UL-588-BULLETINS-2007.pdf

FOR INTERNAL UL OR CSDS USE ONLY NOT FOR OUTSIDE DISTRIBUTION Subject 588 June 1, 2007 SUMMARY OF TOPICS The following changes in requirements are being proposed: 1. Revision to the defi nition for non-electronically-operated ornaments 2. Addition of requirements for CXTW wire with decorative covering 3. Addition of requirements for cord connectors with a nonstandard confi guration 4. Addition of an exception for plated steel leads in an LED series lamp 5. Revision to limit the use of spring-loaded contacts to series-connected lighting strings 6. Revision of requirements to allow different rated bulbs in the same string 7. Addition of requirements for motorized infl atable decorative outfi ts 8. Revision of requirements for lighting sculptures 9. Revision to the cord tag markings 10. Correction of the marking in 123.6 11. Miscellaneous revisions to correct editorial errors and to clarify requirements COMMENTS AND STP BALLOTS DUE: July 16, 2007 For your convenience in review, proposed additions to existing requirements are shown underlined and proposed deletions are shown lined-out. 1. Revision to the defi nition for non-electronically-operated ornaments RATIONALE Proposal submitted by: Anthony Tassone, UL Ornaments are intended to take the place of a push-in lamp used in a series-connected lighting string or decorative outfi t. More than one lamp may be used based on the current requirements as follows: 1) Per paragraph 117.3.4, ornaments employing lamps with shunts are required to be provided with the following instructions: “CAUTION To reduce the risk of overheating, replace burned-out lamps promptly. Use _ volt _ watt lamps only.” The blank shall be fi lled in with the voltage value and wattage of the replacement lamps. Copyright Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Provided by IHS under license with ULLicensee=IHS Employees/1111111001, User=Wing, Bernie Not for Resale, 06/18/2007 23:41:20 MDTNo reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS -,-,- FOR INTERNAL UL OR CSDS USE ONLY NOT FOR OUTSIDE DISTRIBUTION 2) Per paragraph 118.5.1, the ornament shall include the following instructions: “For use with a series-connected string or decorative outfi t which employs _ voltage push-in type lamps only, and which complies with the requirements in UL 588, or the equivalent. The blank shall be fi lled in with the voltage or range of voltages of the push-in lamps. This is intended to limit the ornament for use with a string with a defi ned number of lamps (i.e. 35 or 50 lighting string). 3) Non-electronic ornaments need to comply with all of the tests described in Sections 107 109, which includes the Temperature Test at 200 mA and the Cascade Lamp Burnout Simulation Test. 4) Lamps provided with a shunt shall be provided only in a series-connected string or a decorative outfi t employing 20 or more push-in or midget screw lampholders or 8 or more miniature screw lampholders. Ornaments intended for use in a series-connected string employing less than 20 lamps shall not employ a shunt. In addition, based on limited tests performed it appears that the number of lamps would be limited by the required testing and desired operation. In many cases, once additional lamps are employed, the remaining lamps would be very dim or would not operate. UL is proposing to revise the defi nition of a non-electronically-operated ornament to specify that more than one lamp could be in an ornament. PROPOSAL 2.40 ORNAMENT, NON-ELECTRONICALLY-OPERATED An ornament provided with a wiring assembly consisting of only a lamp and lampholder, or of more than a single lamp connected in series or parallel, on one end and an adapter on the other end. This type of ornament is illuminated only. 2. Addition of requirements for CXTW wire with decorative covering RATIONALE Proposal submitted by: Anthony Tassone, UL There have been decorative lighting strings evaluated where the CXTW wire was provided with an extruded decorative covering over the insulated fl exible cord. Some of these coverings were clear and over an additional layer of decorative material. Since the decorative covering may affect the VW-1 fl ame rating required for the CXTW wire, the combination of the wire and decorative covering is also required to be VW-1. In addition, if the decorative covering is terminated inside the wiring device such as the cord connector, attachment plug or current tap, the additional thickness of the material should not have an effect on the termination. Paragraph 13.2.11 is being proposed to describe the requirements for this type of construction. PROPOSAL 13.2.11 A CXTW fl exible cord provided with an additional decorative insulated covering over the insulation of the cord shall have a minimum fl ame rating of VW-1. The combination shall not affect the integrity of the wire connections. JUNE 1, 2007SUBJECT 588-2- Copyright Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Provided by IHS under license with ULLicensee=IHS Employees/1111111001, User=Wing, Bernie Not for Resale, 06/18/2007 23:41:20 MDTNo reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS -,-,- FOR INTERNAL UL OR CSDS USE ONLY NOT FOR OUTSIDE DISTRIBUTION 3. Addition of requirements for cord connectors with a nonstandard confi guration RATIONALE Proposal submitted by: Anthony Tassone, UL UL 588 currently requires all of the load fi ttings provided in decorative lighting strings to be of the standard parallel blade confi guration. In order to allow additional features between strings, such as a synchronization, a nonstandardized cord connector would be needed. In order to limit the use of the connector among products from different manufacturers, a minimum of three pins would be required and would only be used for connection of the same type of string from the same manufacturer. Requiring the use of a fl asher controller limits the termination of the wires to the female connector. In addition, the exception would be for non-polarized products only. UL proposes the addition of an exception to 13.3.1 and a new marking requirement in Section 117 for decorative lighting strings that use a nonstandard multi-pin connector. PROPOSAL 13.3 Wiring devices 13.3.1 In addition to the applicable requirements in this standard, an attachment plug, cord connector, current tap, power inlet, or other wiring device employed in a seasonal lighting product shall comply with the applicable requirements in the Standard for Attachment Plugs and Receptacles, UL 498, or the Standard for Cord Sets and Power-Supply Cords, UL 817. Exception: For series-connected lighting strings with a non-polarized fi tting employing an integral decorative outfi t accessory only, a nonstandard multi-pin connector with a minimum of 3 pins shall comply with the applicable requirements of the Standard for Attachment Plugs and Receptacles, UL 498 or the Standard for Cord Sets and Power Supply Cords, UL 817 and be suitable for making and breaking under load with respect to the Overload, Temperature, and Resistance to Arcing tests described in the Standard for Attachment Plugs and Receptacles, UL 498. In addition, the pins shall be recessed such that the male and female connectors are mechanically secured prior to the electrical connection. The connectors shall be subjected to the Rain Test, Section 85, in any position where the pins initially make an electrical connection. 117.4.2.1 A series- or series-parallel-connected decorative-lighting string or a decorative outfi t consisting of a string with decorative covers, which employs a nonstandard multi-pin connector, shall be marked within 3 inches (76.2 mm) of the face of the load fi tting with the word CAUTION and the following: Do not overload. Connect end-to-end a maximum of three (3) lighting strings or decorative outfi ts of the same model number from the same manufacturer. 4. Addition of an exception for plated steel leads in an LED series lamp RATIONALE Proposal submitted by: Anthony Tassone, UL Currently, 14.3 of UL 588 requires that current carrying parts be made of either silver, copper, copper alloy or any other material determined acceptable for the application. Many of the integral leads used for the LED in series-connected lighting strings have been plated steel. There have been fi eld instances where these leads have corroded over time after being exposed to the outdoor conditions. In order to JUNE 1, 2007SUBJECT 588-3- Copyright Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Provided by IHS under license with ULLicensee=IHS Employees/1111111001, User=Wing, Bernie Not for Resale, 06/18/2007 23:41:20 MDTNo reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS -,-,- FOR INTERNAL UL OR CSDS USE ONLY NOT FOR OUTSIDE DISTRIBUTION address this issue, it is being proposed to revise 14.3 to allow the use of plated steel only when the lamp leads are enclosed in a watertight enclosure. The acceptability of the enclosure to keep out moisture would be determined by the Rain Test after the enclosure was subjected to fl exing. PROPOSAL 14.3 Current-carrying parts shall be of silver, copper, copper alloy, or other material acceptable for the particular application and shall be mounted on polymeric, phenolic or urea composition or on another insulating material acceptable for the purpose. Exception:The integral leads of an LED series-connected lamp may be plated steel provided that the leads are enclosed in a watertight enclosure as determined by compliance with a visual examination after the string is subjected to the Flexing Test, Section 90, followed by the Rain Test for Series-Connected Lighting Strings, Section 85A. 5. Revision to limit the use of spring-loaded contacts to series-connected lighting strings RATIONALE Proposal submitted by: Anthony Tassone, UL Currently, in accordance with 23.2 of UL 588, a lamp can be provided with a shunt only in series- connected lighting strings or decorative outfi ts employing 20 or more push-in or midget screw lampholders. Since the spring loaded contacts act as a shunt when the lamp is removed, the requirements described in 23.2 would apply to these constructions. Therefore, UL is proposing to revise 22.2.1.9 to limit the use of spring-loaded contacts to series-connected lighting strings that employ more than 20 lampholders. PROPOSAL 22.2.1.9 A midget push-in type series- or, series-parallel connected string employing spring-loaded lampholder contacts shall be provided with a minimum of one supplementary protector as indicated in 7.8 in each series-connected circuit. The lampholder shall also comply with the Cascading Lamp Temperature Test, Section 83A, Cycling Test, Section 83B, Lampholder Millivolt Drop Test, Section 81, and Leakage Current Following Humidity Conditioning, Section 41. In addition, these contacts shall not be used in strings that employ less than 20 lampholders. 6. Revision of requirements to allow different rated bulbs in the same string RATIONALE Proposal submitted by: Michael Sugar, InLITEN/Noma Christmas The intent of the requirement in 28.1 is to prevent consumers from replacing one type and rating of bulb with another type and rating of bulb that the string was not designed to accommodate, which could cause failure or overload. A string with 2 different rated bulbs would make it possible to replace a number or all the bulbs of one rating with bulbs of another rating, especially as there would be replacement bulbs of both ratings in the package. There are already exceptions to this requirement for incandescent individually fl ashing bulbs as these are generally manufactured in a manner in which the bulbs cannot be interchanged. If this is acceptable, then it should be reasonable to conclude that a string for which it is not possible to interchange the different rated bulbs included in the string, would also be acceptable. It would even JUNE 1, 2007SUBJECT 588-4- Copyright Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Provided by IHS under license with ULLicensee=IHS Employees/1111111001, User=Wing, Bernie Not for Resale, 06/18/2007 23:41:20 MDTNo reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS -,-,- FOR INTERNAL UL OR CSDS USE ONLY NOT FOR OUTSIDE DISTRIBUTION stand to reason that if the different rated bulbs, bulb holders and sockets were so physically different in addition to not being interchangeable, there would be no risk of a consumer even considering interchanging the different rated bulbs. There should really be no distinction between the individually fl ashing bulbs and other bulbs. The issue is whether the different rated bulbs in the string can be interchanged. An exception is being proposed for any series-connected string that if the bulbs of different ratings can not possibly be interchanged in the string, than the set should be allowed to contain bulbs of different ratings. This exception would also require a new lamp replacement marking, which is also being proposed. PROPOSAL 28 General 28.1 Except as provided in 28.3 and 28.4, a series-connected string shall accommodate only one type of lamp with a minimum of 8 miniature-base lamps or 10 push-in or midget-base lamps. Type is defi ned as the same voltage, current rating, and connection (i.e. push-in, screw-type, or other design). Exception No. 1: It is acceptable for a series-connected string employing individually fl ashing lamps to have lamps with different ratings for the steady illuminating and individually fl ashing lamps. Exception No. 2: It is acceptable for lamps with different ratings to be used if the strings employ only LED lamps. Exception No. 3: All of the lamps in the string are replaceable when the lighting string is constructed such that the lamps of one rating physically cannot fi t into a lampholder intended for a lamp of another rating, making an electrical connection. In addition, when the lamp adapters are relied upon to prevent insertion of the lamp into the lampholder, it shall be secured to the lamps by an adhesive that complies with the requirements in the Adhesive Test, Section 63. 117.3.9 A seasonal product which employs two different size lamps in accordance with Exception No. 3 in 28.1, shall be marked as follows: CAUTION This product contains lamps of two different sizes. To reduce the risk of overheating, replace burned-out lamps promptly. Use _ volt _ watt lamps only for the smaller lamps and _ volt _ watt lamps only for the larger lamps. 7. Addition of requirements for motorized infl atable decorative outfi ts RATIONALE Proposal submitted by: Anthony Tassone, UL Motorized infl atable decorative outfi ts come in various shapes and sizes. Some of these products have features that allow users to walk through the infl atable portion of the product during use. Based on these features, concerns were raised and the proposed requirements