IEC 60335-2-40 deals with the safety of electric heat pumps. Appliances like sanitary hot water heat pumps, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers are included. They incorporate motor compressors and hydronic fan coil units. The maximum rated voltage for single-phase appliances is 250 V, for all other appliances it is 600 V.
These appliances are used for the household environment and commercial purposes. Some examples of household environments are:
— in shops, offices and other similar working environments,
— in farmhouses,
— by clients in hotels, motels and other residential-type environments,
— in bed-and-breakfast-type environments.
In general, IEC 60335-2-40 does not take into account:
— children playing with the appliance,
— the use of the appliance by very young children,
— the use of the appliance by young children without supervision.
It is recognized that very vulnerable people can have needs beyond the level addressed in this document. For appliances intended to be used in vehicles or on board ships or aircraft, additional requirements may be necessary.
This consolidated version consists of the main text and the amendment, which can also be found separately from the standards history. Also, for appliances subjected to pressure, additional requirements may be necessary. In many countries, additional requirements are specified, for example, by the national health authorities responsible for the protection of labour and the national authorities responsible for storage, transportation, building constructions and installations.
IEC 60335-2-40 does not apply to:
— Humidifiers specifically designed for use with heating and cooling equipment (covered by IEC 60335-2-88),
— It also does not cover appliances that are exclusively designed for industrial processing,
— Appliances intended to be used in locations where special conditions prevail, such as the presence of a corrosive or explosive atmosphere (dust, vapour or gas).