PAT Tester Guide

Which Portable Appliance Tester is right for you?

Here we give you a guide to the type of PAT Testers available to you.

Types of Testers & Features

Simple PASS/FAIL Pat Testers - Basic/Entry Level

PASS/FAIL or GO/NO GO, type testers give a simple pass or fail test result allowing no interpretation of the test data. These testers generally only carry out insulation and earth continuity tests. Most PASS/FAIL PAT testers do not have a selectable Earth Continuity test current.

PASS/FAIL testers have the advantage of being easy to use but have limited practical use.

Manual PAT Testers - Mid-Range

Manual PAT testers give much more functionality and display a test readings not just a pass or fail result, however they do require a level of understanding to correctly interpret the test data. As well as the standard Insulation and Earth Continuity tests, many also carry out Earth Leakage and Load tests. Look for testers with selectable Earth continuity test currents enabling the testing of IT equipment.

Downloadable PAT Testers - Professional

For testing large amounts of equipment a tester that automates the process and has recording capabilities is more suitable. These testers are able to initiate a pre-programmed test sequence. Test data, including the overall PASS or FAIL result, is stored for downloading or printing out.

Click here to download our PAT Tester Guide!