Fixed Appliances and PAT Testing: What's Actually Required

One of the most common questions facilities managers ask is whether their fixed electrical appliances need PAT testing. The answer is: not in the same way portable appliances do — but they do need to be maintained, and the maintenance regime is different.

Understanding this distinction prevents two expensive mistakes. The first is paying to PAT test equipment that doesn't need it. The second — more serious — is assuming a PAT test covers everything in a room when it doesn't.

What counts as a fixed appliance?

The line between portable and fixed isn't always obvious, but the distinction matters.

A portable appliance is equipment that is designed to be moved, connected via a flexible cable or plug, and can be disconnected from the supply by the user. Kettles, desk fans, laptop chargers, floor-standing photocopiers, extension leads — all portable, all within the scope of PAT testing.

A fixed appliance or fixed installation is wired directly into the electrical installation — it doesn't have a plug, and it can't be disconnected by the user. Built-in ovens, electric hobs, immersion heaters, hardwired extraction units, ceiling-mounted air conditioning units, and the fixed wiring network itself (cables, sockets, distribution boards) fall into this category.

Some appliances sit in a grey area. A built-in dishwasher plumbed to a permanent water supply but connected via a 13A plug is still a portable appliance for PAT purposes — it has a plug, and in principle the user could unplug it. A hardwired dishwasher connected by a spur (permanently wired to the mains with no plug) is a fixed appliance.

If in doubt: if there's a 13A plug, it's in scope for PAT. If it's hardwired, it isn't.

What does cover fixed installations?

Fixed electrical installations are covered by periodic inspection and testing — the process that produces an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). This is a different discipline from PAT testing, carried out by a qualified electrician.

For workplaces, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require that "all systems shall be maintained so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, such danger." This applies to the fixed installation as much as to portable appliances — the mechanism for demonstrating compliance with fixed installations is an EICR.

For rented homes, the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, Regulation 3 require landlords to have the electrical installation inspected and tested at intervals not exceeding five years by a qualified person. The resulting EICR is the required documentation.

An EICR covers the cables, fuse board, sockets, switches, and light fittings. It covers fixed appliances that are wired as part of the installation. It does not cover portable appliances plugged into sockets — those are the domain of PAT testing.

This separation of regimes is why both are needed. A workplace or rental property with an up-to-date EICR and no PAT testing programme has covered the fixed installation but not the portable equipment risk, and vice versa.

Common scenarios

Built-in oven in a rented property: Fixed appliance, wired directly in. Covered by the EICR process. PAT testing does not apply. If the landlord is inspecting the oven's safety, the mechanism is periodic inspection of the installation or the landlord's general fitness-for-habitation duty — not a PAT test.

Freestanding washing machine with a 13A plug: Portable appliance despite being heavy and rarely moved. In scope for PAT testing. In a workplace, follows standard PAT frequency guidance (typically every 1–2 years for kitchen/laundry equipment). In a rented property, tested between tenancies.

Hardwired extraction fan: Fixed appliance. Not in scope for PAT. Covered by EICR or periodic checks under the duty to maintain the installation.

Desk fan plugged into a wall socket: Portable appliance. In scope for PAT. Typically every 2–4 years in a low-risk office environment.

Projector on a fixed ceiling mount, connected via a hardwired connection: Fixed appliance if hardwired. If it has a 13A plug that goes into a socket, it's portable.

Extension lead: Portable. In scope for PAT. Extension leads are one of the higher-risk categories — cable damage and overloaded sockets are common causes of electrical fires — and are typically tested annually or every two years.

Does "fixed" mean no checks at all?

No. Fixed appliances still need to be maintained in a safe condition under Regulation 4(2) of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. The maintenance mechanism is just different: periodic inspection of the installation (EICR) covers the connection and wiring; visual checks and routine maintenance cover the appliance itself.

For a built-in oven or hob, "maintenance" typically means checking for visible damage, confirming controls function correctly, and addressing reported faults promptly. There isn't a formal certificate equivalent to a PAT pass label — but the duty to keep it safe still exists.

How this affects your PAT testing scope

When you scope a PAT testing programme, exclude hardwired appliances from the portable appliance register. Including them creates confusion — your PAT tester will apply portable-appliance tests that aren't relevant, and your register will show "tested" against items that are actually covered by a completely different process.

Get your scope right at the inventory stage. When building or reviewing your appliance register, mark hardwired equipment as "fixed — EICR scope" so it doesn't get swept into the portable-appliance testing round. For guidance on building a clean register, see PAT testing records: what to keep, how long, and why.

Once your portable appliance scope is confirmed, use the PAT Testing Frequency Calculator to set appropriate test intervals for each category. Then check your overall compliance position with the PAT Compliance Checker.

---

The terminology in this area can be confusing because "PAT testing" is sometimes used loosely to mean "any electrical safety check." In this post we use it strictly: PAT testing refers to the inspection and testing of portable appliances via a plug or flexible cable. Fixed installation inspection (EICR) is a separate process carried out by a qualified electrician.