Question. Energy codes require that residential recessed cans be tested for air leakage. If I have a Listed recessed can that is also marked separately “air tight,” does that mean UL tested it for compliance with ASTM E283, the Standard Test Method for Determining Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors Under Specified Pressure Differences Across the Specimen?
Answer
No. Recessed luminaires certified/Listed by UL to ASTM E283 are marked with the enhanced UL Certification Mark for safety and performance as shown in the example mark. The term “air tight” does not appear as part of the UL certification markings.
The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and the California Energy Commission’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Part 6) require recessed luminaires to be sealed to limit air leakage when used in residential applications within the building thermal envelope. These codes and regulations require type IC-rated recessed luminaires intended for installation in residential buildings to have an air leakage rate not more than 2.0 cfm when tested in accordance with ASTM E283 at a 1.57 psf pressure differential. Recessed luminaires that bear the enhanced UL Certification Mark for safety and performance offer both a safety evaluation to UL 1598, the Standard for Safety for Luminaires, and performance testing to ASTM E283 to demonstrate compliance with the air leakage requirements found in the IECC and in Title 24, Part 6. Products tested by UL and found to comply with both sets of requirements will carry the enhanced mark as illustrated. This mark is a positive indication that a recessed luminaire has achieved a safety certification plus an air leakage certification. Information about the UL Mark on these products can be viewed in the UL guide information for the specific recessed lighting category and will include information on the marking under the UL Mark heading similar to Light-emitting-diode Recessed Luminaires, (IFAO) which can be viewed on UL Product Spec at www.ul.com/productspec ; enter IFAO at the category code search.
Question. We have a lot of grow operations popping up in our jurisdiction. Does UL List lights specifically for agricultural and horticultural grow operations?
Answer
Yes. UL does certify/List luminaires for use in agricultural or horticultural grow operations under the product category Agricultural and Horticultural Luminaires (IFAU).
This product category covers luminaires for agricultural and horticultural use intended for installation in accordance with Articles 547 and 410, respectively, of ANSI/NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, and have been investigated for use in a damp or wet installation environment.
Agricultural luminaires are intended for installation in agricultural buildings and horticultural luminaires are intended to provide a light source for growing flowers, vegetables and other plants, though they may also supplement general illumination within the installed environment.
A manufacturer is required to provide specific installation instructions concerning any limitations of the installation and/or use of luminaires. These installation instructions may address mounting methods (mounting height, minimum separation distances between luminaires, etc.), supply-connection methods (fixed wiring, routing of cords, use of electrical connectors, etc.), and methods for controlling installation environmental conditions (ambient temperature, exposure to moisture, etc.).
The guide information and any certifications/Listings for agricultural or horticultural grow operations luminaires can be viewed on UL Product Spec at www.ul.com/productspec; enter IFAU at the category code search.
Question. I know UL Lists fire pump and hazardous locations motors. But does UL List industrial motors? I only see the backward UR – UL Recognized Component Mark – on these motors.
Answer
Yes. UL does certify/List industrial motors under the product category Motors (PRGY). This category covers single- and three-phase motors rated up to 34 kV for field installation in unclassified industrial applications in accordance with Article 430 of the National Electrical Code.
In the past, many of these types of motors were UL Recognized Components. Recognized Component motors have been evaluated for factory installation into products where the suitability of the combination is determined by UL. These Recognized motors may also be incomplete in certain construction features. For example, a Recognized Component motor may have energized live parts accessible to a user, and rely on an end-product enclosure to prevent a user from contacting live parts. Similarly, a Recognized Component motor may lack wiring terminals or compartments complying with National Electrical Code requirements for field installation.
Certified/Listed PRGY motors are evaluated for compliance with the UL 1004-1 through -9 series of Standards for Rotating Electrical Machines and different types of motors. They include requirements that are appropriate for field installed motors, including operation at rated load and construction requirements. Those construction requirements address protection of ventilation openings, accessibility of uninsulated live parts, field wiring compartments, terminals, spacings and equipment grounding.
For authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), the benefits are obvious: more certainty about which aspects of a motor have been investigated and confidence that a motor has been UL certified/Listed for field installation.
The guide information and certifications/Listings for industrial motors can be viewed on UL Product Spec at www.ul.com/productspec; enter PRGY at the category code search.
