Portable air purifier testing against new US energy efficiency standards

Testing and certification company SGS is now able to undertake the testing of portable air purifiers against strict new US standards for energy efficiency.

An air purifier in a living room
An air purifier in a living room - Image © 220 Selfmade studio - Adobe Stock.

All air purifiers sold in the US, for domestic, commercial and industrial use, must comply with the latest standards set by the Department of Energy (DOE): 10 CFR 429 certification, compliance and enforcement for consumer products and commercial and industrial equipment; in conjunction with parts 430 and 431.

These standards, which came into force earlier this year, determine active power consumption, standby power and Integrated Energy Factor (IEF). DOE regulations state that only Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) approved laboratories, accredited by an International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) recognized accreditation body, can conduct the certification testing.

SGS’s North America lab located in Grass Lake, Michigan is one of just three AHAM approved laboratories in North America, accredited by A2LA in accordance with AHAM AC-1-2020, AHAM AC-2022, and IEC 62301.

As a laboratory for performance testing of many domestic appliances, including air purifiers and vacuum cleaners, it also undertakes HEPA/ULPA filtration testing to verify the performance of the filter media, filter elements and complete product.

Dan Miller, operations manager at SGS, said: “Air quality matters to consumers. Pollution, airborne diseases, and the simple desire to live in a clean and pleasant environment means markets for room air purifiers are expanding. To succeed, manufacturers need to supply safe products that clearly perform to all recognized standards.

“With over 40 years of advanced filtration experience, our team at Grass Lake is leading the way to ensure manufacturers achieve compliance with all US standards and avoid product recalls or expensive fines further down the line.”

If the DOE determines a basic model is non-compliant, it may issue a notice of non-compliance determination to the manufacturer or private labeller.