In article ,
Fredxxx writes:
I've been asked to look at some old Christmas tree lights.

I am confident this will be the of the direct mains type with single
insulated twisted pair and probably conforming to BS 4647:1970.

I am aware new mains lights of this type would have additional
insulation as per BS EN 60335.

Obviously I can only do a visual inspection on them, but what is the
current thinking of single insulated mains cable in terms of PAT or
equivalent testing?

They are probably a Class 0 appliance.
They are illegal to sell (even second-hand or in a car boot sale).
If they have a similar age BS1363 13A plug, it will not have sleeved
L&N pins, and that also makes it illegal to sell (even second-hand).

There's no hard and fast rule for the PAT testing - it will depend
why they are being tested (e.g. would be a fail if being done prior
to selling). Most commercial organisations and rental property PAT
tests would also fail them. However, there's no law requiring they
are failed - it's a matter of risk assessment. Given you can buy a
new set at the moment for probably less than a quid, it's hard to
argue there's any reason to continuing using such an outdated class
0 appliance. Also, LED lights are probably much safer on tress,
and there are about 2 house fires a year caused by Christmas trees
igniting.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]