New Component Category Is the Smart and Simple Pathway to A2L Compliance

Air conditioning and refrigeration companies are facing unprecedented equipment design challenges as the industry transitions to lower global warming potential refrigerants. The regulatory patchwork of environmental protections developing across the country means your product containing A2L  refrigerants, such as R32 or R454B, will certainly be required to meet more rigorous standards of safety to be accepted in more environmentally progressive markets, such as member states of the U.S. Climate Alliance.

To help ease the burden of safety compliance and speed your product time to market, UL has developed a new category for certified refrigerant components: “Flame Arrest-protected Components for Use in Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Equipment Employing A2L Refrigerants.” This category specifically addresses the need for a balanced approach to certification and provides critical design traceability without requiring full HazLoc certification but is more robust than a letter of test results. This approach is quicker, more cost effective and helps keep intellectual property private. Currently, UL is the only Nationally RecognizedTesting Laboratory (NRTL) offering this solution to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC/R) industry. 

This category specifically addresses the need for a balanced approach to certification and provides critical material and design traceability without requiring full HazLoc certification but is more robust than a letter of test results. This approach is quicker, more cost effective and helps keep intellectual property private. Currently, UL is the only Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) offering this solution to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC/R) industry.

Now, compliance can easily be achieved, reducing the complicated burden of determining whether or not the product will work in a design, as a list of components already exists for manufacturers that need to select components and parts. And for manufacturers, having your components included in the LZGH2 category means HVAC/R manufacturers will already know the parts have met rigorous testing specifications and will streamline the certification of the product. 

The LZGH2 component category was developed for UL 60335-2-40, the Standard for Household and Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety – Part 2-40: Particular Requirements for Electrical Heat Pumps, Air-Conditioners and Dehumidifiers. Nevertheless, the component category can be leveraged under the adjacent IEC standards as well. Presented as part of a CB report, certificates and test reports of components according to LZGH2 enables customers to prove the absence of any ignition source inside the unit according Clause 22, which enables UL to waive IEC 60335-2-40 ANNEX FF Test.

Involving UL early in your product development process is the most effective way to get your products to market quickly and safely. UL’s modular engagement approach can help your team make certification considerations an integral part of the process – right from the concept stage. UL provides the engineering expertise and certification knowledge you need to make informed product development decisions. This enables you to identify noncompliances early and have time to correct them before they affect launch dates. You can benefit from faster speed to market and cost savings compared to that of previously required HazLoc testing, and increased confidence and comfort along the way.

Whether you need flammable refrigerant advisory, benchmarking or certification services, UL is there to help. For more information, please visit to UL.com/HVACR or email HVACInfo@ul.com.