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The inspection and testing of in service electrical equipment clearly does not stop with portable items.
Hand driers, cookers and other small items (in comparison to a batching plant with is still a portable appliance or though not using the book definition) still need testing but in view of the HSE directive in how we have been going OTT on PAT testing I have been considering how far we really need to go to ensure a cooker is safe. Always assuming originally correctly installed.
Clearly a visible inspection. And putting a crocodile clip and lead onto the earth pin of a 13A plug would allow one to test earth bond using the PAT testers 25A test which would be far better than the 200ma test using a low ohm ohmmeter. Both these are simple and can be done without dismantling the cooker to get at the terminals.
However to do the next test and check insulation resistance requires some dismantling of either the cooker or the isolator and with the latter then there is the problem of where to isolate else where, and with former the problem of moving the cooker to gain access to the terminals.
So I have been assessing the risk and to my mind the risk of anyone being subjected to an electric shock from a cooker when the earth bond is good and visual inspection highlights no faults must be extremely low. So I have been considering dropping the insulation test on the 4 yearly safety inspection.
What are the views of the others on the forum as to just a visual and earth bond test on fixed appliances?
PS I would also use the earth loop impedance tester on the socket used to test earth bond against. To insure that it was itself earthed bonded.
Hand driers, cookers and other small items (in comparison to a batching plant with is still a portable appliance or though not using the book definition) still need testing but in view of the HSE directive in how we have been going OTT on PAT testing I have been considering how far we really need to go to ensure a cooker is safe. Always assuming originally correctly installed.
Clearly a visible inspection. And putting a crocodile clip and lead onto the earth pin of a 13A plug would allow one to test earth bond using the PAT testers 25A test which would be far better than the 200ma test using a low ohm ohmmeter. Both these are simple and can be done without dismantling the cooker to get at the terminals.
However to do the next test and check insulation resistance requires some dismantling of either the cooker or the isolator and with the latter then there is the problem of where to isolate else where, and with former the problem of moving the cooker to gain access to the terminals.
So I have been assessing the risk and to my mind the risk of anyone being subjected to an electric shock from a cooker when the earth bond is good and visual inspection highlights no faults must be extremely low. So I have been considering dropping the insulation test on the 4 yearly safety inspection.
What are the views of the others on the forum as to just a visual and earth bond test on fixed appliances?
PS I would also use the earth loop impedance tester on the socket used to test earth bond against. To insure that it was itself earthed bonded.
