Climate class

A climate class specifies a temperature range in which a device or component may or should be operated.

Fridges / freezers

	DIN EN ISO 15502
Area	domestic appliances
title	Household Fridge / Freezers · Characteristics and Test Methods
Brief description:	Climate classes
Latest edition	1.2006
ISO	15502

The following climate classes are listed in the product information for refrigerators / freezers .

• SN (subnormal): ambient temperature from +10 ° C to +32 ° C (e.g. unheated basement)
• N (normal): ambient temperature from +16 ° C to +32 ° C (living temperature range)
• ST ( subtropical ): ambient temperature from +16 ° C to +38 ° C
• T ( tropics ): ambient temperature from +16 ° C to +43 ° C

For this purpose there is the standard EN ISO 15502 Household refrigerators / freezers · Properties and test methods ; it is available in the German version as DIN standard DIN EN ISO 15502.

So far there has been no standardization or labeling for a climate class of cooling devices that can be operated in an ambient temperature below 10 ° C. At least one German manufacturer has already brought such devices onto the market. Some consumers have the option of setting up a freezer or chest freezer in garages or other rooms where the temperature is significantly lower in winter. With devices of class SN and higher, there is a risk that the oil or coolant of the device will become thick when the temperature is too low and that the motor will be damaged when it is switched on less and less frequently. Of course, such devices must remain functional even at correspondingly higher temperatures in the warm season.

Doors

Climate classes according to RAL

Also z. For example, for doors there are climate classes that provide information about the temperature and humidity ranges in which a door should be used. For this purpose, the following climate classes were previously defined by the RAL German Institute for Quality Assurance and Labeling .

Test climate	Test duration	Door inside		Door outside		Application area
Climate class		Air temp.	rel. Humidity	Air temp.	rel. Humidity
I.	? Days	23 ° C	30%	18 ° C	50%	sufficient for interior doors
II	? Days	23 ° C	30%	13 ° C	65%	suitable for apartment entrance doors in heated stairwells
III	? Days	23 ° C	30%	03 ° C	80%	to be provided for house entrance doors, as higher temperature and humidity differences can occur

The definitions of these climate classes and recommendations for use can be found in the RAL-RG 426 quality guideline for interior doors made of wood and wood-based materials (last edition: 2.2002), but have since been superseded by standardization.

These climate classes are still often used in older sources today. However, since practice has shown that this three-way division is not sufficient, the classification was extended and stored in EN 1121 and EN 1530.

Climate classes according to EN

	DIN EN 1121
Area	Air conditioning
title	Doors · Behavior between two different climates · Test method
Brief description:	Test climate
Latest edition	9.2000
ISO	-

In the EN 1530 five classes are defined that describe the permissible deformation. Furthermore, the test climate (EN 1121) in which the permissible deformation may occur must be specified.

Test climate	Test duration	Door inside: air temp.	Door inside: rel. Humidity	Door outside: air temp.	Door outside: rel. Humidity
a	28 days	23 ° C	30%	18 ° C	50%
b	28 days	23 ° C	30%	13 ° C	65%
c	28 days	23 ° C	30%	3 ° C	85%
d	7 days	23 ° C	30%	-15 ° C	–––
e	24 hours	20-30 ° C	–––	+80 ° C	–––

The complete classification is now called z. B. "2d" instead of "Climate class III" (old), where "2" stands for the tolerance class that is adhered to in the test climate "d". This means that heavily used doors in particular can be described much better, such as the front door, which in the old standard had to withstand a minimum outside temperature of +3 ° C.

Others

There is also the VDI guideline VDI / VDE 3540 sheet 2 with the topic of reliability of measuring, control and regulating devices · Climate classes for devices and accessories . But this was withdrawn.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from August 17, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.