IEC 60704-1:2021

Overview

IEC 60704-1:2021 - "Household and similar electrical appliances - Test code for the determination of airborne acoustical noise - Part 1: General requirements" - defines the general requirements, measurement methods and reporting rules used to determine airborne noise from electric household and similar appliances supplied from mains or batteries. This fourth edition (2021) is a technical revision of the 2010 edition and updates normative references, climatic condition requirements and background noise criteria.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and exclusions: applies to household and similar-use appliances (including accessories/components). Excludes appliances designed exclusively for industrial/professional use, integrated building installations (with specific exceptions), separate motors/generators, and appliances exclusively for outdoor use.
• Measurement methods: describes the direct method and the comparison method for determining sound emissions.
• Acoustical environments: specifies acceptable test environments (free-field over reflecting plane, hard-walled rooms, special reverberation rooms) and provides criteria for environmental adequacy and background noise level.
• Instrumentation and setup: requirements for microphones, arrays, measurement surfaces and instrumentation for climatic and operating condition monitoring.
• Operation and pre-conditioning: rules for equipping, pre-conditioning, powering and loading appliances during tests, and for supply conditions (electric, water, gas).
• Measurement procedures: guidance on microphone placement, measurement surfaces, repeatability and reproducibility, and calculation of sound pressure and sound power levels (including A-weighted levels).
• Corrections and uncertainty: procedures for correcting background noise and test environment influences, and for estimating measurement uncertainty.
• Reporting and documentation: mandatory data to record and report - appliance description, test conditions, instrumentation, acoustic data, calculations and results.

Practical applications and users

IEC 60704-1 is essential for:

• Manufacturers developing quieter household products and declaring noise emissions in datasheets.
• Test laboratories performing standardized acoustical noise testing and certification.
• Regulatory bodies and certification schemes that require harmonized noise measurement procedures.
• Product designers and acoustic engineers assessing product noise performance and design trade-offs.
• Procurement and quality teams verifying noise claims during verification testing.

Use this standard when you need consistent, internationally recognized methods for measuring and reporting airborne noise from household and similar appliances.

Related standards

• IEC 60704-2 series - product-specific test methods (referenced where applicable)
• IEC 60704-3:2019 - procedures for determining and verifying declared noise emission values
• Updated references to relevant ISO standards are included in the 2021 edition.

Keywords: IEC 60704-1, airborne acoustical noise, household appliances noise testing, sound power level, acoustic test room, background noise, measurement uncertainty.