What codes are required for the design of household equipment
What codes are required for the design of household equipment
(OP)
I'm finalizing a design for a simple household electrical component. I assumed NFPA 70 was the applicable code but it seems to only apply to household wiring and actual equipment installations. Is there a code or standard for the actual equipment design and wiring?





RE: What codes are required for the design of household equipment
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RE: What codes are required for the design of household equipment
There are tons of specific standards.
Good on ya,
Goober Dave
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RE: What codes are required for the design of household equipment
Z
RE: What codes are required for the design of household equipment
RE: What codes are required for the design of household equipment
RE: What codes are required for the design of household equipment
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RE: What codes are required for the design of household equipment
I assume your clock plugs into the wall (120 VAC). In that case, you really need a safety listing or it's going to be hard to sell. Most retailers won't accept it. If it's battery powered, it isn't necessary to list it.
If it is a digital clock and contains any signal that pulses at greater than 9 kHz, it is illegal to sell without FCC verification testing, whether battery powered or not. You'll have to get a lab to do that. Get a copy of FCC 15 Part B (it's free) and read the section about unintentional radiators very closely. You haven't told us enough about how your clock is powered, but it really needs to be your call anyway. There are some exceptions in there, and you might qualify for one.
Check these things out thoroughly. Also consider posting this in the UL Code Issues forum, and post a link to it here so you don't continue to get answers in this thread. The NEC has nothing to do with end-user products.
You might need to hire an EE with product compliance experience to guide you through it.
Good on ya,
Goober Dave
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RE: What codes are required for the design of household equipment
It would be a good idea to call UL to discuss costs.. UL testing can be VERY expensive.. Heck just to get your hands on the standard you are looking at $800+ dollars. UL does provide their standards for free if you are a paying customer of theirs too I believe.
RE: What codes are required for the design of household equipment
RE: What codes are required for the design of household equipment
I'm confused about your wording, mcgyvr. I would have written that you don't need UL to get a part certified to UL standards, which is not quite the same as "UL listing". In the UL forum, you've discussed an issue that UL mayn't or probably won't accept a 3rd party certification. Maybe I'm reading more into it, but I'd assumed that UL won't even list a 3rd-party tested item. Might be a technicality (e.g. where submitting to UL an assembly using the unlisted part), but it is an important one.
RE: What codes are required for the design of household equipment
The label will have the ETL logo (ETL Listed), but it will say beneath it something like, "to UL standard 826"
It's fine for an end-use standard. It just won't work for a product that will later be used as a part of another product that is to be UL listed (like an industrial control panel).
ETL or CSA or TUV or METLAB is fine for a clock, or a refrigerator, or anything else that plugs into a wall in a house, in my opinion.
Good on ya,
Goober Dave
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RE: What codes are required for the design of household equipment
RE: What codes are required for the design of household equipment
Be careful...
RE: What codes are required for the design of household equipment