IEC 60335-2-43:2017

Overview

IEC 60335-2-43:2017 - fourth edition - is the IEC safety standard for particular clothes dryers and electric towel rails used in household and similar environments. It covers electric clothes dryers that dry textiles on racks in warm airflow, including dryers intended for footwear or gloves, and electric towel rails with a rated voltage up to 250 V. The standard addresses common hazards (electrical, mechanical, thermal, fire and radiation) and is intended for appliances with natural or forced air circulation and racks that may be fixed or free‑standing in a cabinet.

Key scope notes:

• Applies to household and similar appliances and some layman-used appliances in shops, agriculture and light industry.
• Excludes spin extractors (IEC 60335-2-4), tumble dryers (IEC 60335-2-11) and appliances exclusively for industrial or special-atmosphere locations.
• Appliances for vehicles, ships or aircraft may need additional requirements.
• This edition (2017) introduced specific requirements for footwear and glove dryers.

Key topics and requirements

The standard is a Part 2 product standard and supplements IEC 60335-1 (General requirements). Important topics included:

• Scope, classification and definitions relevant to clothes dryers and towel rails
• Marking and instructions to ensure safe use and installation
• Protection against access to live parts and earthing provisions
• Starting and motor safety, power input and current limits
• Heating and temperature requirements, including abnormal-operation tests
• Leakage current, electric strength and moisture resistance tests
• Overload protection, endurance and mechanical strength tests
• Stability, mechanical hazards and construction requirements
• Internal wiring, components, terminals and clearances/creepage distances
• Resistance to heat, fire, corrosion, radiation and toxic hazards

These clauses define test conditions, performance limits and documentation to support conformity assessment.

Practical applications and users

IEC 60335-2-43 is used by:

• Appliance manufacturers designing and producing clothes dryers, footwear/glove dryers and towel rails to meet safety and market-entry requirements.
• Test laboratories and certification bodies for type testing, conformity assessment and CE/CB/ national approvals.
• Product safety engineers and compliance teams to prepare technical files, instructions and safety markings.
• Regulators and procurement teams specifying safe appliance performance for households, retail and light‑industrial settings. Adoption of this standard supports safer product design, reduces liability risk, and facilitates international market access.

Related standards

• IEC 60335-1 (General requirements for household appliance safety) - to be used in conjunction with this Part 2
• Other Part 2 standards referenced for specific appliances (e.g., IEC 60335-2-4, IEC 60335-2-11)

Keywords: IEC 60335-2-43, clothes dryers safety, towel rails safety, electrical safety standard, household appliances, footwear dryers, glove dryers, IEC 60335-1, appliance testing, product certification.