Revised Standard for UL 867 - Electrostatic Air Cleaners

By: Barry Karnes, Principal Engineer, Refrigeration Products

UL announces the publication of revisions to the Fifth Edition of UL 867, The Standard for Safety for Electrostatic Air Cleaners. This Standard addresses the safety of portable and fixed (including duct-connected) electrostatic air cleaning equipment. Standard UL 867 is also used to evaluate portable and fixed ion generators. These extensive updates clarify many requirements in UL 867 and provide requirements for constructions that were not previously permitted, such as allowing alternate controls to be evaluated to requirements based on UL 60335-1 requirements and covering USB powered products. Additional methods for complying with many of the present requirements have also been provided, such as those covering alternate motor-protection compliance options and alternate power supplies.

Highlights of the revisions to UL 867 include the following:

• Alternate method for evaluating protective electronic circuits and controls using requirements based on UL 60335-1
• Clarifying and consolidating the Ozone Test requirements
• Addition of requirements applicable to nonmetallic parts
• Addition of rain test and gasket test (outdoor products) requirements
• Providing requirements for minimum circuit ampacity and maximum overcurrent protective service size for products intended to be permanently connected to the electrical supply source
• Addition of Universal Serial Bus (USB) powered product requirements
• Additional and clarifying requirements for:
  • Motor-protection
  • Alternate power supplies
  • Openings located underneath wiring
  • Conversion of cord-connected products into products intended for permanent connection to the electrical supply source
  • Remotely operated products
  • Products located within a concealed building space and intended to be permanently-connected to an electrical supply source
•  Clarifying and consolidating requirements covering:
  • Electrical connections
  • Transformers and insulating materials
  • Capacitors
  • Dielectric voltage withstand test
  • Electrical Spacings
• Clarifying test and compliance criteria for:
  • Strain Relief Test
  • Wiring subject to movement
  • Parts that may break and cause injury
  • Product markings

These revisions to the Fifth Edition of UL 867 will be implemented as “Action Not Required” so an industry file review of existing UL Certified electrostatic air cleaners or ion generators will not be necessary.

These revisions became effective upon publication (August 7, 2018), meaning electrostatic air cleaners and ion generators can now be certified to these requirements.

In addition to these revisions to UL 867, the UL product categories covered by UL 867 have been recently updated to distinguish portable products from other (fixed or “dedicated location”) products. These UL product categories are as follows:

• Portable ionizers, fans employing ionizers, and ion generators are covered under the Ion Generators, Portable (OEUA) category.
• Portable electrostatic air cleaners and fans employing electrostatic air cleaners are covered under the Electrostatic Air Cleaners, Portable (AGHC) category.
• Fixed ionizers, fans employing ionizers, and ion generators are covered under the Ion Generators, Fixed (OETX) category.
• Fixed electrostatic air cleaners and fans employing electrostatic air cleaners are covered under the Electrostatic Air Cleaners, Fixed (AGGZ) category.

Power supplies intended for use in electrostatic air-cleaning equipment are covered under the Power Supplies, Electrostatic Air-Cleaning Equipment (QQCH2) category and can also be evaluated using requirements in Standard UL 867.

A number of related products exist, but are covered within the following standards and UL product categories:

For technical inquiries regarding portable ion generators or electrostatic air cleaners, please contact Kelvin Tsoi

For technical inquiries regarding fixed ion generators or electrostatic air cleaners, please contact Barry Karnes