What ‘UL Listed’ Means on Electronics, and Why You Ought to Search for It

For those who’ve paid shut consideration to labels on any electrical merchandise, gadgets, or home equipment, you’ll have seen a small mark with the initials “UL” on it. It is not one thing related to a specific firm or model of merchandise, and that is a kind of issues that when you already know it is there, you begin noticing them far and wide. However what does the “UL” mark imply? This is what to know.

What does UL imply on a label?

UL stands for Underwriters Laboratories, which describe itself as “a not-for-profit group devoted to public security.” Based in 1894 to advertise secure dwelling and dealing environments, UL’s main perform was, and continues to be, product security testing and certification. Though there are different organizations that supply the identical security testing service, UL is the best-known.

The primary iteration of the UL label got here out in 1906, and licensed that particular person merchandise have been examined, and met the group’s security requirements. It means the identical factor at this time. Seeing “UL Listed” on the label of a product assures you, as a client, that it’s going to work as anticipated, and would not pose a security danger to you. In different phrases, if it’s important to resolve between buying an merchandise with a UL label versus the identical sort merchandise with out that mark, go for the one with it.

The distinction between ‘UL Listed’ and ‘UL Acknowledged’

To illustrate you buy a fridge. It’s possible you’ll discover “UL Listed” on the label affixed to the equipment’s energy twine. And whilst you have been at it, you additionally purchased a washer, which has “UL Acknowledged” stickers on a number of particular person elements. What is the distinction between the 2?

In accordance to UL, “UL Itemizing implies that UL has examined consultant samples of a product and decided that the product meets particular, outlined necessities.” In the meantime, “UL Part Recognition implies that UL has evaluated parts or supplies meant to be used in an entire product or system. These parts are meant just for end-use merchandise which may be eligible for UL certification.”

So principally, “UL Listed” means they examined the product (as an entire) and it really works security, whereas “UL Acknowledged” labels are place on particular elements of a product which are examined.