IEC 60704-2-1:2020

Overview - IEC 60704-2-1:2020 (dry vacuum cleaners, airborne acoustical noise)

IEC 60704-2-1:2020 is the International Electrotechnical Commission test code that specifies particular requirements for determining airborne acoustical noise of mains-operated and cordless dry vacuum cleaners intended for household use (or under similar conditions). It supplements and modifies the general requirements in IEC 60704-1:2010 and is focused on reproducible measurement of sound emissions for product development, comparison and declaration.

Key scope points:

• Applies to dry vacuum cleaners for household use (mains and cordless); excludes industrial/professional machines.
• Covers noise measurement on carpet and hard floor surfaces, under conditions simulating normal use.
• Concerned with airborne noise only (not structure-borne noise).

Key topics and technical requirements

• Measurement methods: ISO 3743-1, ISO 3743-2 and ISO 3744 may be used; ISO 3744 is applicable to sources of any size.
• Definitions added: "cleaning head", "active nozzle" and "standard Wilton test carpet".
• Test carpet handling: specification of the standard Wilton test carpet removed from this Part and now referenced to IEC/TS 62885-1; ageing of test carpet and related pre-conditioning are addressed.
• Equipping and pre-conditioning: new, specific requirements for preparing appliances and accessories prior to measurement.
• Measurement uncertainty / standard deviations: repeatability and reproducibility estimates derived from round-robin tests:
  • On carpets: repeatability r = 0.3 dB, reproducibility R = 0.8 dB.
  • On hard floors: repeatability r = 0.2 dB, reproducibility R = 0.6 dB.
• Declaration and verification: standard deviations for production and total uncertainty for declared noise values are provided (examples for carpets: production σP = 0.5–1.0 dB; total σt = 0.9–1.3 dB; reference σM = 1.5 dB).
• Notes: a temporary “boost” setting (higher fan speed for occasional use) is not included in declared noise values.

Practical applications - who uses IEC 60704-2-1:2020

• Manufacturers: for product design, R&D, and noise performance optimization of household vacuum cleaners (including cordless models).
• Test laboratories and certification bodies: to perform standardized, comparable noise measurements for compliance testing and product certification.
• Regulatory authorities and buyers: to verify declared sound emissions and support labeling, procurement and consumer guidance.
• Quality control and production: to establish repeatable test procedures and verify production consistency against declared noise values.

Related standards

• IEC 60704-1:2010 - General requirements (this Part 2-1 supplements/modifies it)
• IEC 60704-3 - Declaration and verification of noise emission values
• IEC/TS 62885-1 and IEC 62885-2 / IEC 60312-1 - carpet and cleaning performance references used for test surfaces and procedures
• ISO 3743 / ISO 3744 - acoustical measurement methods referenced for test setups

This standard ensures consistent, reproducible noise testing for household dry vacuum cleaners, supporting product comparisons, regulatory compliance and consumer information.