It’s no surprise that certified draft control products save significant time and money while reducing the risk of shock, fire, equipment damage and even explosion. But what does it really mean when you buy a control panel labelled “UL listed?”
There are two dark secrets which most panel buyers don’t know about, but need to:
Kinda sneaky, right? How does this happen? And what can you do to ensure safe electrical operation of your control panels?
The two are different. Very different.
A UL508A Panel Listing allows a panel shop to build controls that comply with UL508A safety design guidelines. In this scenario there is:
The panel shop applies a UL508A sticker to the product and frequently, that’s enough to pass off the system as ‘certified.’ It’s a common and dangerous mistake to assume that all components on the inside are also UL listed.
In contrast, a UL Listed Control means the manufacturer builds an additional controller that meets safety design guidelines AND functionality as described in the UL standards to which it is listed. Installation manuals and testing/verification of any software and functionality are MANDATORY, and all parts are certified.
In a UL508A panel, parts must be listed or recognized for the panel’s intended use, and the panel must comply with certain requirements, including:
‘Certified shop’ does NOT mean ‘certified panel.’ It’s important to understand that UL-certified panel shops are NOT required to make only UL-certified panels. This isn’t always communicated to the panel buyer, and discount panels have worked this to their advantage quite nicely.
Non-certified panels do have a place in the market, clearly. In fact, most shops sell about 80 percent of their inventory as non-certified. That’s O.K., as long as the buyer knows to ask the shop whether or not the panel is certified.
Manuel Haro, CEO and director of sales for Accurate Controls ABB describes this as a “don’t ask, don’t tell” mentality.
Buyers can expect to pay approximately 10 percent more for a UL508A certified panel over a panel of similar construction. So naturally, most people opt for the lower-cost option. However, as the one ultimately responsible for safety, you need to understand that the UL508A label is just that… a label. It’s well worth diving deeper to see what you’re really buying.
You really need to verify that each panel component is what UL calls “Listed” or “Recognized” for the specific application. That’s the only way to make sure the system as a whole is will operate in a safe and effective manner.
Certification to UL508A does not mean you can build to or meet any other standard. For example, nowhere is it implied that a UL508A panel can be considered or certified to UL 378 standard for draft equipment!
Therefore, ALL mechanical draft equipment and controllers, including Motor Control Centers, Switchboards, Panel Boards and Draft Controllers, require separate and unique UL certifications.
The EBC 31 Modulating Pressure Controller is a good example of a fully certified mechanical draft controller that was designed to comply with the strict safety guidelines of UL508A as well as UL 378, baked in right from the start. As you can see in the following listing report for the EBC 31, these controllers are in sync with UL’s latest listing standards for draft/motor controllers:
If you’re not sure whether your entire panel assembly is certified, or just a part of it, ask us. The revised UL standards are confusing, but you are not alone. Our engineers can help you understand the new control standards for draft equipment and how they may impact the success of your overall project. Not ready to talk yet? Check out our tips below for buying control panels.
Now that you know the dark secrets about UL508A and UL Listed Control Panels, here are a few important considerations when choosing your control panel vendor. Do NOT buy a control panel for your project unless it is:
Other considerations worth investigating include the vendor’s track record for having delivery issues, long lead times, and/or slow response times. Also, investigate whether they actually make products, or are they using outside vendors and fabricators?
Making the effort to confirm that what’s inside your panel has the same UL rating as what’s outside will keep you out of trouble; save time, money and risk; and improve the overall quality of your projects.