BS EN 12693:2008

This standard BS EN 12693:2008 Refrigerating systems and heat pumps. Safety and environmental requirements. Positive displacement refrigerant compressors is classified in these ICS categories:

• 27.080 Heat pumps
• 23.140 Compressors and pneumatic machines

This standard applies to positive displacement refrigerant compressors for stationary and mobile refrigerating systems and heat pumps defined in 3.1, hereafter called compressors.

It applies for compressors used in commercial and industrial appliances and with electrical energy supply including integral motors, up to 1 000 VAC and 1 500 VDC.

It applies to open drive, semi hermetic and hermetic motor compressors, which contain a positive compression function.

This standard is not applicable to:

• compressors used in household appliance for which EN 60335-2-34 applies;

• compressors using water or air as refrigerant.

This standard does not deal with requirements for vibration and noise.

NOTE 1 Compressors for automotive comfort air conditioning systems can be developed according e.g. SAE J 639.

NOTE 2 Noise emission depends on the complete installation of the built-in compressors and the corresponding operating conditions.

For semi-hermetic and open drive compressors which include moving parts and for which the external envelope is primarily designed for mechanical loads, thermal loads (to limit the possible deformation due to temperature), stiffness of the structure (external mechanical loads and weight of the equipment), taking into account established safe industrial practice, it is considered that pressure is not a significant design factor.

Attached parts covering other functions e.g. oil separators, oil coolers, suction accumulators shall comply to EN 14276-1 or EN 13445-6 (cast iron) or EN 13445-8 (aluminium) or showing compliance to the relevant European requirements. This applies also to shells for hermetic compressors either welded or with any kind of permanent joint.

Requirements for compressors used in explosive atmospheres are not covered by this standard.

NOTE 3 For further guidance see EN 13463-1.

This standard deals with all significant hazards, hazardous situations and events relevant to compressors, when they are used as intended and under conditions for misuse which are reasonably foreseeable by the manufacturer (see Clause 4).

This standard specifies safety requirements for the design, construction, manufacture and testing, documentation and marking of compressors, including integral accessories, e.g. shut-off valve, if necessary.

The requirements in this standard take account of the intended use, as defined in 3.12 of EN ISO 12100- 1:2003.

This standard relates to the compressor itself which is to be incorporated in a refrigerating system.

This standard is not applicable to compressors as defined in the scope which are manufactured before the date of publication as EN.