Product certification issues for heat pumps

Product certification is an independent and impartial conformity assessment performed by a third party. The assessment is carried out by certification bodies whose activities should comply with the requirements of standard PN-EN ISO/IEC 17065:2013-03 “Conformity assessment - Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services”. The activities of a conformity assessment body (i.e. certification processes) are performed by means of appropriate certification programmes based on requirements concerning the specificity of the products assessed, which are usually contained in standards or other normative documents. The article presents the characteristics of certification (voluntary and legally required) with regard to heat pumps and related additional assessment possibilities in the area of personnel certification and inspection.

Article – Product certification for heat pumps – Chłodnictwo&Klimatyzacja 9-10.2024

The aim of the certification performed is to provide confidence regarding fulfilment of requirements and to assure suppliers, customers and users that product parameters have been confirmed by an independent, impartial so-called third party in accordance with applicable reference documents, standards, technical specifications and regulations. In addition to providing confidence to interested parties, certification should be a guarantee of high quality, in order to enable appropriate placing of products on the market by product suppliers [1,2].

Thanks to certification the following are possible:

• easier market access
• ensuring competitiveness
• greater acceptance of products by recipients
• confirmation of fulfilment of requirements of regulations, standards, reference documents (voluntary or legally required)
• building trust among recipients and end customers.

---

Types and possibilities of certification

According to the requirements of the “Act of 13 April 2016 on conformity assessment systems and market surveillance”, the only accreditation body in Poland is the Polish Centre for Accreditation (PCA), which has the status of a state legal person. PCA’s tasks include, among other things, granting accreditation to conformity assessment bodies (e.g. product certification bodies), supervising entities to which accreditation has been granted, and maintaining a list of accredited bodies [3,4].

Table 1. Comparison of accredited and non-accredited certification

Table 2. Summary of voluntary certification and certification required by legal provisions.

How to recognise an accredited product certification body?

Conformity assessment bodies that hold accreditation granted e.g. by PCA in Poland are authorised to use symbols relating to the accreditation obtained. An example of an accreditation symbol for a product certification body is shown in Fig. 1. Accreditation marks or reference to accreditation can be found inter alia on certificates issued by certification bodies. Equivalents of PCA in other countries are e.g. DAkkS in Germany, COFRAC in France. Examples are listed in Table 3.

Table 3. Examples of bodies granting accreditation in selected European countries. Source: prepared on the basis of

In addition to confirmation of fulfilment of requirements with regard to standard PN-EN ISO/IEC 17065:2013-03, every accredited certification body should have confirmed competence concerning the area of conformity assessment in which it operates. This is contained in the scope of accreditation issued by the national accreditation body (e.g. PCA). The scope of accreditation contains inter alia: the name of products or product groups assessed by the certification body, the name of the certification programme, a list of standards or reference documents used for assessment processes.

For Polish product certification bodies, the scope of accreditation, i.e. the list of authorised activities covered by accreditation, can be checked on the website of the Polish Centre for Accreditation.

NOTE: It is worth noting that accredited conformity assessment bodies, in addition to certification covered by accreditation, may also conduct non-accredited activities. In connection with the above, in order to recognise whether an issued certificate is a document covered by accreditation, it is advisable to check whether it bears the accreditation symbol (e.g. Fig. 1) or a reference to accreditation. Furthermore, it can be verified whether the scope of accreditation of the certification body covers the given assessment area, certification programme and related normative documents.

Certificate of conformity

A certificate of conformity is a document confirming that a product, its design or production process is compliant with requirements. The certificate should contain inter alia:

• name and address of the certification body,
• name and address of the certificate holder
• date of grant of the certificate
• expiry date of the certificate
• scope of certification
• other information required by the certification programme.

An example of an accredited certificate is shown in Fig. 2.

Certification programmes

Standard PN-EN ISO/IEC 17067 indicates different types of certification programmes, which may differ in selected activities concerning the course of assessment, attestation or surveillance, e.g. testing of samples from the open market, testing of samples from the factory, audits combined with random tests. Depending on the system adopted, a certification programme may contain a fixed assessment scope e.g. certification according to a specified set of standards, established guidelines. There are also certification programmes with a modular possible assessment scope, in which the applicant may indicate the certification scope of interest e.g. a scope covering electrical safety issues or only a scope concerning equipment performance (based on appropriate normative documents).

Course of an example voluntary heat pump certification process

The certification process begins with submission of an application to the certification body. This activity is accompanied by transfer of appropriate documentation required by the certification programme e.g. technical specifications, design documentation, user instructions, a list of components used together with specification, as well as presentation of selected documentation concerning the production process or the quality assurance system. Many certification programmes at the start of the process also require the applicant to submit a declaration of parameters that will be assessed after appropriate tests have been performed.

After considering the application, performing a preliminary review of the documentation and signing the certification agreement, the certification body selects a sample for testing and indicates the scope of tests. This is also accompanied by an inspection of the manufacturing plant, during which assessment is conducted inter alia of:

• the quality management system,
• organisational structure of the manufacturing plant,
• documentation, procedures applied,
• authorisations and training of employees,
• production line, manufacturing technology,
• measuring equipment, supervision over it, calibration records,
• tests performed, for example these may be:
  • o tightness and pressure strength tests according to PN-EN 378-2,
  • o electrical tests according to PN-EN 60335-1 [8,9]

The equipment indicated by the certification body is directed to an independent, impartial, accredited laboratory recognised by the certification body, in which the tests will be performed. The certification body performs a detailed conformity assessment, including assessment of the parameters obtained after receiving the test reports.
In the case of certification of a product range of equipment (which is often encountered for heat pumps), it is very important to determine the conformity of individual subtypes of equipment forming the range with regard to construction and components used.

Certification programmes may contain different indicated methods of performing tests. For example it is possible to test all subtypes of equipment forming the range at the start of the certification process. A popular, commonly used method in many certification programmes is also testing one or several subtypes of equipment (depending on the complexity of the range), and then random selection of samples for testing in an accredited laboratory as part of periodic surveillance (Fig. 4). In connection with the above a certificate of conformity may be issued for several items of equipment, not all of which were tested at the start of certification (however they meet the appropriate conditions inter alia they are constructionally compliant with the range and the equipment that was tested).
After completion of the assessment process a decision on certification is taken, and then if all conditions have been met, a certificate is issued.

Certification also includes surveillance of the issued certificate and verification of fulfilment of obligations by the certificate holder that were defined in the certificate of conformity and the certification and surveillance agreement. In connection with the above, depending on the type and programme of certification, surveillance may include periodic inspections of manufacturing plants and/or taking of samples for testing etc.
At this point it is worth emphasising the difference between tests and certification. Certification is a process covering product testing by an independent, accredited laboratory. Tests constitute one of the stages of certification (nevertheless in the case of certification tests may be performed in a limited scope e.g. at selected points, while remaining parameters may be declared by the applicant). Tests – test reports – may not be based on declarations (a test report concerns only the tested object and the determined parameters). Therefore if a seasonal efficiency indicator SCOP is presented in a test report, it should be determined solely on the basis of tested points necessary for its calculation. A document obtained as a result of certification, on the other hand, may be based on SCOP calculated both on the basis of results obtained in the laboratory and declarations (i.e. on the basis of tested selected part-load points, while remaining results for calculation of the relationship may be taken as a declaration, after meeting appropriate conditions). In addition to tests the certification process usually also includes assessment of documentation, design, inspection of the manufacturing plant – assessment of organisational and technical conditions of product manufacture, assessment of tests performed by the manufacturer.

Among voluntary heat pump certifications one can indicate inter alia:

• COCH PR-01 certification (certification covered by PCA accreditation)
• KEYMARK certification
• certification for the B mark

Certification for the B mark

The guarantee trademark “B” is obtained as a result of voluntary certification performed by independent and impartial certification bodies that have been authorised to grant this mark. A product marked with the “B” mark should above all be safe for users, environmentally friendly, modern and inspire trust among users and end recipients.
The basis of certification is safety requirements defined in standards concerning the products assessed. The process of certification for the “B” mark consists of:

• tests
• assessment of the applicant’s management system
• surveillance

Certification legally required to place products on the market

Certification required by legal provisions, which is an element necessary to place products on the European market and authorises placing the CE mark on them, may require participation in the process of a conformity assessment body (notified body), being an independent third party. In some cases it is possible to perform the assessment independently by the manufacturer.

Every notified body or recognised third party authorised to perform conformity assessment of products before placing them on the market, performing certification according to specified provisions of EU legislation, should be listed in the NANDO database maintained by the European Commission, i.e. the information system on organisations that have been notified and designated under new approach directives.

Details concerning placing products on the market can also be found in the “Blue Guide”, which concerns implementation of EU legal acts concerning products.
Below a summary of three example directives that may concern refrigeration equipment and heat pumps is presented. The list does not fully exhaust the topic of placing products on the market and related reference documents.

PED Directive (Pressure Equipment Directive) 2014/68/EU

The pressure directive concerns pressure equipment and assemblies with a maximum allowable pressure PS exceeding 0.5 bar. The document concerns manufacturers, importers and distributors of pressure products and applies to activities connected with the design, production and conformity assessment phases.
Details concerning PED Directive requirements in the context of refrigeration equipment and heat pumps were presented in issue 7/2024 of the journal “Chłodnictwo&Klimatyzacja”.
Heat pumps are treated as pressure assemblies, i.e. interconnected pressure equipment items (classified as vessels or piping) forming a functional whole.
For equipment and assemblies classified in pressure categories II, III and IV (which is often the case for heat pumps), the directive provides for the need for assessment by a third party – a notified body. This is of significant importance for correct placing of pressure products on the market and drawing up a product declaration of conformity for them, taking into account that the directive is implemented into Polish law by the “Regulation of the Minister of Development of 11 July 2016 on requirements for pressure equipment and assemblies of pressure equipment”. Selected documents harmonised with the PED directive are presented in Table 4.

Table 4. Examples of selected standards harmonised with PED directive 2014/68/EU. Source: Prepared on the basis of

Attention should also be paid to the PN-EN 13445 series of standards, which concerns unfired pressure vessels, and the PN-EN 13480 series relating to metallic industrial piping. The directive also contains a number of related documents that concern safety devices (e.g. safety valves).

LVD Directive (Low Voltage Directive) 2014/35/EU

“Directive 2014/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits” provides for application of only one conformity assessment procedure for products, which does not require participation of a third party - a notified body (Module A – Internal production control). This does not, however, prevent performing voluntary certification in the said scope, which may constitute added value.
The standard harmonised with the LVD directive with regard to heat pumps is document PN-EN IEC 60335-2-40:2023-11 “Household and similar electrical appliances - Safety - Part 2-40: Particular requirements for electrical heat pumps, air-conditioners and dehumidifiers”. General requirements are contained in PN-EN IEC 60335-1:2024-04.

EMC Directive (ElectroMagnetic Compatibility) 2014/30/EU

“Directive 2014/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to electromagnetic compatibility” provides for three possible conformity assessment procedures.

Available conformity assessment modules according to EMC directive 2014/30/EU:

• Module A “internal production control”
• Module B “EU type examination” – assessment is performed by a notified body
• Module C “conformity to type based on internal production control”

Among normative documents concerning the EMC scope one can indicate inter alia the PN-EN 55014 series “Electromagnetic compatibility - Requirements for household appliances, electric tools and similar apparatus”, as well as the PN-EN IEC 61000… series “Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) …”.

Noise Directive 2000/14/EC

“Directive 2000/14/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 May 2000 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the noise emission in the environment by equipment for use outdoors” among equipment subject to regulations concerning emitted noise indicates inter alia compressor units (<350 kW). Conformity assessment procedures may include internal production control together with assessment of technical documentation and inspection or unit verification.

Competent personnel

An inseparable element of ensuring high quality of products delivered to the market is having competent and qualified personnel. The need for personnel certification may result e.g. from PED directive 2014/68/EU used for assessment of pressure equipment, which in appropriate cases requires certification of brazers or welders by an independent third party.
It is also worth paying attention to personnel competence requirements contained in the international standard ISO 22712 (PN-EN ISO 22712:2023-09). The document, in addition to refrigerants from the F-gas group, also presents competence requirements for work with flammable refrigerants (hydrocarbons), carbon dioxide (R744) and ammonia (R717). Fig. 8 contains an example competence certificate.

Authorisations for brazing or welding in accordance with the provisions of the PED Directive

It is worth remembering that when seeking confirmation of fulfilment of requirements for personnel performing permanent joints (brazed or welded) in accordance with the requirements of PED directive 2014/68/EU (for pressure equipment classified in categories II, III, IV) the certificate/document confirming qualifications in this scope should be issued by a notified body or a third-party organisation, i.e. an authorised body holding:

• accreditation (in Poland – accreditation of the Polish Centre for Accreditation PCA with regard to the subject scope). For example, for approval of personnel performing permanent joints the certification body should be accredited with regard to standard PN-EN ISO/IEC 17024:2012 as a personnel certification body (e.g. Fig. 11). Within the scope of the body’s accredited activities there should be a provision of European law – in this case PED directive 2014/68/EU – and essential requirements concerning the assessed area e.g. for brazer certification this should be standard PN-EN ISO 13585;

and

• notification (NB – Notified Body) or recognition as a third-party organisation (RTPO – Recognized Third Party Organization). The body issuing the certificate should be listed in the NANDO database approved by the European Commission and assigned to performing assessment under PED directive 2014/68/EU, with regard to the specific conformity assessment procedure contained therein – in the case of brazers: approval of permanent joining personnel.

Otherwise the certificate may be treated as a voluntary document that does not have legal force with regard to the PED pressure directive, which is a legally regulated area.

According to the requirements of PED directive 2014/68/EU: “For pressure equipment in categories II, III and IV, operating procedures and personnel must be approved by a competent third party chosen by the manufacturer, which may be:
• a notified body,
• a third-party organisation recognised by a Member State pursuant to Article 20.”

Approval of operating procedures for permanent joints

The PED directive also requires approval of operating procedures for permanent joints (i.e. recognition of brazing or welding technology) for products belonging to categories II, III or IV according to the classification of Directive 2014/68/EU. As with brazers or welders, the technology for performing permanent joints should be approved by an appropriate body listed in the NANDO list as a notified body or third-party organisation in the scope concerning Directive 2014/68/EU and with regard to the conformity assessment procedure: approval of permanent joining procedures.

According to the applicable accreditation requirements of the Polish Centre for Accreditation, conformity assessment bodies for notification purposes in the scope of approval of operating procedures are accredited based on standard PN-EN ISO/IEC 17020:2012 as inspection bodies (e.g. Fig. 12). In the case of recognition of hard brazing technology the scope of activity of the inspection body should cover a provision of European law (PED directive 2014/68/EU) and relate to detailed requirements of the subject assessment, for example to standard PN-EN 13134:2004 “Brazing – Procedure approval”. Standard PN-EN 13134 covers recognition of brazing technology using manual torch, mechanised flame, induction, resistance, infrared method, flux bath, as well as furnace brazing (vacuum or open). An example of permanent joints made by hard brazing is shown in Fig. 13.