Do you know what the UL 864’s UUKL listing standard is? Did you know that it recently underwent some major revisions in May of 2020 that may concern you and your equipment? To be clear, this standard does not refer to the new UL 217 8th Edition standards for fire alarm smoke detectors that was recently updated – but UL 864 concerns “Standards for Control Units and Accessories for Fire Alarms”. Instead, the UUKL is a separate listing category under UL 864. This UUKL Listing is a must-have requirement for all Control devices used in smoke control systems, and must be listed and verified under UL 864.
It’s important to note that this UUKL Listing is based on a supplement to UL 864, rather than part of the formal standard. That supplement is based on NFPA-92A, which is a Recommended Practice rather than a Code or Standard. Products covered by this Listing are intended to be installed in conjunction with Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment to form a system for controlling the flow of smoke in a building during a fire condition in accordance with NFPA Recommended Practice 92A.
Equipment that receives UL’s UUKL rating has been tested for integrity and long-term reliability. The equipment is subjected to extreme temperatures, humidity and electrical transients and surges. This testing ensures that the devices will continuously perform even under severe and abnormal conditions. If the UUKL Smoke Control System is design correctly it should inhibit and or prevent the movement of smoke into areas leading to exits or other areas designated safe zones in a building, as a smoke control system is designed to do.
Some manufacturers, such as Potter, were able to roll-out a V6 firmware update for their line of IPA Smoke Control Systems that complies with and is listed under UL 864’s UUKL standards. As such, a simple firmware update via Potter’s online services updates your IPA system and makes your system UUKL listed. It’s important to contact your manufacturer to ensure that your smoke control system is able to be up-to-date with UL’s UUKL, and if not, what you can do to ensure your system is up-to-date and listed.
As always, you can contact us right here at FireAlarm.com to learn more, or if you have any questions regarding UL listings, including UUKL standards. Give us a call at 888-497-0290 or email us at [email protected] to get the help that you need! That’s it for now!
FireAlarm.com’s Staff Writer
