Listed lab equipment

[lbartsch]

We often test foreign IT and communications equipment in our lab. Often it is preproduction stuff that has yet to go through the listing process but the manufacturer has asked us to test the basic functionality of the equipment to make sure it performs as required before they spend a forture on UL tests.

Recently, one of our electrical engineers insisted that all equipment be listed before installation in the lab. This is a paradoxical situation since we need to test functionality before the UL testing. Does lab equipment need to be UL'd in advance?

 

[jim dungar]

Re: Listed lab equipment

Except for a very few areas of the NEC, nothing needs to be "UL'd" ever, see 90.7 and 10.3.

If you are not installing the equipment as "part" of your facility, I don't believe the NEC is the correct code to use for the equipment under test.

 

[greeny]

Re: Listed lab equipment

Yeh, I heard UL can't test anything unless it's listed also

 

[lbartsch]

Re: Listed lab equipment

Greeny...

Your comment is right to the point...I haven't laughed so hard in along time...thanks

 

[sandsnow]

Re: Listed lab equipment

I think you have two different things going on.
Equipment installed would be to support the lab, which in turn takes new equipment and investigates it.

You can spec anything you want. Jim is right about NEC requirements. There a handful of places where the word "listed" is used. The word is appearing more and more in the code.

Your local AHJ or your customers will have an easier time accepting it if it is listed. Some AHJ's have written ordinaces or bulletins requiring listed equipment.