Is PAT testing a legal requirement in the UK?

There is no law that says PAT testing specifically, but the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require employers and landlords to keep electrical equipment safe. PAT testing to the IET Code of Practice is the standard way to demonstrate that duty. Most insurers, letting platforms and Airbnb hosts treat it as a practical requirement.

What is the difference between Class 1 and Class 2 appliances?

Class 1 appliances have a metal case connected to the mains earth via the green-and-yellow conductor in the lead. The earth continuity test checks this path is intact. Class 2 appliances (often marked with a double-square symbol) rely entirely on reinforced or double insulation and have no earth connection — they do not get an earth continuity test, only an insulation resistance test at a lower voltage.

How often should appliances be PAT tested?

There is no fixed legal interval. The IET Code of Practice recommends frequency based on environment and use. For a holiday let or Airbnb, annually is standard. For a school or office with hand-held equipment, annually is typical. A low-use stationary appliance in a low-risk environment might only need testing every two to four years. If in doubt, annual testing is the safe default.

Can I do my own PAT testing?

Yes. There is no legal requirement for PAT testing to be carried out by a qualified electrician, though many insurers and organisations prefer it. The IET Code of Practice says the person should be competent and have the right equipment. For a small Airbnb or rental property you own, testing with a good-quality PAT tester and keeping a clear register is acceptable. Hire a qualified electrician when the volume is large, the environment is high-risk, or you need paperwork that will withstand formal scrutiny.

How to PAT Test Appliances (UK Guide)

Helpful video reference. Seaward Electronic Ltd., the UK manufacturer of the Primetest range of PAT testers, shows the complete test sequence for a Class 1 appliance in their video "How to PAT test a Class 1 appliance (kettle)". Seaward are based in Gateshead and their testers are among the most widely used in UK industry. The sequence they demonstrate matches the IET Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment, which is the standard reference for UK PAT testing.

Before you start. Disconnect the appliance from the mains before connecting your PAT tester leads. Never test a live appliance. If an appliance shows obvious physical damage during the visual check, mark it as failed and set it aside before running any electrical tests. A cracked plug or frayed lead is a fail regardless of what the instrument reads.

1. Sort appliances into Class 1 and Class 2

This is the most important step before touching the tester. Class 1 appliances have a metal case or metal parts that are earthed through the lead. Examples include most kettles, toasters, irons, desk fans with metal bodies, microwave ovens, and desktop computers. The lead will have three conductors: brown (live), blue (neutral), and green-and-yellow (earth).

Class 2 appliances have no earth connection at all. They rely on reinforced or double insulation between live parts and any accessible surface. Most phone chargers, many desk lamps, double-insulated power tools, and some small kitchen appliances are Class 2. They are often marked with the double-square symbol on the rating plate. The lead usually has only two conductors.

Getting this wrong means running the earth continuity test on a Class 2 appliance that has no earth terminal, which will confuse the reading and potentially damage the tester.

2. Carry out the visual inspection

Visual inspection catches the majority of faults. Work methodically from plug to appliance:

Plug. Is the fuse the correct rating? Is the plug casing cracked, scorch-marked or showing signs of overheating? Are the pins intact and not bent?
Supply lead. No cuts, abrasion, kinking or DIY repairs with insulating tape. Cable grip at the plug end must hold the outer sheath, not just the individual conductors. Where the lead enters the appliance, the sheath should not be damaged or pulled.
Appliance body. No cracks, no exposed conductors, no signs of burning around vents or openings. If the appliance has a mains filter or capacitor bleed resistor, check neither is bulging or leaking.

If any of these checks reveals a problem, mark the appliance as failed and do not run electrical tests. Fix the fault first, or replace the item.

3. Run the earth continuity test (Class 1 only)

Connect one lead of the PAT tester to the earth pin of the plug (the large round pin at the top of a 13A UK plug). Connect the other to an accessible metal part of the appliance body. The tester passes a low test current through this path and measures the resistance.

The IET Code of Practice gives a pass limit of 0.1 ohm for a fixed appliance. For portable appliances with a supply cord, add 0.1 ohm per metre of cord. A 1.5 m flex means the limit is 0.25 ohm. Anything above the limit is a fail: the earth path is either disconnected or has too much resistance to provide adequate protection.

4. Run the insulation resistance test

The PAT tester now applies a direct voltage between the live conductors and earth (or, for Class 2, between live conductors and an external probe held against the casing). This checks that the insulation is intact and not allowing current to leak.

Class 1: 500 V DC between live/neutral joined together and earth. Minimum reading: 1 megohm.
Class 2: 250 V DC between live/neutral joined together and a probe on the outside of the casing. Minimum reading: 2 megohm.

Most appliances in good condition read several megohms or higher. A reading below 1 megohm is a fail. Do not be alarmed if some heating elements read lower than expected cold — some manufacturers quote separate in-use values.

5. Check polarity on leads and carry out a functional test

For extension leads and multi-socket blocks, check that live and neutral are correctly wired throughout. A polarity test on your PAT tester will catch a wired-in reversal at a socket block, which is a dangerous fault.

Then plug the appliance into a live socket and confirm it works as it should. The PAT test does not replace a functional check: an appliance with good insulation might still have a broken heating element or a seized motor. If it does not function, it is failed regardless of the electrical results.

6. Label and record the result

Every appliance that passes gets a dated pass label. Every appliance that fails gets a dated fail label and should not be used until it has been repaired and re-tested. The label is not the record: the record is the register.

Your PAT register should list, for each item: a description, the location, a serial number or your own asset tag, the test date, the result, and the next-due date. Keep it as a PDF or spreadsheet you can produce at short notice. Airbnb compliance checks, school audits and insurer assessments all ask for the register, not just the labels on the plugs.

Stop and mark as failed if: the plug is cracked or scorch-marked, the supply lead is cut or repaired with tape, the cable grip has slipped so that the conductors rather than the outer sheath are held, there are burn marks around the vents, the earth continuity reading is above the limit, or the insulation resistance reading is below 1 megohm. Tag failed items clearly, remove them from use, and do not return them until the fault has been fixed by a competent person.

When to call us

If you have a holiday let, school, small office or Airbnb in east Kent and you need the testing done by a qualified electrician with a written register that will stand up to platform and insurer scrutiny, that is what we do. Richard carries out PAT visits across Sandwich, Deal, Dover, Ramsgate and Canterbury at £75 for up to 15 items. Call for a quote on larger jobs.

Need PAT testing done professionally?

Richard covers Airbnbs, holiday lets, schools and small businesses across east Kent. Written register emailed within 24 hours of the visit.

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How to PAT test appliances in the UK