September 2025 in Review: Key Fluid Systems and Components for General Use Standards Published

Looking back at September 2025, the Fluid Systems and Components for General Use sector experienced a strategically significant wave of standards publications. This month saw the release of four impactful standards, each addressing a core concern in operational efficiency, environmental responsibility, and system safety. With growing public attention on sustainable water management, heightened industrial safety expectations, and demands for energy-efficient operations, these newly published documents set important technical baselines. Professionals who may have missed these updates will benefit from this analytical overview, offering not only a recap of the standards themselves, but also insights into their broader implications for compliance, procurement, and engineering.

Monthly Overview: September 2025

September 2025 marked a notable phase for standardization in the Fluid Systems and Components for General Use sector. The month's publications reflected a dual emphasis: advancing equipment performance and integrating environmental sustainability. Specifically, the period introduced:

• Rigorous laboratory test methods for air circulating fans, underlining measurement accuracy and efficiency as priorities.
• Sophisticated protocols for assessing ecological impacts, especially fish survival in hydropower and pumping installations, reinforcing regulatory and sustainability pressures.
• Enhanced safety and performance benchmarks for overfill prevention devices in static fuel tanks, signaling intensified focus on accident prevention and compliance with modernized technical requirements.

Compared to previous publication months, September 2025 stood out for its cross-sectoral balance—combining mechanical, environmental, and safety-driven standards. The convergence of these themes highlights a trend toward holistic, system-wide improvements rather than isolated component specifications. The breadth of topics addressed illustrates the sector’s dynamic response to regulatory shifts, technological advances, and public expectations for responsible management of fluid systems.

Standards Published This Month

ISO 21684:2025 - Fans - Laboratory Test Methods for Air Circulating Fans

Fans - Laboratory test methods for air circulating fans

ISO 21684:2025 was published to establish uniform laboratory testing methodologies for electrically powered air circulating fans—including both fan heads and ceiling fans—when air is used as the test gas. Targeting fans with inputs above 125 W (with some exceptions for large ceiling fans), it excludes jet fans, powered roof ventilators, positive pressure ventilators, compressors, and positive displacement machines. The standard defines the minimum testable fan diameter and distinguishes various subcategories of air circulating fans for clarity in evaluation.

The document meticulously details measurement protocols for fan thrust, airflow rate, power consumption, and dimensional accuracy. It prescribes procedures for accurate recording of speed, thrust, air density, temperature, and other critical parameters affecting fan performance. A particular focus is placed on test calibration, averaging, and power calculations to ensure reproducibility and comparability across laboratories. These rigorous methodologies not only support equipment manufacturers but also testing and certification bodies aiming for the highest technical integrity.

Professionals involved in product development, quality assurance, or regulatory compliance within HVAC, building services, or appliance testing will find this standard essential. Its provisions ensure that fan ratings and energy indices like the Ceiling Fan Energy Index are grounded in robust, repeatable methodologies, directly supporting global harmonization efforts and energy labeling compliance.

Key highlights:

• Defines laboratory test conditions and procedures for varying fan types and sizes.
• Requires meticulous accuracy in measurements of key performance metrics (airflow, thrust, energy usage).
• Facilitates global comparability for product certification and energy labeling through harmonized test methods.

Access the full standard:View ISO 21684:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN 18110:2025 - Water Quality: Assessment of Damage to Fish Passing Through Pumping Stations and Hydropower Plants

Water quality - Assessment of damage to fish passing through pumping stations and hydropower plants - Methods based on live fish passage survival test and blade strike model

EN 18110:2025 brings a standardized, integrated methodology for assessing the direct mechanical impacts of pumping stations and hydropower plants on fish survival. Developed in response to pressing ecological directives and sustainability mandates, the standard outlines quantitative techniques for measuring the survival rate of fish as they pass through pumps and turbines. It does this using two core methods: field/laboratory-based live fish survival tests (with paired controls), and a validated computational blade strike model for estimating injury and mortality risks.

The scope is deliberately focused—addressing immediate injury, not broader behavioral or migratory disruptions. This makes the standard essential for regulatory agencies, environmental engineers, plant operators, and manufacturers who need to demonstrate compliance with environmental policies such as the European Water Framework Directive or similar international mandates. The physical and computational procedures are detailed, including protocols for the selection, handling, and welfare of test fish, data recording, statistical evaluation, and the interpretation of results for both resident and migratory species.

In the broader regulatory landscape, EN 18110:2025 gives authorities a consistent basis for environmental permitting and impact assessment, while supporting industry innovation in eco-friendly machine designs.

Key highlights:

• Mandates precise survival metrics using live fish tests and computational modeling.
• Supports compliance with ecological protection regulations for water infrastructure.
• Provides detailed procedural guidance for field and laboratory assessment, as well as computational scaling of results.

Access the full standard:View EN 18110:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN 18110:2025 - Water Quality: Assessment of Damage to Fish Passing Through Pumping Stations and Hydropower Plants

Water quality - Assessment of damage to fish passing through pumping stations and hydropower plants - Methods based on live fish passage survival test and blade strike model

Note: This entry covers the same standard, as two publications were listed. For completeness, refer to the full analysis above.

Access the full standard:View EN 18110:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN 13616-2:2016+A1:2025 - Overfill Prevention Devices for Static Tanks for Liquid Fuels (Part 2: Devices Without a Closure Device)

Overfill prevention devices for static tanks for liquid fuels - Part 2: Overfill prevention devices without a closure device

This revised and amended European standard was published to specify comprehensive requirements for overfill prevention sensors and systems used in static fuel tanks—specifically those devices which do not have a closure mechanism. Its scope includes device design, operational requirements, durability, safety integrity, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), test procedures, and performance verification for signaling (permissive and non-permissive states).

The standard targets installers, tank manufacturers, fuel distributors, and safety engineers, setting out how such devices must operate reliably to prevent accidental overfills—a persistent safety and environmental hazard. This part of EN 13616 aligns requirements with harmonized safety voltage and current parameters, sensor types (including positive temperature coefficient—PTC—sensors), and device reaction times. It also covers installation interfaces, mechanical construction details, chemical resistance requirements, and procedures for periodic verification and marking.

EN 13616-2:2016+A1:2025 is pivotal for facilities handling liquid fuels for internal combustion engines and heating/cooling boilers, as well as for operators responsible for above or underground stationary tanks. The amended edition brings updates for explosion protection references, test frequency, and modular system integration, ensuring contemporary safety best practices are met throughout the product life cycle and across European or equivalent international markets.

Key highlights:

• Prescribes essential design, endurance (3,000+ cycles), and durability criteria for overfill sensors.
• Stipulates strict electrical, mechanical, and fail-safe requirements, enhancing operational safety and reliability.
• Updates technical references and test procedures, supporting compliance amid evolving safety regulations.

Access the full standard:View EN 13616-2:2016+A1:2025 on iTeh Standards

Common Themes and Industry Trends

A retrospective view of September 2025’s standards for fluid systems and general use components reveals several industry-defining patterns:

• Integration of Environmental Considerations: The prominence of EN 18110:2025 reflects how environmental responsibility—especially aquatic biodiversity protection—is transitioning from optional best practice to regulated necessity in water infrastructure.
• Performance-Based Testing and Verification: Both ISO 21684:2025 and EN 13616-2:2016+A1:2025 reveal a growing reliance on laboratory and in-field test protocols for system validation, supporting precision, reproducibility, and cross-border harmonization.
• Focus on Safety and Risk Prevention: Overfill prevention standards illustrate an industry pivot toward systematic risk elimination—reducing incidents, protecting the environment, and ensuring end-user safety throughout supply and operation chains.
• Cross-Sector Applicability: While the standards have distinct target audiences, they collectively serve equipment manufacturers, utility operators, regulators, and researchers—indicative of complex, multidisciplinary challenges facing fluid systems today.

Emerging focus areas—such as fish-friendly hydropower, advanced test methodologies, and intelligent safety components—signal the sector’s movement toward sustainability, digitalization, and “design for compliance.”

Compliance and Implementation Considerations

Professionals engaging with these newly published standards should prioritize the following actions:

• Gap Analysis and Training: Conduct organizational assessments against new requirements, particularly where test methods or environmental impact assessments are now mandated. Training and upskilling for staff on laboratory or field protocols should not be overlooked.
• Certification and Product Redesign: For manufacturers, ensure that lab testing and certification processes for air circulating fans and overfill prevention devices are fully aligned with the latest methodologies, including any updates in calibration or installation practices.
• Environmental Reporting: Water utilities, plant operators, and ecological consultants need to integrate EN 18110:2025’s protocols into their ongoing environmental impact statements, regulatory compliance documentation, and new project designs.
• Timeline Management: Note the transition deadlines for replacing or updating equipment and operational procedures to reflect these standards, especially where national or supra-national regulations enforce compliance within a defined window (typically one or two years from publication).
• Resource Utilization: Leverage digital access tools and support available through platforms such as iTeh Standards to stay informed about further guidance, future amendments, or interpretive clarifications.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways from September 2025

The standards published in September 2025 collectively reinforce a new baseline for performance, safety, and sustainability in the Fluid Systems and Components for General Use sector. Professionals cannot afford to ignore:

• The sharper focus on measurement integrity and laboratory calibration (ISO 21684:2025) for air movement technologies.
• The rigorous, dual-method approach to mitigating ecological impact in water-related infrastructure (EN 18110:2025).
• The enhanced risk reduction principles and detection systems required for fuel storage installations (EN 13616-2:2016+A1:2025).

For engineers, compliance officers, and safety or procurement teams, remaining current with these standards is not just a regulatory obligation—it is a foundation for responsible, forward-looking fluid system management. Stakeholders are encouraged to explore the linked documents in detail via iTeh Standards and to incorporate the insights herein into operational, design, and procurement strategies.

Stay informed, remain compliant, and position your organization at the forefront of technical and environmental excellence in fluid systems.