A portable appliance is any electrical item with a plug using more than 40 volts A.C.

Examples of portable appliances are: irons, hairdryer, toaster, kettles, laptop power supplies, compters, monitors, fridge, etc.

The IET Code of Practice definition of a portable appliance is as follows:

"An appliance of less than 18kg in mass that is intended to be moved while in operation or an appliance that can easily be moved from one place to another."

This means that an industrial washing machine, for instance, which is connected via a standard 13A plug to a 240V mains circuit and weighing more than 18kg in mass, would come under the "stationary equipment" category. (Still within the scope of Portable Appliance Testing)

But, if the aforementioned washing machine were connected via a fused spur it would not be classed as a Portable Appliance and therefore would also not be inspected under the Building's fixed periodic wiring inspection as it is not "hard-wired" to the mains.

In our extensive experience, we have identified that such items, therefore, may NEVER receive testing! If the appliance has been badly installed or damaged, it would never be detected.

DBA Testing has found many appliances, such as that aforementioned, that have required attention to rectify poor wiring, etc. Unlike certain companies, DBA Testing does not just do enough to tick the boxes, we are meticulous and go the extra mile to put safety first and inspect aforesaid items to ensure the highest standard of Electrical inspection for your environment.

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