AHAM Room Air Conditioner Product Certification Program
Program
Overview
Scope
of the
Program
Certification
Seal and Recommended Room Size
Program Overview
The AHAM Room Air Conditioner Certification Program provides manufacturers the following major benefits:
-
A way to assure retailers and consumers that their products perform in accordance with published claims
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All models are listed in an online directory, which consumers can search to find a product that suits their needs
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Cooloff.org, an AHAM-sponsored website devoted to educating consumers about how to choose the right AHAM Certified Room Air Conditione for their needs
To speak directly to an AHAM
representative about the certification program,
please contact AHAM’s Director of Standards
& Certification via
e-mail or phone at
202-872-5955.
Certified
Ratings
On a voluntary basis,
manufacturers certify the cooling/heating
capacity, energy efficiency ratio
(EER) and electrical input in
amperes. AHAM verifies these ratings
through testing at a third party independent
laboratory using the American National
Standard, ANSI/AHAM RAC-1 test method.
If a unit does not meet
the stated performance rating, the manufacturer
must re-rate the product or withdraw the
product from the market.
All manufacturers who distribute goods in
the U.S. may participate in the Programs,
whether or not they are AHAM members. The
programs are financially supported by
participant fees and are separate from AHAM
dues funded programs.
This
program increases Consumer, Retailer and
Manufacturer confidence by ensuring that
products perform in accordance with published
claims.
Scope of the Program
AHAM’s program is limited to household room
air conditioners in the following model
categories:
Window
Through-the-Wall
Casement
Casement/Slider
The program does
not cover any other types of room air
conditioners at this time.
Certification Seal and
Recommended Room Size
The AHAM
Certification Seal (shown above), is located
directly on each certified room air conditioner
and/or its box/packaging.
Certified Room Air
Conditioner Directory and Dedicated Web
Site
AHAM’s dedicated Room Air
Conditioner Certification Web Site and the
online searchable Directory
of Certified Room Air Conditioners
can be used to search for models that
meet specific needs. Manufacturers that
have their products verified and that bear the
AHAM Certification Seal are listed
here.
Joining the AHAM
Certification
Program
There are a number of administrative steps
that must be followed in order to join the
certification program.
It is necessary to:
(1) Download and review the Procedural
Guide (PDF Format).
The
rules and procedures for obtaining and
maintaining certification and for publishing
product performance ratings are detailed in
this document.
(2) Purchase and
review the Test Procedure, ANSI/AHAM
RAC-1.
(3) Download,
sign and submit to AHAM two copies of the License
Agreement (PDF Format) that include
original signatures. This document
describes the terms of the contract between
AHAM and the manufacturer participating in the
program.
(4) Submit to
AHAM the required fees and a completed
Production Survey. Please contact AHAM
for current fees and a copy of the current
Production Survey.
General Information
Manufacturers are required to include in
the AHAM Certification Program, at a minimum,
all room air Conditioner models that are to be
sold in the United States. As an option,
manufacturers may also submit models they would
like certified for sale in other
countries.
Once AHAM has
received the signed license agreements and
payment, AHAM provides participants with the
artwork (seal) that must be included on the
product packaging.
Joining the AHAM Trade
Association
Membership in the
AHAM trade association is separate and
distinct from participation in the AHAM
certification programs. It is not
necessary to be an AHAM trade association
member to participate in AHAM’s certification
program. However, certification fees for
participants who are not members of the AHAM
trade association are different.
In order to become a
member of the AHAM trade association,
manufacturers must meet specific eligibility
requirements. To obtain AHAM trade
association membership information, please
click here.