Finding UL Tested Surge Protection
One of the most important things to consider when looking into the safety of surge protection is that the protection that is being used is safe with current standards. It will be essential to find UL tested surge protection. However, there is a specific form of UL testing that is required, UL 1449 Second Edition, that will be especially essential for any surge protection product.
UL is short for Underwriters Laboratories, a non-profit group that tests electrical products for safety. For more than a century this group has worked in testing products for safety and creating standards for product safety. When a product is deemed safe for use UL will allow for the product to carry the UL seal.
The main test that is used in particular for surge protection products is that of UL 1449 Second Edition. This is a test for the safety of surge protection that has been in use since 2007 and is a variant on the original test that was made in 2005. This is a test that is approved with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It is a standard that works to help with allowing for surge protection materials to operate at a safe manner.
Various different tests are used for helping to allow for UL 1449 Second Edition to be approved for a surge protection product. Various tests involving the use of the protector are handled, including using various different forms of electrical output and using assorted electrical rushes. These involve the electrical items becoming strong for a split second, which is one of the main causes of electrical surges in unprotected areas.
The tests that are used for determining the safety of surge protection are run by a Nationally Recognized Test Lab, or NRTL. This is a lab that is authorized by OSHA to test products. Among the requirements that are needed for a lab to receive this approval is that the lab uses complete test independence, proper test controls and appropriate reports on the results of these tests.
A surge protection product can have a special seal on its package when it has been approved under UL 1449 Second Edition standards. This gold circular seal will mark that the product has passed its tests in an appropriate laboratory that has been OSHA approved as an NRTL.
UL tested surge protection is essential to look for when getting a product for surge protection. The tests run by UL are approved by OSHA and are run in NRTL labs that have been approved by OSHA. The tests work to allow for the product to be deemed safe for use and fit for any home or other area where surge protection is needed.