Effective January 1, 2017

Standard Information
Standard Number:
CSA C22.2 No. 37-2014
Standard Name:
Decorative Lighting Products
Standard Edition and Issue Date:
5th Edition Dated November 1, 2014
Date of Revisions:
(new edition published)
Date of Previous Revisions to Standard:
4th Edition CSA C22.2 No. 37-M89(R2013)
 
Effective Date of New/Revised Requirements

Effective Date (see Schedule below): January 1, 2017

 
Impact, Overview, Fees and Action Required

Impact Statement: A review of all Listing Reports is necessary to determine which products comply with new/revised requirements and which products will require re-evaluation. NOTE:  Effective immediately, this revised standard will be exclusively used for evaluation of new products unless the Applicant requests in writing that current requirements be used along with their understanding that their listings will be withdrawn on Effective Date noted above, unless the product is found to comply with new/revised requirements.

Overview of Changes: Major changes include: 1. Addition of requirements allowing smaller gauge conductors; 2. Addition of provisions for low-voltage limited-energy products; 3. Addition of requirements for integral overcurrent protection of decorative lighting products; 4. Addition of requirements for products designated for commercial use; 5. Updated product markings; 6. Incorporation of requirements for flexible light cable systems (Rope Lights), previously in T.I.L. B-39; and 7. Incorporation of requirements from T.I.L. B-70. Specific details of new/revised requirements are found in table below.

Additional Intertek Certification requirements: 1. LED Decorative Lighting Strings may be evaluated to CSA C22.2 No. 37-2014 if additionally evaluated to UL 588 (Seasonal and Holiday Decorative Products) 8th Edition paragraph 22.1.4; 2. All currently cETL Certified decorative lighting ‘outfits’ will be confirmed to be an ‘outfit’ and not a decorative lighting string. See table below.

Client Action Required:

Information – To assist our Engineer with review of your Listing Reports, please submit technical information in response to the new/revised paragraphs noted in the attached or explain why these new/revised requirements do not apply to your product (s).

Current Listings Not Active? – Please immediately identify any current Listing Reports or products that are no longer active and should be removed from our records. We will do this at no charge as long as Intertek is notified in writing prior to the review of your reports.

 
Description of New/Revised Technical Requirements

NOTE: Additions to existing requirements are underlined and deletions are shown lined out below.

ClauseVerdictComment
  New Intertek Certification Requirements for LED Decorative Lighting Strings (Incandescent Decorative Lighting Not Allowed for Evaluation or Certification).
UL 588 paragraph 22.1.4 In addition to full compliance with CSA C22.2 No. 37-2014, LED Decorative Lighting Strings must also comply with 22.1.4 of UL 588 (either the electrical connections between the lampholder terminals and leads are soldered or sealed in place).
Decorative Outfits 

During the review of all cETL Certification Reports it will be confirmed there are no decorative lighting strings mis-identified as decorative outfits. Definitions from CSA C22.2 No. 37 follow:

Decorative outfit — a portable decorative factory-assembled product intended for decorative purposes designed for indoor or outdoor use, and for seasonal temporary use, including tree stands, light sculptures, crosses, wreaths, candles, artificial Christmas trees, and other similar lighted decorative themed units in combination with a lighting string or rope light.

Lighting string — a factory-assembled series, series-parallel, or parallel string of lamps consisting of an attachment plug or current tap, lampholders, lamps, wire, and an overcurrent protection. A lighting string may be provided with a load fitting (cord connector), a controller, or individual lamp shades or diffusers over each individual lamp, or a combination of the above.

Mis-identified strings (as outfits) will need to be re-evaluated to Intertek’s new LED Decorative Lighting String Program (incandescent decorative lighting strings are not allowed).

   
  New/Revised Requirements in CSA C22.2 No. 37-2014
1naScope: Updated to include ornaments, decorative outfits, controllers and flashers, and accessories. Strings employing lampholders larger than intermediate-screw are not within the scope of this standard.
2naReference publications Updated with current and active standards.
5naGeneral requirements General mechanical and electrical construction requirements for all decorative lighting products are in Clauses 5.1 & 5.2.
5.1 

Mechanical construction 
Update of mechanical construction requirements which include:

  • flammability of decorative parts
  • conductivity of simulated needles, leaves, small twigs, and other loose decorative parts 
  • polymeric enclosures and lampholders
  • strain relief
  • wire protection
5.2 

Electrical construction 
Update of electrical construction requirements which include:

  • conditions which allow conductors less than No. 18 AWG to be used;
  • mandatory overcurrent (fuse) protection for all products;
  • provisions for low-voltage/limited-energy circuits
  • printed circuit boards
5.3 

Outdoor locations

Update of requirements for outdoor use products.

5.4 

Commercial use product

Addition of requirements for commercial use products.

5.5 

Motorized devices

Updated requirements.

5.6 

Direct plug-in units—Supplementary requirements

Addition of requirements for Direct Plug-in power supplies.

5.7 

Products with battery chargers

Additional requirements for products with Battery Chargers.

5.8 

Tests for all products excluding ornaments and rope lighting systems

  • Update of tests applicable to decorative lighting products excluding ornaments and rope lights, including:
  • Leakage Current
  • Humidity Conditioning
  • Dielectric Voltage-Withstand
  • Strain Relief and Wire Pull
  • Wire Re-insertion
  • Abnormal Operation
  • Decorative Part Flammability
  • Conductivity of Decorative Parts
5.9 

Additional tests for products with polymeric enclosures

Test requirements for products with polymeric enclosures.

5.10 

Tests for products employing overcurrent protective devices

New test requirements for products with an overcurrent protective device (fuse and fuse holder).

5.11 

Additional tests for wiring devices

Test requirements for wiring devices

5.12 

Additional tests for products intended for outdoor locations

Test requirements for outdoor products

5.13 

Additional tests for direct plug-in units

Test requirements for products employing a direct plug-in power supply.

5.15 

Manufacturing and production test

Addition of manufacturing and production line tests.

5.17 

Markings

Marking requirements have been updated for cautions and warnings included on the product, tags, and packaging.

5.18 

Installation manual

Requirements for contents of an installation manual have been revised and updated.

6 

Decorative Lighting Strings

Requirements specific to series and parallel connected lighting strings.

6.1 

Lampholders

Updated requirements for lampholders. Medium base and larger screw-base lampholders are no longer permitted for products in this standard.

6.2 

Series-connected lampholders

Requirements for series-connected lampholders updated to cover screw-base and push-in types, and for non-replaceable lamps.

6.3 

Series-connected strings—Supplementary requirements

Requirements for series-connected lighting strings updated with minimum number of lampholders per string, maximum current ratings, and restriction on number of individual-flashing lamps per string.

6.4 

Parallel-connected strings – Supplementary requirements

Requirements for parallel-connected lighting strings updated with a minimum number of lampholders per string, max watts per lamp, and inclusion of only intermediate or candelabra screw-base lampholders.

6.5 

Additional tests for products with series-connected lampholders

New requirements added for lampholders. Tests for conductor connection and contact security have been updated. Added requirements for a strengthening member.

6.6 

Additional tests for decorative lighting strings

Requirements added for decorative lighting strings testing.

7 

Decorative lighting outfits (silhouettes)

Updated requirements applicable to decorative lighting outfits such as silhouettes, light sculptures, motorized figures, and ornaments.

8 

Artificial trees and tree stands

Supplementary requirements for artificial trees (i.e., pre-lit trees) and tree stands.

Annex A 

Lamps for decorative lighting products(Normative)

Specific requirements for lamps provided with decorative lighting products.

Annex B 

Parallel connected lampholders for decorative lighting products (Normative)

Specific construction and test requirements for parallel-connected lampholders.

Annex C 

Printed circuit boards (PCB) (Normative)

Specific construction and test requirements for printed circuit boards employed in decorative lighting products.

Annex D 

Flexible light cable systems (rope lights) (Normative)

Incorporation of construction and test requirements for flexible light cable systems (rope lights) from TIL CSA B-39.

CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE: This Table and column "Verdict" can be used in determining how your current or future production is or will be in compliance with new/revised requirements.

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