IEC 60730-2-14:2017

Overview

IEC 60730-2-14:2017 - "Automatic electrical controls - Part 2-14: Particular requirements for electric actuators" is a product-specific part of the IEC 60730 series. It supplements IEC 60730-1 (general requirements) and defines safety, construction and test requirements for electric actuators used in or with household and similar equipment for heating, ventilation and air‑conditioning (HVAC). The standard also covers actuators for building automation within the scope of ISO 16484 and equipment used by the public (shops, offices, hospitals, farms, commercial/industrial premises).

This second edition (2017) is a technical revision aligned to the 5th edition of IEC 60730-1, adding checks for specific actuator action types (1.AB / 2AB) and modifying abnormal-condition tests.

Key Topics and Requirements

The standard addresses practical and technical aspects critical to actuator safety, reliability and compliance:

• Scope & classification: Defines applicability to electric actuators used with household and similar equipment and building automation.
• Information & marking: Required documentation and user information manufacturers must supply.
• Electrical safety: Protection against electric shock, earthing provisions, terminals and terminations.
• Construction & environmental resistance: Mechanical strength, moisture/dust resistance, corrosion resistance and threaded parts.
• Insulation & thermal requirements: Electric strength, insulation resistance, heating and maximum permitted temperatures (blocked-output conditions).
• Endurance and performance: Lifecycle, manufacturing deviation, drift, and mechanical/electrical endurance tests.
• EMC: Emission and immunity (mains-borne perturbations, magnetic/electromagnetic disturbances).
• Abnormal operation: Tests and modifications to ensure safety under fault or abnormal conditions.
• Electronic controls: Additional requirements for actuators incorporating electronics (Annex H).
• Regional considerations: Annexes for regional differences and specific national requirements (e.g., Japan).

Applications and Who Uses It

IEC 60730-2-14 is essential for:

• Actuator manufacturers designing products for HVAC, building automation, and public-use equipment.
• Product designers & OEMs integrating actuators in boilers, air-handling units, valves and dampers.
• Test laboratories and certification bodies performing conformity and safety testing.
• Specifiers and procurement teams selecting compliant actuators for commercial and residential buildings.
• Building automation integrators and smart‑grid device manufacturers.

Practical uses include certifying actuator safety, specifying operating times/temperatures, validating EMC immunity, and ensuring reliable lifecycle performance.

Related Standards

• IEC 60730-1 (General requirements for automatic electrical controls) - normative companion.
• ISO 16484 (Building automation) - scope overlap.
• IEC 60335 (Household appliances) - appliances-specific actuators.
• IEC 60034 (Electric motors), IEC 61058-1 (manual switches) and IEC 60730-2-8 / 2-17 (valves and gas valves) - related parts for specific components.

Keywords: IEC 60730-2-14, electric actuators, automatic electrical controls, HVAC, building automation, safety testing, EMC, endurance testing.