Understanding the Recent Changes to UL Standards for Power Ventilators
THIS WHITE PAPER WILL ADDRESS:
- Understanding UL Standards
- Importance of Power Ventilators In Commercial Kitchens
- Changes in UL Standards for Power Ventilators
Exhaust and supply fans are an integral part of commercial kitchen ventilation. The former removes pollutants such as smoke, odor, heat, and grease-laden air from cooking environments and the latter brings fresh outside air back inside the kitchen space. For the safety and comfort of staff and guests, it is imperative that fans and all ventilation equipment meet specific standards and are up to date on all code requirements.
UL STANDARDS
From a commercial kitchen perspective, UL Standards guide the safety, operation, and performance of new and existing products, systems, and technologies. They outline the process in which a product is tested to mitigate risk, injury, or danger. Products that are UL Listed are certified to safety-related standards that have been evaluated regarding all reasonably foreseeable safety-related hazards.1
POWER VENTILATORS IN COMMERCIAL KITCHENS
Historically, UL Listing criteria with relation to fans in kitchen ventilation systems, fell under three standards: Power Ventilators (UL 705), Power Ventilators for Smoke Control, and Power Ventilators for Restaurant Exhaust (UL 762).
UL 705: Listed Power Ventilators is designed to ensure the safety of electrical components and connections within power ventilators (roof and wall-mounted) and duct fans (straight-through type) for commercial or industrial use. This standard is limited to fans that are connected to permanently installed wiring systems that comply with NFPA 70, also known as the National Electrical Code (NEC). Fans used where heat, grease, corrosive or flammable atmospheres, dust, material, or refuse are present are not included in this listing.
UL 762: Listed Power Ventilators for Restaurant Exhaust focuses on the safety of roof or wall-mounted power ventilators used with restaurant exhaust appliances, where heat and grease are typically present in the airstream. These fans must also be installed in accordance with NFPA 96, which provides fire safety requirements intended to reduce potential fire hazards for commercial cooking operations.
Power Ventilators for Smoke Control concentrates on the removal of smoke-laden and potentially high-temperature vapors in the event of an emergency.
CHANGES IN UL STANDARDS
UL Standards continue to be monitored and evolve as ventilation technology and products advance to meet the ever-changing needs of commercial operators. When appropriate, UL will combine standards to minimize redundancy and complexity. Since June 2021, UL has made a few notable changes to these standards.
- UL Standard 762 "Power Ventilators for Restaurant Exhaust Appliances" has been merged into UL Standard 705 as "Supplement SC".
- UL requirements for "Power Ventilators for Smoke Control Systems" have been merged into UL Standard 705 as "Supplement SD".
No changes have been made to the product requirements or testing called out in these standards.
Moving forward, engineers should no longer refer to "UL 762" when specifying restaurant/grease exhaust fans. Instead, "UL 705 - Supplement SC - Restaurant Exhaust" should be specified, and “UL 705 - Supplement SD - Smoke Control” should also be specified for smoke control fans.
It's important for contractors and code officials to be aware of these changes to the UL Standards so that they are not surprised when they do not see the UL 762 listing on product documentation or submittals. However, it's worth noting that the product labeling itself does not contain the UL Standard number, and as a result, there should be no significant difference in the product labeling.
At Accurex, we are updating applicable products in our Computer-Aided Product Selection (CAPS®) program, as well as product submittals, product catalogs, and our website to reflect these changes. In many cases, we will refer to both the new and old UL standards to help with the transition.
1 UL Standards & Engagement, www.ulse.org
At Accurex, we believe there is a better way to help simplify the most challenging kitchen ventilation system environments, from engineering to aftermarket support. As a Greenheck Group Company, we have more than 70 years of manufacturing and engineering experience in air movement and control products and offer a breadth of configurable products and services tailored to meet your needs.
