Looking Back: Domestic and Commercial Equipment, Entertainment, and Sports Standards Published in September 2025

September 2025 proved to be a pivotal month for the Domestic and Commercial Equipment, Entertainment, and Sports sector (ICS 97), with the publication of five notable standards that touch on the performance, safety, and testing of appliances ranging from dishwashers to commercial kitchen equipment and household refrigeration. This retrospective analysis reviews the technical developments and regulatory direction of these publications, offering industry professionals a comprehensive resource for catching up on requirements, best practices, and implementation priorities.

Staying current with evolving standards is crucial for manufacturers, quality managers, compliance officers, procurement leaders, and researchers striving to maintain performance, safety, and sustainability targets. This monthly overview summarizes key themes, notable changes, and compliance implications across the standards released, providing actionable context and direct access to authoritative documents.

Monthly Overview: September 2025

September 2025 saw an array of significant standardization activity within the Domestic and Commercial Equipment, Entertainment, and Sports sector. The month’s publications demonstrated a dual focus: furthering household appliance efficiency and robust safety measures for commercial food service equipment.

Key Themes and Trends

• Energy and water efficiency: Updated performance measurement for dishwashers and refrigerators reflects industry pressure to enhance environmental sustainability.
• Safety in commercial kitchens: A comprehensive update to the standard for commercial electric grillers and toasters indicates ongoing efforts to minimize hazard in demanding use environments.
• Alignment with modern technologies: Test methods and apparatus specifications were revised across the board to account for innovations, from new detergent formulations to smart standby modes and internet-connected devices.

Compared with typical monthly publication patterns, September 2025 stands out for the breadth—and repetition—of technical safety updates, with multiple releases aligning the safety requirements for commercial electric grillers and toasters. This moves the sector toward greater harmonization with IEC 60335-1:2020 and adapts to multi-regional use cases.

A close analysis reveals an industry shaping its regulatory landscape not just to meet current user expectations, but also to anticipate emerging risks and technology advancements across household and professional settings.

Standards Published This Month

EN IEC 60436:2025 - Electric Dishwashers for Household Use – Methods for Measuring the Performance

Electric dishwashers for household use - Methods for measuring the performance

EN IEC 60436:2025, released in September, delineates comprehensive methods for performance assessment of electric dishwashers meant for households and similar environments. Superseding the 2015 edition and its amendments, this fifth edition embodies sweeping technical revisions that better reflect current technologies in dish cleaning, drying, and energy/water consumption.

Key requirements address:

• Revision of reference machines to mimic modern dishwashers featuring advanced energy and water-saving technologies.
• Introduction of a new reference detergent type E, aligning testing with detergent formulations currently prevalent in the market, including attributes that simplify global handling and logistics.
• Enhanced protocols for room temperature control and load item weight accuracy, ensuring fidelity to real-world dishwasher configurations.
• Updated methods for measuring low power modes, such as network standby, responding to growing prevalence of internet-connected appliances.
• Specific methodologies for multi-compartment dishwashers, ensuring their unique operational characteristics are accurately evaluated.

Who needs to comply: Dishwasher manufacturers, national test labs, procurement entities for large-scale residential developments, and quality/compliance managers evaluating claims of performance, especially when marketing in multiple jurisdictions.

Broader regulatory fit: EN IEC 60436:2025 forms the analytical backbone for energy labeling and eco-design compliance in the EU and other major international markets, supporting informed purchasing and driving innovation toward water and energy conservation.

Notable changes:

• New reference machine and detergent
• Improved test repeatability and alignment between technical revisions
• Inclusion of multi-compartment dishwasher protocols and enhanced test instructions

Key highlights:

• New reference systems and detergents reflect real-world use
• Expanded low power/standby mode assessments for smart appliances
• Precision improvements in test item weight and machine configuration

Access the full standard:View EN IEC 60436:2025 on iTeh Standards

IEC 60335-2-48:2021 - Household and Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety – Part 2-48: Particular Requirements for Commercial Electric Grillers and Toasters (2021 Edition)

Household and similar electrical appliances - Safety - Part 2-48: Particular requirements for commercial electric grillers and toasters

This 2021 edition addresses the safety essentials of commercial electric grillers and toasters, introducing robust electrical protection and construction requirements tailored for commercial kitchens, bakeries, canteens, restaurants, and other foodservice environments. It supersedes the 2002 version and its amendments, with a pronounced focus on harmonization with IEC 60335-1:2020.

Scope and requirements:

• Applies to appliances up to 250 V for single-phase, 480 V otherwise, intended for professional use by trained staff—not household laypersons.
• Covers units such as salamanders, rotisseries, and continuous grillers, including those in public spaces.
• Specifies mechanical, thermal, and electrical hazard mitigation, targeting external accessible surface temperature limits—especially for appliances accessible to the general public.
• Clarifies instructions for cleaning and maintenance, as well as marking, in line with increased scrutiny of hygiene and user safety in public areas.

Applicable sectors: Foodservice equipment manufacturers, commercial kitchen operators, safety and compliance engineers, and facility managers in hospitality, catering, and institutional food preparation.

Harmonization: Reflects major advancements in global product safety by incorporating the latest revision of IEC 60335-1 and addressing national deviations. Specific exclusion of battery-powered appliances and certain mass-production/factory-use grillers streamlines compliance focus.

Notable features:

• Reworked surface temperature requirements for public-access devices
• Updated test specifications and conversion of key notes to normative requirements
• Relocation and enhancement of user and cleaning instructions

Key highlights:

• Aligned with IEC 60335-1:2020 for easier integration into product certification
• Focused on safe operation in public-facing commercial environments
• Clarifies boundaries vs. household-use standards (IEC 60335-2-9)

Access the full standard:View IEC 60335-2-48:2021 on iTeh Standards

IEC 60335-2-48:2021 - (Duplicate 1) Household and Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety – Part 2-48: Particular Requirements for Commercial Electric Grillers and Toasters

This standard, published concurrently as the previous entry, reaffirms the regulatory framework for the safety of commercial electric grillers and toasters. Given its identical scope and requirements, key features and compliance implications mirror those described above.

Access the full standard:View IEC 60335-2-48:2021 on iTeh Standards

IEC 60335-2-48:2021 - (Duplicate 2) Household and Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety – Part 2-48: Particular Requirements for Commercial Electric Grillers and Toasters

This listing represents a further release of the same core document as above. For implementation and audit purposes, this may serve as a reference for national or regional adoption or translation. The compliance guidance and technical features match those previously described.

Access the full standard:View IEC 60335-2-48:2021 on iTeh Standards

IEC 62552-1:2015 - Household Refrigerating Appliances – Characteristics and Test Methods – Part 1: General Requirements

Household refrigerating appliances - Characteristics and test methods - Part 1: General requirements

IEC 62552-1:2015, as amended, lays the foundation for the performance assessment of household refrigerating appliances cooled by natural convection or forced air. It specifies primary characteristics and test methodologies, ensuring consistency in type testing for new designs and models.

Scope and requirements:

• Applies to refrigerators, freezers, fridge-freezers, and related appliances for household or similar use.
• Defines essential performance metrics (temperature stability, energy use, compartment designations) and prescribes test room and set-up conditions for measured repeatability.
• Does not dictate production conformity or verification regimes, but provides practical guidance for third-party or internal assessment.
• Details procedures for appliance preparation, running-in, installation, and temperature/humidity monitoring.

Who needs to comply: Manufacturers, product designers, laboratory testing services, and procurement teams for residential appliances.

Broader regulatory context: This standard underpins market surveillance, energy labeling, and eco-design regulations, as well as supports manufacturer and third-party certification.

Notable features:

• Accommodates new appliance features—such as electronic controls and computer-based test room technology
• Broad rewrite for alignment with advanced global product testing expectations
• Flexibility for regional energy efficiency declaration and performance disclosure practices

Key highlights:

• All aspects of testing and configuration updated for modern appliances
• Clear demarcation between type testing and ongoing conformity assessment
• Applicable to a wide range of household refrigeration technologies

Access the full standard:View IEC 62552-1:2015 on iTeh Standards

Common Themes and Industry Trends

Harmonization and Consistency: September 2025’s publications illustrate strong momentum toward harmonized international standards. Multiple releases—especially for commercial electric grills and toasters—ensure regulatory clarity across regions and facilitate global trade.

Focus on Advanced Technology Integration: Updated protocols for reference detergents, multi-compartment evaluation, and network standby reflect how emerging technologies drive updates in test methods and performance benchmarks.

Enhanced Safety for the Commercial Sector: Repeated emphasis on surface temperature limits, clear cleaning and instruction mandates, and public-space requirements demonstrates evolving expectations for professional foodservice safety.

Environmental Sustainability: Both dishwasher and refrigerator standards are now tightly coupled to global energy and water conservation initiatives, supporting eco-labeling and compliance with ambitious regulatory climate targets.

Better Alignment for Testing Laboratories and Manufacturers: Test repeatability, updated definitions, and aligned instructions across standards clarify requirements for labs—streamlining procurement, testing for certification, and national market entry.

Compliance and Implementation Considerations

For professionals affected by September 2025’s standards:

• Thoroughly review technical updates: Given the depth of technical change (especially EN IEC 60436:2025 and IEC 60335-2-48:2021), organizations should conduct gap assessments against current processes and products.
• Prioritize training and communication: Updated user instructions, test methods, and safety provisions necessitate clear communication across R&D, design, and quality assurance teams.
• Transition periods: Allow sufficient lead time for implementation—working backward from national adoption dates often provided in the standards. Early action is especially needed in new dishwasher configuration assessment, multi-compartment testing, and commercial kitchen appliance labeling.
• Ensure supply chain alignment: Suppliers and downstream vendors must understand relevant changes, particularly for detergents, reference machines, and energy/water consumption protocols.
• Leverage available resources: Consider utilizing the supporting documents and harmonized standards references embedded in each publication (for example, align with IEC 60335-1:2020 for appliance safety projects).

Conclusion: Key Takeaways from September 2025

Looking back, September 2025 marked a significant evolution in the Domestic and Commercial Equipment, Entertainment, and Sports standards landscape:

• Major advancements in safety, especially for commercial kitchen appliances, will bolster both user trust and regulatory compliance.
• Test and measurement improvements for household dishwashers and refrigerators promise greater consistency, eco-efficiency, and support for global trade and energy labeling.
• Harmonized releases ensure that organizations can plan for compliance with confidence across multiple regions.

Professionals in these sectors are encouraged to:

• Regularly monitor updates, even for standards they consider well-known, as revisions can be both broad and highly technical.
• Act proactively to assess and implement changes, leveraging official and supporting documentation.
• Visit iTeh Standards for the authoritative source of these documents, direct access to standards, and actionable compliance solutions.

Staying ahead in standards compliance is key to market leadership, operational safety, and sustainable product innovation. For full details and to secure the official documents, professionals should explore each linked standard and consult their quality and compliance teams as soon as feasible.