly, asking about defects from the user experience. Determining factors that will depend on the electrical type of equipment, the equipment itself and its risk measurement. Following steps are considered to carry out PAT Testing: Safety switches test Firstly, RCD tester is used to test the safety switches, and the tester joined the earth terminal. The half delta range protects against inconvenience. Secondly, a current applied test that is the same as the projected tripping current. Later, after completion of testing and inspection, the tester must record a detailed report to the owner of the equipment and give some advice on further action. Earth Continuity Test: Earthing continuity testing is a process where the equipment’s shielding is resistant to the earth circuit that does not exceed 1Ω. The tester has options to use different tests depending on his circumstance. Insulation resistance test: A test is performed to check the current leakage. The PAT testing is generally used to implement simple voltage to the live equipment conductors as used 230V AC is the nominal voltage. An ohmmeter can similarly be used to get the insulation resistance. After completion of the PAT test, every equipment marked as passed or failed and a record of the results should be kept for further action.

There are five different pieces of legislation that point to the necessity of PAT testing. A chronological summary of each is listed below. ​ THE HEALTH & SAFETY AT WORK ACT 1974 Regardless of how many employees there are or who the employer is, it is the responsibility of everyone in the workplace to make sure the work environment remains safe for anyone who works at or visits that particular place of business. ​ THE ELECTRICITY AT WORK REGULATIONS 1989 All electrical equipment should be constructed and maintained is such a way as to prevent the endangerment of individuals, as much as is possible. These regulations define electrical systems as the entire arrangement of circuitry necessary to run electronic items. This includes the equipment as well as the source of the electricity. ​ WORKPLACE (HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE) REGULATIONS 1992 In order to prevent a dangerous work environment that results from faulty equipment, this legislation makes it a requirement for businesses to perform regular maintenance on all equipment in order to keep it functioning properly. THE PROVISION AND USE OF WORK EQUIPMENT REGULATIONS 1998 This law states that it is the duty of an employer to ensure all equipment at a workplace is properly maintained and working efficiently. THE MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH & SAFETY AT WORK REGULATIONS 1999 The most recent regulations applying to PAT testing indicate the responsibility of an employer to adequately assess the conditions of the workplace for the health and safety of all workers. Additionally, it is the employer’s duty to determine possible risks to anyone else who happens to come in contact with the business (e.g. customers). These regulations each fall into one of the following three categories: safety at the workplace, equipment maintenance and electrical systems. When you combine the three categories, it becomes clear that PAT testing is a means of adhering to these regulations.

New equipment should be supplied in a safe condition and not require a formal portable appliance inspection or test. However, a simple visual check is recommended to verify the item is not damaged.

No. The law simply requires an employer to ensure that their electrical equipment is maintained in order to prevent danger. It does not say how this should be done or how often. Employers should take a risk-based approach, considering the type of equipment and what it is being used for. If it is used regularly and moved a lot like a floor cleaner or a kettle, testing (along with visual checks) can be an important part of an effective maintenance regime giving employers confidence that they are doing what is necessary to help them meet their legal duties.

The government state that landlords must make sure “the electrical system is safe” and “all appliances they supply are safe”. Whilst it is not a government legal requirement, it may be a condition enforced by your local council. Many insurance companies also expect you, as a landlord, to perform regular PAT tests that ensure that all your appliances are well-maintained and safe to use, and do not pose any serious threats to the safety of life and property. PAT testing also helps landlords stay compliant with several regulations such as: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. ​For landlords, it’s good practice to have all your appliances PAT tested before a new tenant moves in. After this, smaller appliances should be tested every two years and larger items like fridges and washing machines should be tested in four-year intervals. Should any untested appliance provided by the landlord cause a fire, the insurance policy could be deemed invalid. Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) must have PAT tests carried out.

There is no officially announced expire date for PAT test certificate as there are many factors to consider such as: Type of appliance (Class 1 or Class 2) Location of appliance Usage and user of appliance In general most companies prefer to test all equipment on a yearly basis. Most IT equipment can be tested every 4 years however the associate power leads/extensions should be tested more regularly.

Laptop leads and chargers do need PAT testing as they can become damaged from frequent movement. The laptop itself does not need testing but a visual inspection is recommended.