IEC 62552-1:2015
(Main)Household refrigerating appliances - Characteristics and test methods - Part 1: General requirements
Household refrigerating appliances - Characteristics and test methods - Part 1: General requirements
IEC 62552-1:2015 specifies the essential characteristics of household refrigerating appliances, cooled by internal natural convection or forced air circulation, and establishes test methods for checking the characteristics. For the purposes of declaration, the tests defined in this part of IEC 62552 are considered to be type tests to assess the fundamental design and operation of a refrigerating appliance. This part of IEC 62552 does not define requirements for production sampling or conformity assessment or certification. This part of IEC 62552 does not define a regime for verification testing as this varies by region and country. When verification of the performance of a refrigerating appliance of a given type in relation to this standard is necessary, it is preferable, wherever practicable, that all the tests specified be applied to a single unit. The tests can also be made individually for the study of a particular characteristic. IEC 62552-1, -2 and -3 cancel and replace the first edition of IEC 62552 published in 2007. IEC 62552-1, -2 and -3 constitute a technical revision and includes the following significant technical changes with respect to IEC 62552:2007:
a) All parts of the standard have been largely rewritten and updated to cope with new testing requirements, new product configurations, the advent of electronic product controls and computer based test-room data collection and processing equipment.
b) In Part 1 (this part) there are some changes to test room equipment specifications and the setup for testing to provide additional flexibility especially when testing multiple appliances in a single test room.
Appareils de réfrigération à usage ménager - Caractéristiques et méthodes d'essai - Partie 1: Exigences générales
L'IEC 62552-1:2015 spécifie les caractéristiques essentielles des appareils de réfrigération à usage ménager, refroidis par convection naturelle interne ou par circulation d'air forcé, et établit les méthodes d'essai pour la vérification des caractéristiques. Pour les besoins de la déclaration, les essais définis dans la présente partie de l'IEC 62552 sont considérés comme étant des essais de type visant à évaluer la conception et le fonctionnement de base d'un appareil de réfrigération. La présente partie de l'IEC 62552 ne définit pas les exigences en matière d'échantillonnage de production ou d'évaluation ou de certification de la conformité. La présente partie de l'IEC 62552 ne définit pas le régime d'essais de vérification, lesquels varient selon la région et le pays. Lorsqu'il est nécessaire de vérifier les performances d'un appareil de réfrigération d'un type donné, en liaison avec la présente Norme internationale, il est préférable, dans la mesure du possible, que tous les essais spécifiés soient appliqués à un seul appareil. Ces essais peuvent être également effectués séparément pour l'étude d'une caractéristique particulière. L'IEC 62552-1, l'IEC 62552-2 et l'IEC 62552-3 annulent et remplacent la première édition de l'IEC 62552 publiée en 2007. L IEC 62552-1, l'IEC 62552-2 et l'IEC 62552-3 constituent une révision technique et incluent les modifications techniques suivantes par rapport à l'IEC 62552:2007:
a) Toutes les parties de la norme ont été largement réécrites et mises à jour pour tenir compte des nouvelles exigences d'essai, des nouvelles configurations du produit, de l'apparition de nouvelles commandes de produit électronique et d'équipements informatiques de collecte et de traitement de données de salle d'essai.
b) Dans la Partie 1 (la présente partie) les modifications ont été apportées aux spécifications en matière d'équipement de salle d'essai, ainsi qu'au montage d'essai, afin d'apporter une souplesse supplémentaire, plus particulièrement lors des essais de plusieurs appareils dans une seule salle d'essai.
General Information
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Standards Content (Sample)
IEC 62552-1 ®
Edition 1.2 2025-09
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
CONSOLIDATED VERSION
Household refrigerating appliances - Characteristics and test methods -
Part 1: General requirements
ICS 97.030 ISBN 978-2-8327-0729-6
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CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 5
INTRODUCTION . 8
1 Scope . 9
2 Normative references . 9
3 Terms, definitions and symbols . 9
3.1 General terms and definitions . 9
3.2 Terms and definitions related to refrigerating system . 10
3.3 Compartments and sections . 11
3.4 Physical aspects and dimensions . 13
3.5 Terms and definitions relating to performance characteristics . 14
3.6 Operating states as shown in Figure 1 . 17
3.7 Symbols . 19
4 Classifications . 20
5 Marking . 20
5.1 Rating information . 20
5.2 Identification of frozen compartments . 21
5.3 Load limit lines . 21
6 Technical and commercial product information . 22
6.1 General . 22
6.2 Determination of linear dimensions . 22
7 Instructions . 23
Annex A (normative) Test room and instrumentation . 25
A.1 Scope . 25
A.2 Instruments, accuracy and precision of measurements . 25
A.2.1 General . 25
A.2.2 Electrical energy consumption . 25
A.2.3 Humidity . 25
A.2.4 Length . 25
A.2.5 Mass . 25
A.2.6 Temperature . 26
A.2.7 Time . 26
A.2.8 Voltage and frequency . 26
A.3 General test conditions . 26
A.3.1 General . 26
A.3.2 Ambient temperatures . 27
A.3.3 Electricity supply . 28
A.3.4 Power supply other than electricity . 29
A.3.5 Multiple power supply . 29
A.3.6 Humidity . 29
A.4 Test room configuration . 29
A.4.1 General . 29
A.4.2 Platform . 29
A.4.3 Rear wall or partition . 29
A.4.4 Side partitions . 29
A.4.5 Sensor location . 30
A.4.6 Test room general configuration . 30
Annex B (normative) Preparation of an appliance for testing and general
measurement procedures . 32
B.1 Scope . 32
B.2 Preparation and set-up of appliance . 32
B.2.1 General . 32
B.2.2 Running in of new appliances . 32
B.2.3 Installation of the appliance in the test room . 32
B.2.4 Combined appliances . 35
B.2.5 Setting up . 35
B.2.6 Automatic ice makers . 36
B.2.7 Pre-test condition . 37
Annex C (normative) Test packages . 38
C.1 Dimensions and tolerances . 38
C.2 Composition . 38
C.3 M-packages . 39
Annex D (normative) Determination of compartment average air temperatures . 40
D.1 Scope . 40
D.2 Location of sensors . 40
D.2.1 General .
D.2.2 Unfrozen compartments .
D.2.3 Frozen Compartments .
D.2.4 Equivalent positions and other requirements for all compartment types .
D.2.5 Consideration of convenience features .
D.2.1 General . 44
D.2.2 Unfrozen compartments . 45
D.2.3 Frozen compartments . 45
D.2.4 Equivalent positions and other requirements for all compartment types . 46
D.2.5 Consideration of convenience features . 49
D.3 Compartment average air temperatures determination . 49
D.3.1 General . 49
D.3.2 Determination of the average temperature of a sensor over a period . 49
D.3.3 Determination of the temperature of a compartment . 49
D.3.4 Calculation of temperature average . 50
Annex E (normative) Details of identification symbols . 72
Annex F (informative) Items to that may be included in the a test report . 74
Annex G (normative) Wine storage appliances . 89
G.1 Scope . 89
G.2 Terms, definitions and symbols . 89
G.3 Requirements . 89
G.3.1 Required temperature range . 89
G.3.2 Maximum temperature fluctuation . 89
G.3.3 Vibration . 89
G.4 General test conditions . 89
G.4.1 General . 89
G.4.2 Low ambient temperature . 90
G.4.3 Interior parts . 90
G.5 Determination of volumes . 90
G.5.1 Depth . 90
G.5.2 Evaluation of bottle capacity for wine storage compartments . 90
G.6 Measurement of storage temperature . 91
G.7 Determining temperature fluctuation . 94
G.8 Final test report . 94
G.9 Marking and instructions . 94
G.9.1 Technical and commercial product information . 94
G.9.2 Instructions . 94
Bibliography . 96
Figure 1 – Illustration of selected definitions typical refrigerator operations . 19
Figure 2 – Identification symbol for a four-star compartment . 21
Figure 3 – Star identification symbols for frozen compartments (except four-star) . 21
Figure 4 – Marking of load limit . 22
Figure 5 – Linear dimensions (example: top view for upright type) . 23
Figure A.1 – Verification of parameters to be kept constant . 27
Figure A.2 – Partitions to restrict air circulation and ambient temperatures sensor
positions . 31
Figure B.1 – Examples of appliances with no spacers where rear clearance is
specified . 33
Figure D.1 – Air-temperature measuring points – unfrozen compartments with plate or
concealed evaporators and effective height and width examples .
Figure D.2 – Air-temperature measuring points – fresh food, chill and cellar
compartments – examples of generic compartments with crisper and convenience
features .
Figure D.3 – Air-temperature measuring points – low height and small compartments .
Figure D.4 – Location of temperature sensors within upright frozen compartments
without refrigerated shelves and with height equal to or less than 1 000 mm .
Figure D.5 – Location of temperature sensors within upright frozen compartments
without refrigerated shelves and with height greater than 1 000 mm .
Figure D.6 – Location of temperature sensors within upright frozen compartments with
refrigerated shelves and with height greater than 1 000 mm .
Figure D.7 – location of temperature sensors within chest freezers (1 of 2) .
Figure D.8 – Location of temperature sensors within drawers and bins .
Figure D.9 – Location of temperature sensors when mirror image is applicable .
Figure D.1 – Air-temperature measuring points – unfrozen compartments with plate or
concealed evaporators and effective height and width examples (all front views) . 60
Figure D.2 – Air-temperature measuring points – unfrozen compartments . 62
Figure D.3 – Air-temperature measuring points – small (sub-)compartments and low-
height (sub-)compartments . 63
Figure D.4 – Location of temperature sensors within upright frozen compartments
without refrigerated shelves and with height equal to or less than 1 000 mm . 64
Figure D.5 – Location of temperature sensors within upright frozen compartments
without refrigerated shelves and with height greater than 1 000 mm . 65
Figure D.6 – Location of temperature sensors within upright frozen compartments with
refrigerated shelves and with height greater than 1 000 mm . 66
Figure D.7 – Location of temperature sensors within chest freezers . 69
Figure D.8 – Location of temperature sensors within drawers and bins . 71
Figure D.9 – Location of temperature sensors when a mirror image of positions is
applicable . 71
Figure E.1 – Details of identification symbols for four-star compartments . 72
Figure E.2 – Details of identification symbols for frozen compartments (except four-
star) . 73
Figure G.1 – Standard bottle for evaluation of bottle capacity . 91
Figure G.2 – Temperature Measurement Points (packages) . 93
Table 1 – Climate classes . 20
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
Household refrigerating appliances -
Characteristics and test methods -
Part 1: General requirements
FOREWORD
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8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
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9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of
patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This consolidated version of the official IEC Standard and its amendments has been prepared
for user convenience.
IEC 62552-1 edition 1.2 contains the first edition (2015-02) [documents 59M/61/FDIS and
59M/64/RVD], its amendment 1 (2020-11) [documents 59M/126/FDIS and 59M/132/RVD] and
its amendment 2 (2025-09) [documents 59M/186/FDIS and 59M/190/RVD].
In this Redline version, a vertical line in the margin shows where the technical content is
modified by amendments 1 and 2. Additions are in green text, deletions are in strikethrough
red text. A separate Final version with all changes accepted is available in this publication.
International Standard IEC 62552-1 has been prepared by subcommittee 59M: Performance
of electrical household and similar cooling and freezing appliances, of IEC technical
committee 59: Performance of household and similar electrical appliances.
IEC 62552-1, -2 and -3 constitute a technical revision and includes the following significant
technical changes with respect to IEC 62552:2007:
a) All parts of the standard have been largely rewritten and updated to cope with new testing
requirements, new product configurations, the advent of electronic product controls and
computer based test-room data collection and processing equipment.
b) In Part 1 (this part) there are some changes to test room equipment specifications and the
setup for testing to provide additional flexibility especially when testing multiple appliances
in a single test room.
c) For more efficient analysis and to better characterise the key product characteristics under
different operating conditions, the test data from many of the energy tests in Part 3 is now
split into components (such as steady state operation and defrost and recovery). The
approach to determination of energy consumption has been completely revised, with many
internal checks now included to ensure that data complying with the requirements of the
standard is as accurate as possible and of high quality.
d) Part 3 now provides a method to quantify each of the relevant energy components and
approaches on how these can be combined to estimate energy under different conditions
on the expectation that different regions will select components and weightings that are
most applicable when setting both their local performance and energy efficiency criteria
while using a single set of global test measurements.
e) For energy consumption measurements in Part 3, no thermal mass (test packages) is
included in any compartment and compartment temperatures are based on the average of
air temperature sensors (compared to the temperature in the warmest test package).
There are also significant differences in the position of temperature sensors in unfrozen
compartments.
f) The energy consumption test in Part 3 now has two specified ambient temperatures (16°C
and 32°C).
g) While, in Part 2 test packages are still used for the storage test to confirm performance in
different operating conditions, in Part 1 they have been standardised to one size (100 mm
× 100 mm × 50 mm) to simply loading and reduce test variability. A clearance of at least
15 mm is now specified between test packages and the compartment liner.
h) A load processing energy efficiency test has been added in Part 3.
i) A tank-type ice making energy efficiency test has been added in Part 3.
j) A cooling capacity test has been added in Part 2.
k) A pull-down test has been added in Part 2.
l) Shelf area and storage volume measurement methods are no longer included. In Part 3
the volume measurement has been revised to be the total internal volume with only
components necessary for the satisfactory operation of the refrigeration system
considered as being in place.
m) Tests (both performance (Part 2) and energy (Part 3)) have been added for wine storage
appliances.
The following print types are used in this international standard:
– requirements: in roman type;
– test variables: in italic type;
small roman type.
– notes: in
– words in bold are defined in Clause 3.
This publication has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
A list of all parts in the IEC 62252 series, published under the general title Household
refrigerating appliances – characteristics and test methods, can be found on the IEC website.
The committee has decided that the contents of the base publication and its amendments will
remain unchanged until the stability date indicated on the IEC web site under
"http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data related to the specific publication. At this date, the
publication will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
IMPORTANT – The 'colour inside' logo on the cover page of this publication indicates
that it contains colours which are considered to be useful for the correct
understanding of its contents. Users should therefore print this document using a
colour printer.
INTRODUCTION
IEC 62552 is split into 3 parts as follows:
• Part 1: Scope, definitions, instrumentation, test room and set up of refrigerating products
(this part);
• Part 2: General performance requirements for refrigerating appliances and methods for
testing them;
• Part 3: Energy consumption and volume determination.
NOTE For the safety requirements applicable to household refrigerating appliances, see IEC 60335-2-24;
for noise requirements applicable to household refrigerators and freezers, see IEC 60704-2-14.
1 Scope
This part of IEC 62552 specifies the essential characteristics of household and similar
refrigerating appliances, cooled by internal natural convection or forced air circulation, and
establishes test methods for checking these characteristics.
NOTE Annex F lists the items that can be included in a test report.
For the purposes of declaration, the tests defined in this part of IEC 62552 are considered to
be type tests to assess the fundamental design and operation of a refrigerating appliance.
This part of IEC 62552 does not define requirements for production sampling or conformity
assessment or certification.
This part of IEC 62552 does not define a regime for verification testing as this varies by
region and country. When verification of the performance of a refrigerating appliance of a
given type in relation to this standard is necessary, it is preferable, wherever practicable, that
all the tests specified be applied to a single unit. The tests can also be made individually for
the study of a particular characteristic.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and
are indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC 62552-2:2015, Household refrigerating appliances – Characteristics and test methods –
Part 2: Performance requirements
IEC 62552-2:2015/AMD1:2020
IEC 62552-3:2015, Household refrigerating appliances – Characteristics and test methods –
Part 3: Energy consumption and volume
IEC 62552-3:2015/AMD1:2020
3 Terms, definitions and symbols
For the purposes of this document, the following terms, definitions and symbols apply.
3.1 General terms and definitions
3.1.1
refrigerating appliance
insulated cabinet with one or more compartments that are controlled at specific temperatures
and are of suitable size and equipped for household use, cooled by natural convection or a
forced convection system whereby the cooling is obtained by one or more energy-consuming
means
Note 1 to entry: From the point of view of installation, there are various types of household refrigerating
appliances (free-standing, portable, wall-mounted, built-in, etc.).
3.1.2
refrigerator
refrigerating appliance intended for the storage of foodstuff, with at least one fresh food
compartment
3.1.3
refrigerator-freezer
refrigerating appliance having at least one fresh food compartment and at least one
freezer compartment
3.1.4
frost-free refrigerating appliance
refrigerating appliance in which all compartments are automatically defrosted with
automatic disposal of the defrosted water and at least one compartment is cooled by a frost-
free system
3.1.5
freezer
refrigerating appliance with only frozen compartments, at least one of which is a freezer
compartment
3.1.6
wine storage appliance
refrigerating appliance that has no compartment other than one or more wine storage
compartment(s)
Note 1 to entry: An appliance containing any compartments which do not fulfil all requirements as specified for
wine storage compartments under Annex G cannot be categorised as a wine storage appliance.
3.1.7
built-in appliance
refrigerating appliance intended to be used whilst fastened in an enclosure or secured in a
prepared recess in a wall or similar location
3.1.8
foodstuff
food and beverages intended for consumption
3.1.9
rated
value declared by the manufacturer (e.g. volume, energy consumption, usage)
3.1.10
normal use
operation when the refrigerating appliance is subjected to a range of different conditions
that could occur during use including operation in a range of:
– indoor temperatures (including those defined in the Storage Test, see Clause 6 of
IEC 62552-2:2015),
– different humidity levels and
– user-related actions, such as door openings (which may be regular, infrequent or a
mixture thereof) and the addition and removal of foodstuff or other stored items
3.2 Terms and definitions related to refrigerating system
3.2.1
refrigerant
fluid used for heat transfer in a refrigerating system, which absorbs heat at a low temperature
and at a low pressure of the fluid and rejects heat at a higher temperature and at a higher
pressure of the fluid, usually involving changes of phase of the fluid
3.2.2
condenser
heat exchanger from which heat in the refrigerant is rejected to an external cooling medium
(usually the air surrounding the appliance)
3.2.3
evaporator
heat exchanger which absorbs heat from the compartment to be refrigerated and transfers
this to the refrigerant
3.3 Compartments and sections
3.3.1
compartment
enclosed space within a refrigerating appliance, which is directly accessible through one or
more external doors, which may itself be divided into sub-compartments
Note 1 to entry: The requirements for the following compartment types are specified in Table 2 of
IEC 62552-2:2015 and Table 1 of IEC 62552-3:2015
Note 2 to entry: Throughout this standard, unless specified otherwise, "compartment" shall be taken to mean
compartment and/or sub-compartment as appropriate for the context.
Note 3 to entry: A non-enclosed space in the refrigerating appliance having one or more external doors, which
are only used to access this space, is considered to be a compartment.
3.3.2
sub-compartment
permanent enclosed space within a compartment which has a different operating
temperature range from the compartment within which it is located
3.3.3
convenience feature
enclosure, or a container (either fixed or removable by the user), in which suitable storage
conditions are provided for designated types of foodstuff
Note 1 to entry: These conditions may be different from those of the compartment in which it is located.
3.3.4
variable temperature compartment
compartment intended for use as two (or more) alternative compartment types (e.g. a
compartment that can be either a fresh food compartment or freezer compartment) and
which is capable of being set by a user to continuously maintain the operating temperature
range applicable for each compartment type claimed
Note 1 to entry: A compartment intended for use as a single type but that can also meet additional types (e.g. a
chill compartment that may also fulfil zero-star requirements) is not a variable temperature compartment.
Note 2 to entry: See B.2.5.2 for requirements regarding energy consumption declarations for products with
variable temperature compartments.
3.3.5
freezer compartment
compartment that meets three-star or four-star requirements
Note 1 to entry: In certain instances, Two-star sections and/or sub-compartments are permitted within the
compartment.
3.3.6
fresh food compartment
compartment for the storage and preservation of unfrozen foodstuff
3.3.7
cellar compartment
compartment for the storage of foodstuff at a temperature that is warmer than that of a
fresh food compartment
3.3.8
pantry compartment
compartment for the storage of foodstuff at a temperature that is warmer than that of a
cellar compartment
3.3.9
chill compartment
compartment for the storage of highly perishable foodstuff
3.3.10
ice-making compartment
compartment specifically for the making and storage of ice
Note 1 to entry: an ice-making compartment is classified as a zero-star compartment or a frozen
compartment.
3.3.11
ice mould
form in an automated icemaker which is automatically filled with water and from which the ice
cubes are automatically ejected
3.3.12
ice cube tray
removable tray which is manually filled with water and from which ice cubes are manually
ejected
Note 1 to entry: Ice cube trays with water are used as load in order to determine load processing efficiency.
See Annex G of IEC 62552-3:2015.
3.3.13
zero-star compartment
compartment in which the temperature is not warmer than 0 °C that can be used for the
making and storage of ice but is not suitable for the preservation of highly perishable
foodstuff
3.3.14
wine storage compartment
compartment specifically for the storage and maturation of wine
Note 1 to entry: Temperature requirements for wine storage compartments are specified in Annex G.
3.3.15
unfrozen compartment
any of the following compartment types: zero-star, chill, fresh food, cellar, wine storage or
pantry
Note 1 to entry: although ice-making compartments and zero star compartments operate below zero, they are
configured as unfrozen compartments for energy and performance tests in this standard.
3.3.16
frozen compartment
any of the following compartment types: one-star, two-star, three-star, four-star
Note 1 to entry: frozen compartments are classified according to temperature, see 3.3.16.1 to 3.3.16.4.
3.3.16.1
one-star
compartment where the storage temperature is not warmer than –6 °C
3.3.16.2
two-star
compartment where the storage temperature is not warmer than –12 °C
3.3.16.3
three-star
compartment where the storage temperature is not warmer than –18 °C
Note 1 to entry: Two-star sections and/or sub-compartments are permitted within the compartment.
3.3.16.4
four-star
compartment where the storage temperature meets three-star conditions and where the
minimum freezing capacity meets the requirements of Clause 8 of IEC 62552-
2:2015/AMD1:2020
Note 1 to entry: In certain instances, Two-star sections and/or sub-compartments are permitted within a four-
star the compartment.
3.3.17
two-star section
part of a three-star or four-star compartment, which is not self-contained (i.e., does not
have its own individual access door or lid) and which meets two-star requirements
Note 1 to entry: Any two-star section in the compartment shall not exceed 20 % of the total compartment
volume.
3.3.18
vegetable drawer or crisper
convenience feature provided primarily to retard dehydration of fruits and vegetables
Note 1 to entry: A vegetable drawer is usually considered as a removable convenience feature but is normally
left in situ for testing purposes.
3.4 Physical aspects and dimensions
3.4.1
top-opening type
refrigerating appliance in which the compartment(s) are accessible from the top (usually
via a lid)
3.4.2
upright type
refrigerating appliance in which the compartment(s) are accessible from the front
3.4.3
overall dimensions
space taken up by the refrigerating appliance (height, width and depth) with doors or lids
closed
3.4.4
space required in use
space taken up by the refrigerating appliance (height, width and depth) necessary for
normal use with doors or lids closed, including space necessary for air circulation and any
handles, as shown in Figure 5
3.4.5
overall space required in use
total space taken up by the refrigerating appliance (height, width and depth) necessary for
normal use with doors or lids open, as shown in Figure 5
3.4.6
volume
space within the inside liner of the refrigerating appliance, or a compartment or sub
compartment as determined in IEC 62552-3
3.4.7
shelf
horizontal surface on which foodstuff can be placed
Note 1 to entry: A shelf can be formed by one component or by components fitted side by side, which can be
fixed or removable.
3.4.8
load limit
surface enveloping a storage space and intended for the storage of foodstuff or other items
Note 1 to entry: A load limit may be a natural obvious feature or a marked line.
3.4.9
storage plan
arrangement of test packages within a refrigerating appliance when testing specific aspects
of performance in accordance with this standard
3.4.10
h-line
vertical line through a compartment used to measure the effective height and to define the
height positions of sensors in a compartment
3.5 Terms and definitions relating to performance characteristics
3.5.1
energy consumption
energy used by a refrigerating appliance over a specified period of time or for a specified
operation as determined in accordance with IEC 62552-3 stated in kWh (kilowatt hour)
3.5.2
average power consumption
average rate of energy consumption of a refrigerating appliance for a specific test
condition or operation as determined in accordance with IEC 62552-3 measured in watt (W)
3.5.3
storage temperature
temperature which the refrigerating appliance is capable of maintaining in accordance with
6.5 of IEC 62552-2:2015
3.5.4
target temperature
reference compartment temperature which is used for determining energy and average
power consumption attributes in IEC 62552-3
Note 1 to entry: Target temperatures are air temperatures. See Annex D.
3.5.5 Defrosting
3.5.5.1
automatic defrost
defrosting where no action is necessary by the user to initiate the removal of frost
accumulation at all temperature-control settings or to restore normal operation, and the
disposal of the defrost water is automatic
Note 1 to entry: Automatic defrost can be achieved by active heating of the evaporator (typically using a
resistive heater) or by other means, such as stopping the cooling function of the evaporator without active heating,
reverse cycle defrost or hot gas bypass defrosting.
3.5.5.2
manual defrost
defrost that is not an automatic defrost
3.5.5.3
cyclic defrost
automatic defrost system where the refrigerated surfaces which cool a compartment
(usually an unfrozen compartment) in an appliance are automatically defrosted and
defrosting occurs during each cycle of the refrigeration system
Note 1 to entry: Cyclic defrost systems do not have a defrost control cycle.
3.5.5.4
variable defrost
automatic defrost system designed to minimise energy consumption which adjusts the time
intervals between successive defrosts under normal use to better match the actual frost load
on the evaporator by the assessment of an operating condition (or conditions) other than, or
in addition to, elapsed time or compressor run time
Note 1 to entry: Demand defrost, (directly measuring the frost on the evaporator and defrosting accordingly) is a
form of variable defrost.
3.5.6
stable operating conditions
conditions in which a refrigerating appliance mean temperatures and energy consumption
comply
...
IEC 62552-1 ®
Edition 1.0 2015-02
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Household refrigerating appliances – Characteristics and test methods –
Part 1: General requirements
Appareils de réfrigération à usage ménager – Caractéristiques et méthodes
d'essai –
Partie 1: Exigences générales
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IEC 62552-1 ®
Edition 1.0 2015-02
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Household refrigerating appliances – Characteristics and test methods –
Part 1: General requirements
Appareils de réfrigération à usage ménager – Caractéristiques et méthodes
d'essai –
Partie 1: Exigences générales
INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 97.030 ISBN 978-2-8322-2230-0
– 2 – IEC 62552-1:2015 © IEC 2015
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 5
INTRODUCTION . 8
1 Scope . 9
2 Normative references . 9
3 Terms, definitions and symbols. 9
3.1 General terms and definitions . 9
3.2 Terms and definitions related to refrigerating system . 11
3.3 Compartments and sections . 11
3.4 Physical aspects and dimensions . 13
3.5 Terms and definitions relating to performance characteristics . 14
3.5.5 Defrosting . 15
3.6 Operating states as shown in Figure 1 . 17
3.7 Symbols . 18
4 Classifications . 19
5 Marking . 19
5.1 Rating information . 19
5.2 Identification of frozen compartments . 20
5.3 Load limit lines . 21
6 Technical and commercial product information . 21
6.1 General . 21
6.2 Determination of linear dimensions . 21
7 Instructions . 22
Annex A (normative) Test room and instrumentation . 24
A.1 Scope . 24
A.2 Instruments, accuracy and precision of measurements . 24
A.2.1 General . 24
A.2.2 Electrical energy consumption . 24
A.2.3 Humidity . 24
A.2.4 Length . 24
A.2.5 Mass . 24
A.2.6 Temperature . 25
A.2.7 Time . 25
A.2.8 Voltage and frequency . 25
A.3 General test conditions . 25
A.3.1 General . 25
A.3.2 Ambient temperatures. 26
A.3.3 Electricity supply . 27
A.3.4 Power supply other than electricity . 27
A.3.5 Multiple power supply . 28
A.3.6 Humidity . 28
A.4 Test room configuration . 28
A.4.1 General . 28
A.4.2 Platform . 28
A.4.3 Rear wall or partition . 28
A.4.4 Side partitions . 28
A.4.5 Sensor location . 29
A.4.6 Test room general configuration . 29
Annex B (normative) Preparation of an appliance for testing and general
measurement procedures . 31
B.1 Scope . 31
B.2 Preparation and set-up of appliance . 31
B.2.1 General . 31
B.2.2 Running in of new appliances . 31
B.2.3 Installation of the appliance in the test room . 31
B.2.4 Combined appliances . 33
B.2.5 Setting up . 33
B.2.6 Automatic ice makers . 34
B.2.7 Pre-test condition . 35
Annex C (normative) Test packages . 36
C.1 Dimensions and tolerances . 36
C.2 Composition . 36
C.3 M-packages . 37
Annex D (normative) Determination of compartment average air temperatures . 38
D.1 Scope . 38
D.2 Location of sensors . 38
D.2.1 General . 38
D.2.2 Unfrozen compartments . 38
D.2.3 Frozen Compartments . 38
D.2.4 Equivalent positions and other requirements for all compartment types . 39
D.2.5 Consideration of convenience features . 42
D.3 Compartment average air temperatures determination . 42
D.3.1 General . 42
D.3.2 Determination of the average temperature of a sensor over a period . 42
D.3.3 Determination of the temperature of a compartment . 42
D.3.4 Calculation of temperature average . 42
Annex E (normative) Details of identification symbols . 53
Annex F (informative) Items to be included in the test report . 55
Annex G (normative) Wine storage appliances . 56
G.1 Scope . 56
G.2 Terms, definitions and symbols . 56
G.3 Requirements . 56
G.3.1 Required temperature range . 56
G.3.2 Maximum temperature fluctuation . 56
G.3.3 Vibration . 56
G.4 General test conditions . 56
G.4.1 General . 56
G.4.2 Low ambient temperature . 57
G.4.3 Interior parts . 57
G.5 Determination of volumes . 57
G.5.1 Depth . 57
G.5.2 Evaluation of bottle capacity for wine storage compartments . 57
G.6 Measurement of storage temperature . 58
G.7 Determining temperature fluctuation . 61
– 4 – IEC 62552-1:2015 © IEC 2015
G.8 Final test report . 61
G.9 Marking and instructions . 61
G.9.1 Technical and commercial product information . 61
G.9.2 Instructions . 61
Bibliography . 62
Figure 1 – Illustration of selected definitions . 18
Figure 2 – Identification symbol for a four-star compartment . 20
Figure 3 – Star identification symbols for frozen compartments (except four-star) . 20
Figure 4 – Marking of load limit . 21
Figure 5 – Linear dimensions (example: top view for upright type) . 22
Figure A.1 – Verification of parameters to be kept constant . 26
Figure A.2 – Partitions to restrict air circulation and ambient temperatures sensor
positions . 30
Figure B.1 – Examples of appliances with no spacers where rear clearance is
specified . 32
Figure D.1 – Air-temperature measuring points – unfrozen compartments with plate or
concealed evaporators and effective height and width examples . 43
Figure D.2 – Air-temperature measuring points – fresh food, chill and cellar
compartments – examples of generic compartments with crisper and convenience
features . 44
Figure D.3 – Air-temperature measuring points – low height and small compartments. 45
Figure D.4 – Location of temperature sensors within upright frozen compartments
without refrigerated shelves and with height equal to or less than 1 000 mm . 46
Figure D.5 – Location of temperature sensors within upright frozen compartments
without refrigerated shelves and with height greater than 1 000 mm . 47
Figure D.6 – Location of temperature sensors within upright frozen compartments with
refrigerated shelves and with height greater than 1 000 mm . 48
Figure D.7 – location of temperature sensors within chest freezers (1 of 2) . 49
Figure D.8 – Location of temperature sensors within drawers and bins . 51
Figure D.9 – Location of temperature sensors when mirror image is applicable . 52
Figure E.1 – Details of identification symbols for four-star compartments . 53
Figure E.2 – Details of identification symbols for frozen compartments (except four-
star) 54
Figure G.1 – Standard bottle for evaluation of bottle capacity . 58
Figure G.2 – Temperature Measurement Points (packages) . 60
Table 1 – Climate classes . 19
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
HOUSEHOLD REFRIGERATING APPLIANCES –
CHARACTERISTICS AND TEST METHODS –
Part 1: General requirements
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
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8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of
patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard IEC 62552-1 has been prepared by subcommittee 59M: Performance
of electrical household and similar cooling and freezing appliances, of IEC technical
committee 59: Performance of household and similar electrical appliances.
IEC 62552-1, -2 and -3 cancel and replace the first edition of IEC 62552 published in 2007.
IEC 62552-1, -2 and -3 constitute a technical revision and includes the following significant
technical changes with respect to IEC 62552:2007:
a) All parts of the standard have been largely rewritten and updated to cope with new testing
requirements, new product configurations, the advent of electronic product controls and
computer based test-room data collection and processing equipment.
b) In Part 1 (this part) there are some changes to test room equipment specifications and the
setup for testing to provide additional flexibility especially when testing multiple appliances
in a single test room.
c) For more efficient analysis and to better characterise the key product characteristics under
different operating conditions, the test data from many of the energy tests in Part 3 is now
– 6 – IEC 62552-1:2015 © IEC 2015
split into components (such as steady state operation and defrost and recovery). The
approach to determination of energy consumption has been completely revised, with many
internal checks now included to ensure that data complying with the requirements of the
standard is as accurate as possible and of high quality.
d) Part 3 now provides a method to quantify each of the relevant energy components and
approaches on how these can be combined to estimate energy under different conditions
on the expectation that different regions will select components and weightings that are
most applicable when setting both their local performance and energy efficiency criteria
while using a single set of global test measurements.
e) For energy consumption measurements in Part 3, no thermal mass (test packages) is
included in any compartment and compartment temperatures are based on the average of
air temperature sensors (compared to the temperature in the warmest test package).
There are also significant differences in the position of temperature sensors in unfrozen
compartments.
f) The energy consumption test in Part 3 now has two specified ambient temperatures (16°C
and 32°C).
g) While, in Part 2 test packages are still used for the storage test to confirm performance in
different operating conditions, in Part 1 they have been standardised to one size (100 mm
× 100 mm × 50 mm) to simply loading and reduce test variability. A clearance of at least
15 mm is now specified between test packages and the compartment liner.
h) A load processing energy efficiency test has been added in Part 3.
i) A tank-type ice making energy efficiency test has been added in Part 3.
j) A cooling capacity test has been added in Part 2.
k) A pull-down test has been added in Part 2.
l) Shelf area and storage volume measurement methods are no longer included. In Part 3
the volume measurement has been revised to be the total internal volume with only
components necessary for the satisfactory operation of the refrigeration system
considered as being in place.
m) Tests (both performance (Part 2) and energy (Part 3)) have been added for wine storage
appliances.
The following print types are used in this international standard:
– requirements: in roman type;
– test variables: in italic type;
– notes: in small roman type.
– words in bold are defined in Clause 3.
The text of this standard is based on the following documents:
FDIS Report on voting
59M/61/FDIS 59M/64/RVD
Full information on the voting for the approval of this standard can be found in the report on
voting indicated in the above table.
This publication has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
A list of all parts in the IEC 62252 series, published under the general title Household
refrigerating appliances – characteristics and test methods, can be found on the IEC website.
The committee has decided that the contents of this publication will remain unchanged until
the stability date indicated on the IEC web site under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data
related to the specific publication. At this date, the publication will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
– 8 – IEC 62552-1:2015 © IEC 2015
INTRODUCTION
IEC 62552 is split into 3 parts as follows:
• Part 1: Scope, definitions, instrumentation, test room and set up of refrigerating products
(this part);
• Part 2: General performance requirements for refrigerating appliances and methods for
testing them;
• Part 3: Energy consumption and volume determination.
NOTE For the safety requirements applicable to household refrigerating appliances, see IEC 60335-2-24;
for noise requirements applicable to household refrigerators and freezers, see IEC 60704-2-14.
HOUSEHOLD REFRIGERATING APPLIANCES –
CHARACTERISTICS AND TEST METHODS –
Part 1: General requirements
1 Scope
This part of IEC 62552 specifies the essential characteristics of household refrigerating
appliances, cooled by internal natural convection or forced air circulation, and establishes
test methods for checking the characteristics.
For the purposes of declaration, the tests defined in this part of IEC 62552 are considered to
be type tests to assess the fundamental design and operation of a refrigerating appliance.
This part of IEC 62552 does not define requirements for production sampling or conformity
assessment or certification.
This part of IEC 62552 does not define a regime for verification testing as this varies by
region and country. When verification of the performance of a refrigerating appliance of a
given type in relation to this standard is necessary, it is preferable, wherever practicable, that
all the tests specified be applied to a single unit. The tests can also be made individually for
the study of a particular characteristic.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and
are indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC 62552-2:2015, Household refrigerating appliances – Characteristics and test methods –
Part 2: Performance requirements
IEC 62552-3:2015, Household refrigerating appliances – Characteristics and test methods –
Part 3: Energy consumption and volume
3 Terms, definitions and symbols
For the purposes of this document, the following terms, definitions and symbols apply.
3.1 General terms and definitions
3.1.1
refrigerating appliance
insulated cabinet with one or more compartments that are controlled at specific temperatures
and are of suitable size and equipped for household use, cooled by natural convection or a
forced convection system whereby the cooling is obtained by one or more energy-consuming
means
Note 1 to entry: From the point of view of installation, there are various types of household refrigerating
appliances (free-standing, portable, wall-mounted, built-in, etc.).
– 10 – IEC 62552-1:2015 © IEC 2015
3.1.2
refrigerator
refrigerating appliance intended for the storage of foodstuff, with at least one fresh food
compartment
3.1.3
refrigerator-freezer
refrigerating appliance having at least one fresh food compartment and at least one
freezer compartment
3.1.4
frost-free refrigerating appliance
refrigerating appliance in which all compartments are automatically defrosted with
automatic disposal of the defrosted water and at least one compartment is cooled by a frost-
free system
3.1.5
freezer
refrigerating appliance with only frozen compartments, at least one of which is a freezer
compartment
3.1.6
wine storage appliance
refrigerating appliance that has no compartment other than one or more wine storage
compartment(s)
Note 1 to entry: An appliance containing any compartments which do not fulfil all requirements as specified for
wine storage compartments under Annex G cannot be categorised as a wine storage appliance.
3.1.7
built-in appliance
refrigerating appliance intended to be used whilst fastened in an enclosure or secured in a
prepared recess in a wall or similar location
3.1.8
foodstuff
food and beverages intended for consumption
3.1.9
rated
value declared by the manufacturer (e.g. volume, energy consumption, usage)
3.1.10
normal use
operation when the refrigerating appliance is subjected to a range of different conditions
that could occur during use including operation in a range of:
– indoor temperatures (including those defined in the Storage Test, see Clause 6 of
IEC 62552-2:2015),
– different humidity levels and
– user-related actions, such as door openings (which may be regular, infrequent or a
mixture thereof) and the addition and removal of foodstuff or other stored items
3.2 Terms and definitions related to refrigerating system
3.2.1
refrigerant
fluid used for heat transfer in a refrigerating system, which absorbs heat at a low temperature
and at a low pressure of the fluid and rejects heat at a higher temperature and at a higher
pressure of the fluid, usually involving changes of phase of the fluid
3.2.2
condenser
heat exchanger from which heat in the refrigerant is rejected to an external cooling medium
(usually the air surrounding the appliance)
3.2.3
evaporator
heat exchanger which absorbs heat from the compartment to be refrigerated and transfers
this to the refrigerant
3.3 Compartments and sections
3.3.1
compartment
enclosed space within a refrigerating appliance, which is directly accessible through one or
more external doors, which may itself be divided into sub-compartments
Note 1 to entry: The requirements for the following compartment types are specified in Table 2 of
IEC 62552-2:2015 and Table 1 of IEC 62552-3:2015
Note 2 to entry: Throughout this standard, unless specified otherwise, "compartment" shall be taken to mean
compartment and/or sub-compartment as appropriate for the context.
3.3.2
sub-compartment
permanent enclosed space within a compartment which has a different operating
temperature range from the compartment within which it is located
3.3.3
convenience feature
enclosure, or a container (either fixed or removable by the user), in which suitable storage
conditions are provided for designated types of foodstuff
Note 1 to entry: These conditions may be different from those of the compartment in which it is located.
3.3.4
variable temperature compartment
compartment intended for use as two (or more) alternative compartment types (e.g. a
compartment that can be either a fresh food compartment or freezer compartment) and
which is capable of being set by a user to continuously maintain the operating temperature
range applicable for each compartment type claimed
Note 1 to entry: A compartment intended for use as a single type but that can also meet additional types (e.g. a
chill compartment that may also fulfil zero-star requirements) is not a variable temperature compartment.
3.3.5
freezer compartment
compartment that meets three-star or four-star requirements
Note 1 to entry: In certain instances, two-star sections and/or sub-compartments are permitted within the
compartment.
– 12 – IEC 62552-1:2015 © IEC 2015
3.3.6
fresh food compartment
compartment for the storage and preservation of unfrozen foodstuff
3.3.7
cellar compartment
compartment for the storage of foodstuff at a temperature that is warmer than that of a
fresh food compartment
3.3.8
pantry compartment
compartment for the storage of foodstuff at a temperature that is warmer than that of a
cellar compartment
3.3.9
chill compartment
compartment for the storage of highly perishable foodstuff
3.3.10
ice-making compartment
compartment specifically for the making and storage of ice
Note 1 to entry: an ice-making compartment is classified as a zero-star compartment or a frozen
compartment.
3.3.11
ice mould
form in an automated icemaker which is automatically filled with water and from which the ice
cubes are automatically ejected
3.3.12
ice cube tray
removable tray which is manually filled with water and from which ice cubes are manually
ejected
Note 1 to entry: Ice cube trays with water are used as load in order to determine load processing efficiency.
See Annex G of IEC 62552-3:2015.
3.3.13
zero-star compartment
compartment in which the temperature is not warmer than 0 °C that can be used for the
making and storage of ice but is not suitable for the preservation of highly perishable
foodstuff
3.3.14
wine storage compartment
compartment specifically for the storage and maturation of wine
Note 1 to entry: Temperature requirements for wine storage compartments are specified in Annex G.
3.3.15
unfrozen compartment
any of the following compartment types: zero-star, chill, fresh food, cellar, wine storage or
pantry
Note 1 to entry: although ice-making compartments and zero star compartments operate below zero, they are
configured as unfrozen compartments for energy and performance tests in this standard.
3.3.16
frozen compartment
any of the following compartment types: one-star, two-star, three-star, four-star
Note 1 to entry: frozen compartments are classified according to temperature, see 3.3.16.1 to 3.3.16.4.
3.3.16.1
one-star
compartment where the storage temperature is not warmer than –6 °C
3.3.16.2
two-star
compartment where the storage temperature is not warmer than –12 °C
3.3.16.3
three-star
compartment where the storage temperature is not warmer than –18 °C
3.3.16.4
four-star
compartment where the storage temperature meets three-star conditions and where the
minimum freezing capacity meets the requirements of Clause 8 of IEC 62552-2:2015
Note 1 to entry: In certain instances, two-star sections and/or sub-compartments are permitted within a four-
star compartment.
3.3.17
two-star section
part of a three-star or four-star compartment, which is not self-contained (i.e., does not
have its own individual access door or lid) and which meets two-star requirements
Note 1 to entry: Any two-star section in the compartment shall not exceed 20 % of the total compartment
volume.
3.3.18
vegetable drawer or crisper
convenience feature provided primarily to retard dehydration of fruits and vegetables
Note 1 to entry: A vegetable drawer is usually considered as a removable convenience feature but is normally
left in situ for testing purposes.
3.4 Physical aspects and dimensions
3.4.1
top-opening type
refrigerating appliance in which the compartment(s) are accessible from the top (usually
via a lid)
3.4.2
upright type
refrigerating appliance in which the compartment(s) are accessible from the front
3.4.3
overall dimensions
space taken up by the refrigerating appliance (height, width and depth) with doors or lids
closed
– 14 – IEC 62552-1:2015 © IEC 2015
3.4.4
space required in use
space taken up by the refrigerating appliance (height, width and depth) necessary for
normal use with doors or lids closed, including space necessary for air circulation and any
handles, as shown in Figure 5
3.4.5
overall space required in use
total space taken up by the refrigerating appliance (height, width and depth) necessary for
normal use with doors or lids open, as shown in Figure 5
3.4.6
volume
space within the inside liner of the refrigerating appliance, or a compartment or sub
compartment as determined in IEC 62552-3
3.4.7
shelf
horizontal surface on which foodstuff can be placed
Note 1 to entry: A shelf can be formed by one component or by components fitted side by side, which can be
fixed or removable.
3.4.8
load limit
surface enveloping a storage space and intended for the storage of foodstuff or other items
Note 1 to entry: A load limit may be a natural obvious feature or a marked line.
3.4.9
storage plan
arrangement of test packages within a refrigerating appliance when testing specific aspects
of performance in accordance with this standard
3.5 Terms and definitions relating to performance characteristics
3.5.1
energy consumption
energy used by a refrigerating appliance over a specified period of time or for a specified
operation as determined in accordance with IEC 62552-3 stated in kWh (kilowatt hour)
3.5.2
average power consumption
average rate of energy consumption of a refrigerating appliance for a specific test
condition or operation as determined in accordance with IEC 62552-3 measured in watt (W)
3.5.3
storage temperature
temperature which the refrigerating appliance is capable of maintaining in accordance with
6.5 of IEC 62552-2:2015
3.5.4
target temperature
reference compartment temperature which is used for determining energy and average
power consumption attributes in IEC 62552-3
Note 1 to entry: Target temperatures are air temperatures. See Annex D.
3.5.5 Defrosting
3.5.5.1
automatic defrost
defrosting where no action is necessary by the user to initiate the removal of frost
accumulation at all temperature-control settings or to restore normal operation, and the
disposal of the defrost water is automatic
3.5.5.2
manual defrost
defrost that is not an automatic defrost
3.5.5.3
cyclic defrost
automatic defrost system where the refrigerated surfaces which cool a compartment
(usually an unfrozen compartment) in an appliance are automatically defrosted and
defrosting occurs during each cycle of the refrigeration system
Note 1 to entry: Cyclic defrost systems do not have a defrost control cycle.
3.5.5.4
variable defrost
automatic defrost system designed to minimise energy consumption which adjusts the time
intervals between successive defrosts under normal use to better match the actual frost load
on the evaporator by the assessment of an operating condition (or conditions) other than, or
in addition to, elapsed time or compressor run time
Note 1 to entry: Demand defrost, (directly measuring the frost on the evaporator and defrosting accordingly) is a
form of variable defrost.
3.5.6
stable operating conditions
conditions in which a refrigerating appliance mean temperatures and energy consumption
comply with the relevant stability requirements as defined in IEC 62552-2 or IEC 62552-3 as
applicable
3.5.7
steady state
stable operating conditions that meet the criteria as specified in Annex B of
IEC 62552-3:2015
3.5.8
ambient temperature
measured temperature in the space surrounding the refrigerating appliance under
...
IEC 62552-1 ®
Edition 1.1 2020-11
CONSOLIDATED VERSION
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
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Household refrigerating appliances – Characteristics and test methods –
Part 1: General requirements
Appareils de réfrigération à usage ménager – Caractéristiques et méthodes
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Partie 1: Exigences générales
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IEC 62552-1 ®
Edition 1.1 2020-11
CONSOLIDATED VERSION
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
colour
inside
Household refrigerating appliances – Characteristics and test methods –
Part 1: General requirements
Appareils de réfrigération à usage ménager – Caractéristiques et méthodes
d'essai –
Partie 1: Exigences générales
INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 97.030 ISBN 978-2-8322-9140-5
IEC 62552-1 ®
Edition 1.1 2020-11
CONSOLIDATED VERSION
REDLINE VERSION
VERSION REDLINE
colour
inside
Household refrigerating appliances – Characteristics and test methods –
Part 1: General requirements
Appareils de réfrigération à usage ménager – Caractéristiques et méthodes
d'essai –
Partie 1: Exigences générales
– 2 – IEC 62552-1:2015+AMD1:2020 CSV
© IEC 2020
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 6
INTRODUCTION . 9
1 Scope . 10
2 Normative references . 10
3 Terms, definitions and symbols. 10
3.1 General terms and definitions . 10
3.2 Terms and definitions related to refrigerating system . 12
3.3 Compartments and sections . 12
3.4 Physical aspects and dimensions . 14
3.5 Terms and definitions relating to performance characteristics . 15
3.6 Operating states as shown in Figure 1 . 18
3.7 Symbols . 20
4 Classifications . 21
5 Marking . 21
5.1 Rating information . 21
5.2 Identification of frozen compartments . 22
5.3 Load limit lines . 22
6 Technical and commercial product information . 23
6.1 General . 23
6.2 Determination of linear dimensions . 23
7 Instructions . 24
Annex A (normative) Test room and instrumentation . 26
A.1 Scope . 26
A.2 Instruments, accuracy and precision of measurements . 26
A.2.1 General . 26
A.2.2 Electrical energy consumption . 26
A.2.3 Humidity . 26
A.2.4 Length . 26
A.2.5 Mass . 26
A.2.6 Temperature . 27
A.2.7 Time . 27
A.2.8 Voltage and frequency . 27
A.3 General test conditions . 27
A.3.1 General . 27
A.3.2 Ambient temperatures. 28
A.3.3 Electricity supply . 29
A.3.4 Power supply other than electricity . 30
A.3.5 Multiple power supply . 30
A.3.6 Humidity . 30
A.4 Test room configuration . 30
A.4.1 General . 30
A.4.2 Platform . 30
A.4.3 Rear wall or partition . 30
A.4.4 Side partitions . 30
A.4.5 Sensor location . 31
© IEC 2020
A.4.6 Test room general configuration . 31
Annex B (normative) Preparation of an appliance for testing and general
measurement procedures . 33
B.1 Scope . 33
B.2 Preparation and set-up of appliance . 33
B.2.1 General . 33
B.2.2 Running in of new appliances . 33
B.2.3 Installation of the appliance in the test room . 33
B.2.4 Combined appliances . 35
B.2.5 Setting up . 35
B.2.6 Automatic ice makers . 37
B.2.7 Pre-test condition . 37
Annex C (normative) Test packages . 38
C.1 Dimensions and tolerances . 38
C.2 Composition . 38
C.3 M-packages . 39
Annex D (normative) Determination of compartment average air temperatures . 40
D.1 Scope . 40
D.2 Location of sensors . 40
D.2.1 General .
D.2.2 Unfrozen compartments .
D.2.3 Frozen Compartments .
D.2.4 Equivalent positions and other requirements for all compartment types .
D.2.5 Consideration of convenience features .
D.2.1 General . 44
D.2.2 Unfrozen compartments . 45
D.2.3 Frozen compartments . 45
D.2.4 Equivalent positions and other requirements for all compartment types . 46
D.2.5 Consideration of convenience features . 49
D.3 Compartment average air temperatures determination . 49
D.3.1 General . 49
D.3.2 Determination of the average temperature of a sensor over a period . 49
D.3.3 Determination of the temperature of a compartment . 49
D.3.4 Calculation of temperature average . 49
Annex E (normative) Details of identification symbols . 72
Annex F (informative) Items to that may be included in the a test report . 74
Annex G (normative) Wine storage appliances . 90
G.1 Scope . 90
G.2 Terms, definitions and symbols . 90
G.3 Requirements . 90
G.3.1 Required temperature range . 90
G.3.2 Maximum temperature fluctuation . 90
G.3.3 Vibration . 90
G.4 General test conditions . 90
G.4.1 General . 90
G.4.2 Low ambient temperature . 91
G.4.3 Interior parts . 91
G.5 Determination of volumes . 91
– 4 – IEC 62552-1:2015+AMD1:2020 CSV
© IEC 2020
G.5.1 Depth . 91
G.5.2 Evaluation of bottle capacity for wine storage compartments . 91
G.6 Measurement of storage temperature . 92
G.7 Determining temperature fluctuation . 95
G.8 Final test report . 95
G.9 Marking and instructions . 95
G.9.1 Technical and commercial product information . 95
G.9.2 Instructions . 95
Bibliography . 96
Figure 1 – Illustration of selected definitions typical refrigerator operations . 20
Figure 2 – Identification symbol for a four-star compartment . 22
Figure 3 – Star identification symbols for frozen compartments (except four-star) . 22
Figure 4 – Marking of load limit . 23
Figure 5 – Linear dimensions (example: top view for upright type) . 24
Figure A.1 – Verification of parameters to be kept constant . 28
Figure A.2 – Partitions to restrict air circulation and ambient temperatures sensor
positions . 32
Figure B.1 – Examples of appliances with no spacers where rear clearance is
specified . 34
Figure D.1 – Air-temperature measuring points – unfrozen compartments with plate or
concealed evaporators and effective height and width examples .
Figure D.2 – Air-temperature measuring points – fresh food, chill and cellar
compartments – examples of generic compartments with crisper and convenience
features .
Figure D.3 – Air-temperature measuring points – low height and small compartments.
Figure D.4 – Location of temperature sensors within upright frozen compartments
without refrigerated shelves and with height equal to or less than 1 000 mm .
Figure D.5 – Location of temperature sensors within upright frozen compartments
without refrigerated shelves and with height greater than 1 000 mm .
Figure D.6 – Location of temperature sensors within upright frozen compartments with
refrigerated shelves and with height greater than 1 000 mm .
Figure D.7 – location of temperature sensors within chest freezers (1 of 2) .
Figure D.8 – Location of temperature sensors within drawers and bins .
Figure D.9 – Location of temperature sensors when mirror image is applicable .
Figure D.1 – Air-temperature measuring points – unfrozen compartments with plate or
concealed evaporators and effective height and width examples (all front views) . 60
Figure D.2 – Air-temperature measuring points – unfrozen compartments . 62
Figure D.3 – Air-temperature measuring points – small (sub-)compartments and low-
height (sub-)compartments . 63
Figure D.4 – Location of temperature sensors within upright frozen compartments
without refrigerated shelves and with height equal to or less than 1 000 mm . 64
Figure D.5 – Location of temperature sensors within upright frozen compartments
without refrigerated shelves and with height greater than 1 000 mm . 65
Figure D.6 – Location of temperature sensors within upright frozen compartments with
refrigerated shelves and with height greater than 1 000 mm . 66
Figure D.7 – Location of temperature sensors within chest freezers . 69
Figure D.8 – Location of temperature sensors within drawers and bins . 71
© IEC 2020
Figure D.9 – Location of temperature sensors when mirror image is applicable . 71
Figure E.1 – Details of identification symbols for four-star compartments . 72
Figure E.2 – Details of identification symbols for frozen compartments (except four-
star) . 73
Figure G.1 – Standard bottle for evaluation of bottle capacity . 92
Figure G.2 – Temperature Measurement Points (packages) . 94
Table 1 – Climate classes . 21
– 6 – IEC 62552-1:2015+AMD1:2020 CSV
© IEC 2020
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
HOUSEHOLD REFRIGERATING APPLIANCES –
CHARACTERISTICS AND TEST METHODS –
Part 1: General requirements
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
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9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of
patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This consolidated version of the official IEC Standard and its amendment has been
prepared for user convenience.
IEC 62552-1 edition 1.1 contains the first edition (2015-02) [documents 59M/61/FDIS and
59M/64/RVD] and its amendment 1 (2020-11) [documents 59M/126/FDIS and
59M/132/RVD].
In this Redline version, a vertical line in the margin shows where the technical content
is modified by amendment 1. Additions are in green text, deletions are in strikethrough
red text. A separate Final version with all changes accepted is available in this
publication.
© IEC 2020
International Standard IEC 62552-1 has been prepared by subcommittee 59M: Performance
of electrical household and similar cooling and freezing appliances, of IEC technical
committee 59: Performance of household and similar electrical appliances.
IEC 62552-1, -2 and -3 constitute a technical revision and includes the following significant
technical changes with respect to IEC 62552:2007:
a) All parts of the standard have been largely rewritten and updated to cope with new testing
requirements, new product configurations, the advent of electronic product controls and
computer based test-room data collection and processing equipment.
b) In Part 1 (this part) there are some changes to test room equipment specifications and the
setup for testing to provide additional flexibility especially when testing multiple appliances
in a single test room.
c) For more efficient analysis and to better characterise the key product characteristics under
different operating conditions, the test data from many of the energy tests in Part 3 is now
split into components (such as steady state operation and defrost and recovery). The
approach to determination of energy consumption has been completely revised, with many
internal checks now included to ensure that data complying with the requirements of the
standard is as accurate as possible and of high quality.
d) Part 3 now provides a method to quantify each of the relevant energy components and
approaches on how these can be combined to estimate energy under different conditions
on the expectation that different regions will select components and weightings that are
most applicable when setting both their local performance and energy efficiency criteria
while using a single set of global test measurements.
e) For energy consumption measurements in Part 3, no thermal mass (test packages) is
included in any compartment and compartment temperatures are based on the average of
air temperature sensors (compared to the temperature in the warmest test package).
There are also significant differences in the position of temperature sensors in unfrozen
compartments.
f) The energy consumption test in Part 3 now has two specified ambient temperatures (16°C
and 32°C).
g) While, in Part 2 test packages are still used for the storage test to confirm performance in
different operating conditions, in Part 1 they have been standardised to one size (100 mm
× 100 mm × 50 mm) to simply loading and reduce test variability. A clearance of at least
15 mm is now specified between test packages and the compartment liner.
h) A load processing energy efficiency test has been added in Part 3.
i) A tank-type ice making energy efficiency test has been added in Part 3.
j) A cooling capacity test has been added in Part 2.
k) A pull-down test has been added in Part 2.
l) Shelf area and storage volume measurement methods are no longer included. In Part 3
the volume measurement has been revised to be the total internal volume with only
components necessary for the satisfactory operation of the refrigeration system
considered as being in place.
m) Tests (both performance (Part 2) and energy (Part 3)) have been added for wine storage
appliances.
The following print types are used in this international standard:
– requirements: in roman type;
– test variables: in italic type;
– notes: in small roman type.
– words in bold are defined in Clause 3.
This publication has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
– 8 – IEC 62552-1:2015+AMD1:2020 CSV
© IEC 2020
A list of all parts in the IEC 62252 series, published under the general title Household
refrigerating appliances – characteristics and test methods, can be found on the IEC website.
The committee has decided that the contents of the base publication and its amendments will
remain unchanged until the stability date indicated on the IEC web site under
"http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data related to the specific publication. At this date, the
publication will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
IMPORTANT – The 'colour inside' logo on the cover page of this publication indicates
that it contains colours which are considered to be useful for the correct
understanding of its contents. Users should therefore print this document using a
colour printer.
© IEC 2020
INTRODUCTION
IEC 62552 is split into 3 parts as follows:
• Part 1: Scope, definitions, instrumentation, test room and set up of refrigerating products
(this part);
• Part 2: General performance requirements for refrigerating appliances and methods for
testing them;
• Part 3: Energy consumption and volume determination.
NOTE For the safety requirements applicable to household refrigerating appliances, see IEC 60335-2-24;
for noise requirements applicable to household refrigerators and freezers, see IEC 60704-2-14.
– 10 – IEC 62552-1:2015+AMD1:2020 CSV
© IEC 2020
HOUSEHOLD REFRIGERATING APPLIANCES –
CHARACTERISTICS AND TEST METHODS –
Part 1: General requirements
1 Scope
This part of IEC 62552 specifies the essential characteristics of household and similar
refrigerating appliances, cooled by internal natural convection or forced air circulation, and
establishes test methods for checking these characteristics.
NOTE Annex F lists the items that can be included in a test report.
For the purposes of declaration, the tests defined in this part of IEC 62552 are considered to
be type tests to assess the fundamental design and operation of a refrigerating appliance.
This part of IEC 62552 does not define requirements for production sampling or conformity
assessment or certification.
This part of IEC 62552 does not define a regime for verification testing as this varies by
region and country. When verification of the performance of a refrigerating appliance of a
given type in relation to this standard is necessary, it is preferable, wherever practicable, that
all the tests specified be applied to a single unit. The tests can also be made individually for
the study of a particular characteristic.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and
are indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC 62552-2:2015, Household refrigerating appliances – Characteristics and test methods –
Part 2: Performance requirements
IEC 62552-2:2015/AMD1:2020
IEC 62552-3:2015, Household refrigerating appliances – Characteristics and test methods –
Part 3: Energy consumption and volume
IEC 62552-3:2015/AMD1:2020
3 Terms, definitions and symbols
For the purposes of this document, the following terms, definitions and symbols apply.
3.1 General terms and definitions
3.1.1
refrigerating appliance
insulated cabinet with one or more compartments that are controlled at specific temperatures
and are of suitable size and equipped for household use, cooled by natural convection or a
forced convection system whereby the cooling is obtained by one or more energy-consuming
means
Note 1 to entry: From the point of view of installation, there are various types of household refrigerating
appliances (free-standing, portable, wall-mounted, built-in, etc.).
© IEC 2020
3.1.2
refrigerator
refrigerating appliance intended for the storage of foodstuff, with at least one fresh food
compartment
3.1.3
refrigerator-freezer
refrigerating appliance having at least one fresh food compartment and at least one
freezer compartment
3.1.4
frost-free refrigerating appliance
refrigerating appliance in which all compartments are automatically defrosted with
automatic disposal of the defrosted water and at least one compartment is cooled by a frost-
free system
3.1.5
freezer
refrigerating appliance with only frozen compartments, at least one of which is a freezer
compartment
3.1.6
wine storage appliance
refrigerating appliance that has no compartment other than one or more wine storage
compartment(s)
Note 1 to entry: An appliance containing any compartments which do not fulfil all requirements as specified for
wine storage compartments under Annex G cannot be categorised as a wine storage appliance.
3.1.7
built-in appliance
refrigerating appliance intended to be used whilst fastened in an enclosure or secured in a
prepared recess in a wall or similar location
3.1.8
foodstuff
food and beverages intended for consumption
3.1.9
rated
value declared by the manufacturer (e.g. volume, energy consumption, usage)
3.1.10
normal use
operation when the refrigerating appliance is subjected to a range of different conditions
that could occur during use including operation in a range of:
– indoor temperatures (including those defined in the Storage Test, see Clause 6 of
IEC 62552-2:2015),
– different humidity levels and
– user-related actions, such as door openings (which may be regular, infrequent or a
mixture thereof) and the addition and removal of foodstuff or other stored items
– 12 – IEC 62552-1:2015+AMD1:2020 CSV
© IEC 2020
3.2 Terms and definitions related to refrigerating system
3.2.1
refrigerant
fluid used for heat transfer in a refrigerating system, which absorbs heat at a low temperature
and at a low pressure of the fluid and rejects heat at a higher temperature and at a higher
pressure of the fluid, usually involving changes of phase of the fluid
3.2.2
condenser
heat exchanger from which heat in the refrigerant is rejected to an external cooling medium
(usually the air surrounding the appliance)
3.2.3
evaporator
heat exchanger which absorbs heat from the compartment to be refrigerated and transfers
this to the refrigerant
3.3 Compartments and sections
3.3.1
compartment
enclosed space within a refrigerating appliance, which is directly accessible through one or
more external doors, which may itself be divided into sub-compartments
Note 1 to entry: The requirements for the following compartment types are specified in Table 2 of
IEC 62552-2:2015 and Table 1 of IEC 62552-3:2015
Note 2 to entry: Throughout this standard, unless specified otherwise, "compartment" shall be taken to mean
compartment and/or sub-compartment as appropriate for the context.
Note 3 to entry: A non-enclosed space in the refrigerating appliance having one or more external doors, which
are only used to access this space, is considered to be a compartment.
3.3.2
sub-compartment
permanent enclosed space within a compartment which has a different operating
temperature range from the compartment within which it is located
3.3.3
convenience feature
enclosure, or a container (either fixed or removable by the user), in which suitable storage
conditions are provided for designated types of foodstuff
Note 1 to entry: These conditions may be different from those of the compartment in which it is located.
3.3.4
variable temperature compartment
compartment intended for use as two (or more) alternative compartment types (e.g. a
compartment that can be either a fresh food compartment or freezer compartment) and
which is capable of being set by a user to continuously maintain the operating temperature
range applicable for each compartment type claimed
Note 1 to entry: A compartment intended for use as a single type but that can also meet additional types (e.g. a
chill compartment that may also fulfil zero-star requirements) is not a variable temperature compartment.
Note 2 to entry: See B.2.5.2 for requirements regarding energy consumption declarations for products with
variable temperature compartments.
3.3.5
freezer compartment
compartment that meets three-star or four-star requirements
© IEC 2020
Note 1 to entry: In certain instances, Two-star sections and/or sub-compartments are permitted within the
compartment.
3.3.6
fresh food compartment
compartment for the storage and preservation of unfrozen foodstuff
3.3.7
cellar compartment
compartment for the storage of foodstuff at a temperature that is warmer than that of a
fresh food compartment
3.3.8
pantry compartment
compartment for the storage of foodstuff at a temperature that is warmer than that of a
cellar compartment
3.3.9
chill compartment
compartment for the storage of highly perishable foodstuff
3.3.10
ice-making compartment
compartment specifically for the making and storage of ice
Note 1 to entry: an ice-making compartment is classified as a zero-star compartment or a frozen
compartment.
3.3.11
ice mould
form in an automated icemaker which is automatically filled with water and from which the ice
cubes are automatically ejected
3.3.12
ice cube tray
removable tray which is manually filled with water and from which ice cubes are manually
ejected
Note 1 to entry: Ice cube trays with water are used as load in order to determine load processing efficiency.
See Annex G of IEC 62552-3:2015.
3.3.13
zero-star compartment
compartment in which the temperature is not warmer than 0 °C that can be used for the
making and storage of ice but is not suitable for the preservation of highly perishable
foodstuff
3.3.14
wine storage compartment
compartment specifically for the storage and maturation of wine
Note 1 to entry: Temperature requirements for wine storage compartments are specified in Annex G.
3.3.15
unfrozen compartment
any of the following compartment types: zero-star, chill, fresh food, cellar, wine storage or
pantry
Note 1 to entry: although ice-making compartments and zero star compartments operate below zero, they are
configured as unfrozen compartments for energy and performance tests in this standard.
– 14 – IEC 62552-1:2015+AMD1:2020 CSV
© IEC 2020
3.3.16
frozen compartment
any of the following compartment types: one-star, two-star, three-star, four-star
Note 1 to entry: frozen compartments are classified according to temperature, see 3.3.16.1 to 3.3.16.4.
3.3.16.1
one-star
compartment where the storage temperature is not warmer than –6 °C
3.3.16.2
two-star
compartment where the storage temperature is not warmer than –12 °C
3.3.16.3
three-star
compartment where the storage temperature is not warmer than –18 °C
Note 1 to entry: Two-star sections and/or sub-compartments are permitted within the compartment.
3.3.16.4
four-star
compartment where the storage temperature meets three-star conditions and where the
minimum freezing capacity meets the requirements of Clause 8 of IEC 62552-
2:2015/AMD1:2020
Note 1 to entry: In certain instances, Two-star sections and/or sub-compartments are permitted within a four-
star the compartment.
3.3.17
two-star section
part of a three-star or four-star compartment, which is not self-contained (i.e., does not
have its own individual access door or lid) and which meets two-star requirements
Note 1 to entry: Any two-star section in the compartment shall not exceed 20 % of the total compartment
volume.
3.3.18
vegetable drawer or crisper
convenience feature provided primarily to retard dehydration of fruits and vegetables
Note 1 to entry: A vegetable drawer is usually considered as a removable convenience feature but is normally
left in situ for testing purposes.
3.4 Physical aspects and dimensions
3.4.1
top-opening type
refrigerating appliance in which the compartment(s) are accessible from the top (usually
via a lid)
3.4.2
upright type
refrigerating appliance in which the compartment(s) are accessible from the front
3.4.3
overall dimensions
space taken up by the refrigerating appliance (height, width and depth) with doors or lids
closed
© IEC 2020
3.4.4
space required in use
space taken up by the refrigerating appliance (height, width and depth) necessary for
normal use with doors or lids closed, including space necessary for air circulation and any
handles, as shown in Figure 5
3.4.5
overall space required in use
total space taken up by the refrigerating appliance (height, width and depth) necessary for
normal use with doors or lids open, as s
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