Overview
IEC PAS 60704-2-15:2008 is a Publicly Available Specification from the IEC that defines particular requirements for the measurement of airborne acoustical noise emitted by single‑unit household food waste disposers. Intended to be used in conjunction with IEC 60704-1 (Part 1: General requirements), this PAS covers disposers for cold water supply, permanently connected to water and sewage systems, and installed under a kitchen sink in a cabinet enclosure. The July 2012 corrigendum is included in this edition.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and use: Applies to single‑unit electric food waste disposers for household and similar use; does not cover declaration procedures (see IEC 60704-3 for declared values).
- Measurement methods: Supports direct and comparison methods; ISO 3743‑1, ISO 3743‑2 and ISO 3744 may be used for noise measurement. Notes on handling pure tone components are included.
- Test environment & enclosure: Specifies test enclosure geometry and the requirement for a vertical reflecting plane for appliances intended to sit against a wall or cabinet. Acoustic absorption limits and minimum clearances are defined.
- Instrumentation & procedures: References general instrumentation in IEC 60704-1; includes specific operational and measurement steps for disposers.
- Operational cycle & test loads:
- Defines operational cycle and batch-feed operation.
- Standard “hard” test load: fifteen 12.7 mm (0.5 in) nylon 6/6 balls (conditioned by soaking 7 days).
- Standard “soft” test load: 200 g of baby carrots.
- Grinding operation and measurement timing: a 10 s measurement must encompass the start of the cycle.
- Preconditioning & trials: Run 10 complete 30 s operational cycles with the hard load before measurements. Perform three trials per load with at least 5 minutes of cold water flow between trials.
- Supply conditions: Water temperature 4 °C to 27 °C; flow rate 6 ± 0.3 L/min; rules for voltage measurement and faucet positioning are specified.
- Reporting: Requirements for recorded and reported information align with the Part 1 test code, with Part 2‑15 additions.
Applications and who uses it
- Product engineers and acoustic test laboratories measuring noise performance of household food waste disposers.
- Manufacturers validating design changes, performing quality control, or preparing noise test reports for R&D and regulatory support.
- Test houses performing comparative noise testing for product development or procurement specifications.
- Standards committees and compliance professionals referencing accepted test methods for airborne noise of kitchen appliances.
Related standards
- IEC 60704-1 (general test code for airborne acoustical noise)
- IEC 60704-3 (declaration and verification of noise emission values)
- ISO 3743‑1 / ISO 3743‑2 / ISO 3744 (acoustic measurement methods)
- ANSI/ASME A112.19.3-2000 (stainless steel plumbing fixtures - sink specification referenced)
Keywords: IEC PAS 60704-2-15:2008, food waste disposer noise, test code, airborne acoustical noise, household appliances, noise measurement, standard test loads, IEC 60704.