Effective June 14, 2013

Standard Information
Standard Number:
UL 2021
Standard Name:
Fixed and Location-Dedicated Electric Room Heaters
Standard Edition and Issue Date:
3rd Edition Dated January 30, 2013
Date of Revisions:
January 30, 2013
Date of Previous Revisions to Standard:
2nd Edition Revised June 30, 2010
 
Effective Date of New/Revised Requirements

Effective Date (see Schedule below): June 14, 2013

 
Impact, Overview, Fees and Action Required

Impact Statement:  A review of all Listing Reports is necessary to determine which products comply with new/revised requirements and which products will require re-evaluation.

NOTE:  The new/revised clauses referenced below were incorporated in the SUN review with revision June 6, 2013 done in July 2014. 

Overview of Changes: This revision to the standard includes additional requirements to pilot lights, temperature limiting means, installation instructions, operation criteria, and maintenance requirements. Specific details of new/revised requirements are found in table below.

Fees:  An initial review of Listing Report (s) will be covered by a direct billing project and will be invoiced at not more than $1000 per report.

Client Action Required:

Information – To assist our Engineer with review of your Listing Reports, please submit technical information in response to the new/revised paragraphs noted in the attached or explain why these new/revised requirements do not apply to your product (s).

Current Listings Not Active? – Please immediately identify any current Listing Reports or products that are no longer active and should be removed from our records. We will do this at no charge as long as Intertek is notified in writing prior to the review of your reports.

 
Description of New/Revised Technical Requirements

NOTE: Additions to existing requirements are underlined and deletions are shown lined out below.

ClauseVerdictComment
13.6.1 

A cord-connected heater shall be provided with a pilot light having a non-user-replacable lamp (e.g. LED) or lens that glows red or amber. The light shall:

  1. Be located on the front or top surface of the heater;
  2. Protrude from the top surface of the heater if so located; and
  3. Comply with 13.6.2. The pilot light shall be connected to the heater circuit so that it is energized whenever the on-off switch (see 28.11) is in the on position. Compliance of the pilot light shall be determined in all operating modes when the on-off switch is in the on position.

Exception No. 1: A pilot light is not required if a visibly glowing heating element of a radiant heater can be considered to serve as an indicator that the heater is energized. A heating element is considered to serve as an indicator if:

  1. The heating element for the heater consists of a single element,
  2. The element is not cycled by an automatic control,
  3. The element cannot be operated by either a manual or automatic control, at a reduced rating so that it can no longer be considered a visibly glowing element in accordance with 59.25, and
  4. The heater complies with the visibility requirement of 13.6.2.

Exception No. 2: A pilot light is not required on a commercial/industrial heater.

Exception No. 3: A pilot light is not required on a hearth type heater having a flame effect feature. The flame effect feature shall have a majority red or amber color, be illuminated by at least two lamps and shall comply with the visibility requirement of 13.6.2. The flame effect feature shall be connected to the heater circuit so that it is energized whenever the on-off switch (see 28.11) is in the on position. Compliance of the flame effect feature shall be determined in all operating modes when the on-off switch is in the on position.

24.1 

With respect to the conditions for Operation Tests, Section 37, and Abnormal Operation Tests, Section 41, if operation of the heater in accordance with 37.1 could result in a risk of fire or electric shock due to overheating of the heater, a thermal cutoff or a manual reset type temperature limit control shall be provided. If a manual reset type limiting control is provided, it shall be of a type that will not operate as an automatic reset control when the reset means is held in the reset position.

Exception: An automatic reset type temperature limiting control or a manual reset type limiting control that operates as an automatic reset type when the reset means or actuating member is held in the reset position may be used as a control to limit temperatures for the heaters specified in (a) – (e) below.

  1. a) For a fixed heater that is ceiling mounted or is marked as stated in 59.23.
  2. b) For a heater in which the manual reset temperature limiting control reset means or actuating member is arranged such that it:
    1. Is recessed within the overall appliance enclosure,
    2. Cannot be forced to remain in the reset position by likely methods, such as taping down a pushbutton or wedging a pushbutton in an opening through which it protrudes, and
    3. Is not jammed in the reset position during the Element Support Impact Tests, Section 51, or
  3. c) For a commercial/industrial heater.
  4. d) For a heater that complies with the following additional requirements:
    1. The cycling frequency for the temperature limiting control shall be monitored and recorded for each abnormal test in which the temperature limiting control operates. The average cycle rate after each test shall be determined and shall not exceed 12 cycles per hour (at least 5 minutes per cycle).
    2. During each abnormal test where combustibles are placed in contact with or very near the heater (Vertical Wall, Terry Cloth Drape, and Padded Surface), the temperature of the test material shall be measured and recorded in locations believed to represent the areas receiving the most heat from the heater such as at the discharge grill. The maximum temperatures shall not exceed 200 °C (392 °F) except during the first five cycles where the maximum shall not exceed 225 °C (437 °F).
  5. e) For floor-insert heaters (see 32.3).
25.1 

A heater intended for residential use that is provided with an over-temperature limit control shall include an audible or visual alarm to indicate that the limit control has operated. See 25.2 and 25.3. The alarm shall become energized when the limit control functions to de-energize the heating elements. For an automatically-resetting temperature limiting control, when the temperature limiting control reconnects electric power to the heating element (s), the alarm may be de-energized or it may remain energized until de-energized manually. For a manual-reset temperature limiting control that operates as an automatic reset type when the reset means is held, the alarm shall remain energized until the temperature limiting control is reset.

Exception: Heaters that use the following types of temperature limit controls:

  1. Manual reset type temperature limit control that will not operate as automatic reset type control when the reset means is held in the reset position. See 24.1; or
  2. Thermal cutoff.
56.2 Production-Line Grounding Continuity
This test is also required for permanently-connected units, including accessories for such units that derive power by means of internal cord and plug connection.
60.1.8 The instructions described in Sections 60.2 – 60.5 may be provided as separate documents or combined into one document, provided each section begins at the top of the page, the heading for each section is in upper letters not less than 3/16 inch (4.8 mm) high, and each section includes the applicable warnings for that section.
60.2.1 

Installation

60.2.1 Clear and complete instructions for the installation of the heater shall be provided. The instructions shall include the following items:

  1. Wiring procedures and connections shall be in accordance with the national and local codes having jurisdiction.
  2. A complete electrical diagram of the heater, showing the connections of the power supply and the interconnection of individual components.
  3. Illustrations of essential features, showing the relation of components.
  4. The method of mounting heaters individually or in groups. In the absence of any specific restrictions, it is to be presumed that heater frames may be mounted in contact with combustible materials and heaters may be mounted in close proximity to one another.
  5. A caution similar to that indicated in 59.27.
  6. The following warning, or equivalent statement: ²To reduce the risk of fire, do not store or use gasoline or other flammable vapors and liquids in the vicinity of the heater.²
60.2.2 

Installation

If a heater is intended to be shipped with the legs detached or arranged in other than the intended operating position, clear and complete assembly instructions shall be provided.

60.2.3 

Installation

If a heater is intended to be shipped with the heating elements not mounted securely in its intended position in accordance with 10.8, the installation instructions shall include clear and complete assembly information.

60.4.2 

Operation

The operating instructions shall contain all appropriate information needed to operate a heater properly, and shall be preceded by the heading ²OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS,”or the equivalent.

60.4.3 

Operation

The operating instructions shall:

  1. Warn that the heater must be properly installed before it is used.
  2. Explain and describe the location, function, and operation of each control of the heater, including all user-operated devices intended to reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to persons; and warn against tampering with such devices.
60.5.1 

Maintenance

The instructions for user maintenance shall include explicit instructions for all cleaning and minor servicing – lubrication, external adjustments, and the like – that should be performed by the user; and shall warn the user that all other servicing should be performed by qualified service personnel. User maintenance instructions shall be preceded by the heading ²MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS,” or the equivalent.

60.5.2 The user maintenance instructions shall indicate when the heater shall be cleaned.
60.5.3 The user maintenance instructions, shall state before cleaning, make sure the power has been turned off at the circuit breaker panel and that the heating element of the heater is cool.
60.5.4 The user maintenance instructions, as described in 60.5.1, shall not include operations that would require disassembly of the heater to accomplish.
60.5.5 The user maintenance instructions, shall state what cleaning instrument should be used to clean the heater.

CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE: This Table and column "Verdict" can be used in determining how your current or future production is or will be in compliance with new/revised requirements.

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