IEC 60704-2-19:2026

Overview

IEC 60704-2-19:2026 is the international standard that sets out specific requirements for testing and determining the airborne acoustical noise emissions from stationary, freestanding, and wall-mounted household air cleaners. Developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), this standard applies to air cleaners powered by mains, DC voltage up to 48 V, or batteries, and also covers combination products where air cleaning is the main function. It is intended for domestic as well as similar environments-such as hotels, offices, hospitals, and shops.

Part 2-19 works in conjunction with IEC 60704-1:2021 (General requirements). The standard provides a harmonized test code to ensure consistent and reproducible measurement of sound emissions, supporting manufacturers, test labs, and regulatory bodies in noise declaration and compliance.

Key Topics

• Scope and Applicability:

  • Applies to stationary, freestanding, and wall-mounted air cleaners for domestic or similar use.
  • Covers combination appliances where air cleaning is combined with other functions (e.g., humidification), but only tests the air cleaning function.
  • Excludes fresh-air air cleaners (units supplying outdoor air) and self-moving air cleaners.

• Definitions:

  • Air cleaner: Electrically powered device reducing indoor air pollutants.
  • Combination products: Air cleaners including secondary functions such as humidifying, heating, or air conditioning.

• Test Methods and Environments:

  • Specifies measurement methods, including direct and comparison methods for sound pressure levels.
  • Lists acceptable acoustical environments: hard-walled test rooms, reverberant rooms, special reverberation test rooms, or free-field conditions over a reflecting plane.
  • Recommends appropriate background noise levels for low-noise air cleaners.

• Testing Procedures:

  • Appliances must operate in maximum performance mode, with all additional functions (heating, humidification, etc.) switched off.
  • Emphasis on use of clean air filters during noise measurement.
  • Battery-powered models must start tests with fully charged batteries.
  • Special positioning and mounting instructions for floor-standing, wall-mounted, and tabletop units to ensure representative and reproducible results.

• Reporting and Documentation:

  • Outlines required information for recording and reporting noise test results, including all conditions and settings used.
  • Aligns with IEC 60704-3 for verifying declared noise emission values.

Applications

IEC 60704-2-19:2026 provides practical value across several sectors:

• Manufacturers of Air Cleaners: Ensures reliable, repeatable acoustical noise measurements for product development, quality control, and communication of product spec sheets.
• Testing and Certification Laboratories: Offers a standardized methodology and criteria for laboratory testing, enabling fair comparison and compliance checks.
• Regulatory Bodies and Market Surveillance: Assists in verifying manufacturers' declared noise levels to enforce noise emission regulations and labeling requirements.
• Procurement and Product Evaluation: Enables buyers and specifiers for hotels, offices, and healthcare settings to compare products based on standardized noise emission values.

By harmonizing the test approach, IEC 60704-2-19:2026 fosters trust and transparency in the published noise data of household and commercial air cleaners.

Related Standards

• IEC 60704-1:2021 - Household and similar electrical appliances – Test code for the determination of airborne acoustical noise – General requirements
• IEC 63086-1:2020 - Household and similar electrical air cleaning appliances – Methods for measuring performance – General requirements
• IEC 60704-3 - Household and similar electrical appliances – Test code for the determination of airborne acoustical noise – Part 3: Procedure for determining and verifying declared noise emission values
• ISO 3741, ISO 3743-1, ISO 3743-2, ISO 3744 - Series of standards for acoustics, detailing proper environments and methods for measuring noise and sound power levels

IEC 60704-2-19:2026, as part of the IEC 60704 series, supports industry efforts to standardize acoustical testing and fosters global comparability in household appliance noise emissions.