EN IEC 60335-1, “Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 1: General requirements”, is the base safety standard for every electrical appliance used in and around the home. It is applied under the Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU, and for CE marking the manufacturer shows conformity with both Part 1 and the Part 2 standard for the appliance category. The name changed from “EN 60335” to “EN IEC 60335” when CENELEC aligned its numbering with IEC; both forms refer to the same series.
For EN 60335 testing and CE marking of your appliance, apply to CE Danışmanı (CE Consultant); we manage the whole process for you.
EN IEC 60335-1 at a glance
| Edition cited in the EU Official Journal (LVD list) | EN 60335-1:2012 with amendments A11:2014, A13:2017, A1:2019, A14:2019, A2:2019, A15:2021 and A16:2023 |
|---|---|
| Newer CENELEC edition | EN IEC 60335-1:2023+A11:2023 |
| Related legislation | LVD 2014/35/EU, EMC 2014/30/EU, RoHS 2011/65/EU, WEEE 2012/19/EU |
| Scope | General safety requirements for household and similar appliances with a rated voltage up to 250 V single-phase and 480 V for other appliances |
The edition cited in the Official Journal is the one that gives presumption of conformity with the Low Voltage Directive. Confirm the cited edition with the laboratory before testing starts.
How the series is built
- EN 60335-1 (Part 1, general requirements). The common base: insulation, heating, leakage current, abnormal operation, mechanical strength, marking and instructions.
- EN 60335-2-X (Part 2, particular requirements). One standard per appliance category, for example 2-2 for vacuum cleaners, 2-3 for irons, 2-25 for microwave ovens.
- Supporting standards. EN 60529 for the IP code, EN 62262 for the IK impact code, EN 55014 for EMC, EN 62133-2 for lithium batteries.
Part 1 alone is not enough. A Part 2 standard modifies or replaces individual clauses of Part 1, and where the two differ, Part 2 takes priority. A complex product can need more than one Part 2: a wet and dry robot cleaner with a mop, for example, is assessed to EN 60335-2-2 and EN 60335-2-10, with EN 62133-2 for the battery and the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU for its Wi-Fi module.
Appliance classes
- Class I (earthed). Basic insulation plus protective earth. Typical for large appliances with a metal enclosure such as washing machines, dishwashers and ovens.
- Class II (double insulation, no earth). Basic plus supplementary insulation, or reinforced insulation. Typical for small appliances such as blenders. Symbol: a square inside a square.
- Class III (safety extra-low voltage). Supplied at SELV, typical for rechargeable appliances. The separate power supply must be safe in its own right.
The class is chosen early in the design and affects every test. A common error is to label an appliance Class II while it has accessible metal parts that in practice need earthing.
Main test clauses of Part 1
- Clause 7, marking and instructions: the rating label must be legible and durable; instructions are supplied in the language of each country of sale.
- Clause 10, power input: the measured input must agree with the rating on the label.
- Clause 11, heating: in normal operation the temperature rises of the enclosure and internal parts stay within the limits.
- Clauses 13 and 16, leakage current and electric strength: test voltages between 1000 V and 3000 V are applied for 1 minute and the insulation must not break down; leakage current must stay within the limit for the appliance class.
- Clause 19, abnormal operation: fault conditions such as a blocked fan or a failed thermostat; the appliance must end in a safe state.
- Clauses 20 and 21, stability, mechanical hazards and mechanical strength: tipping, moving parts, impact on the enclosure.
- Clause 24, components: switches, thermostats and motors must comply with their own standards.
- Clause 25, supply connection and external cords: pull and flexing tests on the supply cord, conductor cross-section and insulation.
- Clause 30, resistance to heat and fire: glow-wire tests on plastics, from 550 °C to 850 °C depending on the part.
Each Part 2 customises the relevant clauses. The tumble dryer standard, for example, adds lint-related scenarios to the abnormal operation tests of clause 19.
Part 2 guides on this site
- EN 60335-2-2: vacuum cleaners and water-suction cleaning appliances
- EN 60335-2-3: electric irons
- EN 60335-2-4: spin extractors
- EN 60335-2-5: dishwashers
- EN 60335-2-6: stationary ovens, hobs and cooking ranges
- EN 60335-2-7: washing machines
- EN 60335-2-8: shavers, hair clippers and similar appliances
- EN 60335-2-9: grills, toasters and portable cooking appliances
- EN 60335-2-10: floor treatment machines
- EN 60335-2-11: tumble dryers
Legislation around EN 60335
- LVD 2014/35/EU: electrical equipment rated 50–1000 V AC or 75–1500 V DC. The EN 60335 series is harmonised under it. See LVD testing.
- EMC 2014/30/EU: EN 55014-1 (emission) and EN 55014-2 (immunity) for household appliances.
- RED 2014/53/EU: appliances with a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Zigbee module.
- RoHS 2011/65/EU: concentration limits for ten restricted substances.
- Ecodesign and energy labelling: product-specific regulations, such as (EU) 2019/2023 for washing machines, and the energy label with EPREL registration under (EU) 2017/1369.
- WEEE 2012/19/EU and REACH (EC) No 1907/2006: producer registration for waste equipment and chemical restrictions.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use EN 60335-1 without a Part 2?
Only in the rare case where no Part 2 covers the product, and the report should then state why. Otherwise the test report shows both standards.
Is a CB certificate enough for the European market?
No. A CB certificate is based on the IEC standard. For CE marking the report must also cover the European differences of the EN edition, and the Declaration of Conformity must refer to the EN standard. Most laboratories complete this from the CB report.
Who is responsible, the manufacturer or the importer?
Both. The manufacturer provides the technical file. The importer must make sure that the file exists and is current, that the product carries the CE mark and that the label is correct. A manufacturer outside the EU can also appoint an authorised representative.
From testing to CE marking
- Scope analysis. Confirm that the EN 60335-2-X standard is the right Part 2 for the product and list the other legislation that applies.
- Document review. Circuit diagrams, parts list, certificates of critical components and user instructions are checked before the sample goes to the laboratory.
- Testing. EN 60335-1 and the EN 60335-2-X standard together, plus EMC tests to EN 55014-1 and EN 55014-2, radio tests where a wireless module is fitted, and EN 62262 where an IK rating is declared.
- Technical file and declaration. The technical file includes the risk analysis and the test reports; the EU Declaration of Conformity lists every directive and standard applied.
- CE marking. The mark is at least 5 mm high. The technical file is kept for 10 years.
A report from an accredited laboratory is what market surveillance authorities and distributors usually ask to see. Turkey applies the same rules through its own regulation aligned with 2014/35/EU, and the documents of imported products are checked through TAREKS. Send every variant (voltage, colour, options) to the laboratory together, because models added later need extra testing.
