ASTM F2608-07(2014)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
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Designation: F2608 − 07(Reapproved 2014) An American National Standard
Standard Test Method for
Determining the Change in Room Air Particulate Counts as
a Result of the Vacuum Cleaning Process
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F2608; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope F1038Test Method for Motor Life Evaluation of a Canister,
Hand-held, Stick, and UtilityTypeVacuum CleanerWith-
1.1 This test method provides a laboratory test for the
out a Driven Agitator
measurement of particulate generated as a direct result of the
F1334Test Method for Determining A-Weighted Sound
vacuuming process.
Power Level of Vacuum Cleaners
1.2 This test method is applicable to all residential/
F1409Test Method for Straight Line Movement of Vacuum
commercial uprights, canisters, stickvacs, central vacuum
Cleaners While Cleaning Carpets
systems, and combination cleaners.
2.2 AHAM Standard:
1.3 This test method applies to test dust removal from floor
ANSI/AHAM AC-1-2006Test Method for Performance of
coverings not the removal of surface litter and debris. Portable Household Electric Room Air Cleaners
2.3 Other References:
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as
IEC 60312Vacuum Cleaners for Household Use—Methods
standard. The values given in parentheses are for information
for Measuring the Performance
only.
Standard LaboratoryPractice for Quantifying Respirable
1.5 This test method may involve hazardous materials,
Particulate Emissions Generated by Residential/
operations, and equipment. This standard does not purport to
Commercial Vacuums and Central Vacuum Systems, Car-
address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its
pet and Rug Institute, 12/4/02
use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to
establish appropriate safety and health practices and deter-
3. Terminology
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
3.1 Definitions:
3.1.1 model, n—designation of a group of vacuum cleaners
2. Referenced Documents
having identical mechanical and electrical construction with
2.1 ASTM Standards:
only cosmetic or nonfunctional differences.
F555Test Method for Motor Life Evaluation of an Upright
3.1.2 population, n—total of all units of a particular model
Vacuum Cleaner
vacuum cleaner being tested.
F608Test Method for Evaluation of Carpet Embedded Dirt
Removal Effectiveness of Household/Commercial 3.1.3 repeatability limit, n—value below which the absolute
Vacuum Cleaners difference between two individual test results obtained under
F655Specification for Test Carpets and Pads for Vacuum the repeatability condition may be expected to occur with a
Cleaner Testing probability of approximately 0.95 (95%).
F884Test Method for Motor Life Evaluation of a Built-In
3.1.4 test run, n—definitive procedure that produces a sin-
(Central Vacuum) Vacuum Cleaner
gular measured result.
F922Test Method for Motor Life Evaluation of an Electric
3.1.5 unit, n—single vacuum cleaner of the model being
Motorized Nozzle
tested.
4. Significance and Use
ThistestmethodisunderthejurisdictionofASTMCommitteeF11onVacuum
Cleaners and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F11.23 on Filtration. 4.1 In this test method, the amount of particulate generated
Current edition approved Oct. 1, 2014. Published October 2014. Originally
into the air by operating a vacuum cleaner over a specific floor
approved in 2007. Last previous edition approved in 2007 as F2608–07. DOI:
covering that is contaminated with dust will be determined.
10.1520/F2608-07R14.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on Available from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, 19th St.
the ASTM website. NW, Suite 402, Washington, DC 20036.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
F2608 − 07 (2014)
Particles from the motor, floor covering, and the test dust will 5.2.6 Motor and Blower for Conditioning Loop—0.35-m /s
all be measured. The amount of dust generated in the labora- (750-ft /min) fan.
tory practice will differ from that in residential/commercial
5.2.7 Relative Humidity—50 65%.
installations because of variations in floor coverings, soil and
5.2.8 Temperature—21 6 1.5°C (70 6 5°F).
other solid particulate compositions, the vacuuming process
5.2.9 Chamber Sealing—Chamber sealing shall be verified
used by individual operators, the air exchange rate of heating,
as follows: Particulate level in the sealed room shall not rise
ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and other
above 1000 particles/ft at≥0.3 µm after 20 min of HEPAoff,
factors.
with the room static.
4.2 To provide a uniform basis for measuring the perfor-
5.3 Real-time aerosol particle counter in the range of 0.3 to
mance in 4.1, a standardized test chamber, equipment, floor
5 µm. A laser photometer may be used, in addition to the
covering material, and dust particulate are used in this test
particle counter, with a range of 0.1 to 1000 µg/m .
method.
5.4 Particulatesamplingpickoffprobeshallbe152.4 612.7
cm (60 6 5 in.) above the test carpet, facing up, on centerline
5. Apparatus
of carpet.
5.1 An air-conditioned laboratory at 21 6 –1.5°C
5.5 Weighing Scale (for Weighing Test Dirt), accurate to
(70 65°F) and 50% relative humidity 65% is to be used for
0.01g(0.000353oz)andhavingaweighingcapacityofatleast
sample preparation.
100 g (3.53 oz) for weighing the dust for embedding.
5.2 Environmentally Controlled Test Chamber (per ANSI/
5.6 Dirt Embedment Tool—Roller may be locked or un-
AHAM AC-1-2006):
locked (see Fig. 1).
5.2.1 Chamber Size—Nominal dimensions of 3.2 by 3.7 by
2.4 m (10.5 by 12 by 8 ft) up to a 20% difference in volume
5.7 Dirt Dispenser—Dispensing system that provides the
is permitted.
operator with a method to distribute the test dirt uniformly on
5.2.2 Framework—Standard 5.1 by 10.2 cm (2 by 4 in.) or
the carpet test area.
equivalent construction sealed to the floor line with caulking
5.8 Voltmeter, to measure input volts to the vacuum cleaner,
compound.
to provide measurements accurate within 61%.
5.2.3 Walls—Anyhard,cleanablesurface,suchaswallboard
(sealed with a washable latex semi-gloss paint) or stainless
5.9 Voltage-Regulator System, to control the input voltage
steel. Seal with caulking compound. to the vacuum cleaner. The regulator shall be capable of
5.2.4 Flooring—Any hard, seamless cleanable surface such maintaining the vacuum cleaner’s rated voltage 61% and
asseamlessfull-widthvinyl,stainlesssteel,orsealedconcrete. rated frequency having a wave form that is essentially sinusoi-
5.2.5 Filtration—HEPA filtration (>99.97% at 0.3 µm, 0.5 dal with 3% maximum harmonic distortion for the duration of
3 3
m /s (1000 ft /min) minimum). the test.
FIG. 1 Dirt Embedment Tool
F2608 − 07 (2014)
TABLE 1 ISO 12103-1, A2 Fine Test Dust Particle Distribution
5.10 Carpet bed length of 182.9 cm (72 in.) and minimum
width of 68.6 cm (27 in.). See an example of a suitable Cumulative Volume Numeric Data
cleaning bed apparatus in Fig. 2. Size, µm Less Than, %
12.6
5.11 Drive for carpet or vacuum cleaner capable of main-
211.3
taining specified test speed of 55 cm/s (1.8 ft/s) both forward
3 20.4
4 28.9
and reverse in a straight pattern. Bed must be equipped with
5 35.8
brackets to hold the test vacuum handle at 80 cm (31.5 in.)
7 44.6
above the test material.
10 52.9
20 70.7
5.12 If moving the vacuum cleaner, a suitable system is
40 88.2
described inTest Method F608.Travel length and width are as 80 99.8
specified in the procedure.
5.13 Tachometer or equivalent device for calibrating con-
veyor or vacuum drive speed.
particulate level in the air rating of the samples from the
5.14 Rotating Agitator Conditioning Vacuum Cleaner/
populationshallbeestablishedbytestingtoa90%confidence
Equipment or a Central Vacuum Cleaning System equipped
level within 65% of the mean value.
with a powered, rotating agitator-equipped nozzle, for condi-
tioning new test carpets and removing residual dirt from the
7.3 AnnexA1 provides a procedural example for determin-
test carpet before each test run. This cannot be the unit tested.
ing the 90% confidence level and when the sample size shall
be increased.
6. Materials
6.1 Level Loop Carpet and Padding, as described in Speci-
8. Standard Test Carpet Preparation
fication F655.
8.1 Cut panels as needed of the test carpet, specified in 6.1,
6.2 ISO 12103-A2 Arizona Test Dust (IEC 60312)—Weigh
to a size of 68.6 cm (27 in.) warp by 182.9 cm (72 in.) fill.
andrecord10goftestdustinaroommeetingtherequirements
8.2 Markthecarpetpanel(s)withtestidentificationnumbers
of 5.1. See Table 1 for a description of the dust.
for later reference.
NOTE 1—Relative humidity can have a significant effect upon the
weight and amount of test dust.
8.3 Preconditioning New Test Carpet Panels:
8.3.1 Vacuum new test carpet panels using a rotating
7. Sampling
agitator-equipped vacuum cleaner to remove any loose mate-
7.1 A minimum of three units of the same model vacuum rials before soiling and testing.
cleaner selected at random, in accordance with good statistical 8.3.2 Vacuumthecarpetwiththefirststrokeinthedirection
practice, shall constitute the population sample. of the pile lay and continue vacuuming the entire area of the
carpetuntillessthan2gofcarpetfiberorsoilispickedupafter
7.2 To determine the best estimate of the total particulate
5 min of cleaning.
counts during the activity of cleaning for the population of the
vacuumcleanermodelbeingtested,thearithmeticmeanofthe 8.4 Reconditioning Used Carpet Panels:
FIG. 2 Cleaning Bed Apparatus
F2608 − 07 (2014)
8.4.1 Using the vacuum cleaner or a central vacuum clean- test system whenever the particle counts from reference and
ingsystemlistedin5.14,cleanthenentirecarpetareafor5min calibrationchecksoftestcarpetvaryfromthebaselinelevelby
using a stroke rate of 0.55 m/s (1.8 ft/s) in the direction of the 620%.
pile lay to ensure removal of all residual dust embedded in the
9. Test Chamber Setup and Conditioning
carpet. Clean the test chamber in accordance with 9.2.
9.1 All components involved in the test shall remain and be
8.5 Clean Carpet Particle Background Counts—Perform
exposed in the controlled environment for at least 16 h before
the following test to establish a baseline for clean carpet
the start of the test.
particle counts for use in referencing and calibration checks.
Thistestistobeperformedwhencarpetisnewandafterevery
9.2 Test Chamber Cleaning Procedure—Tobeperformedas
20 test runs. needed:
9.2.1 Using the vacuum cleaner or a central vacuum clean-
8.5.1 Position the test carpet on the supporting surface.
ing system listed in 5.14, clean all surfaces of the test chamber
8.5.2 Mark a baseline test area 40 by 102 cm (16 by 40 in.).
and equipment to remove all residual dust.
This area is based upon a standard nozzle width of 25 cm (10
9.2.2 Wipe down all surfaces of the test equipment with a
in.), plus an additional 7.6 cm (3 in.) per side. Nozzle width is
tack cloth or damp rag to remove any dust not removed by the
measured at the extreme outside dimension of the nozzle. For
vacuum cleaner.
nozzle widths exceeding 25 cm (10 in.), the test area width
shall be increased accordingly.
10. Vacuum Cleaners
8.5.3 Place the control vacuum cleaner with new bag and
10.1 New Test Vacuum Cleaners:
filters on the test carpet 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in.) in front of the
10.1.1 Preconditioning a New Test Vacuum Cleaner—Run
testarea.Setthedriveruntoincludecarpetanadditional10to
the vacuum cleaner in at rated voltage (61%) and frequency
15 cm (4 to 6 in.) after the test area as well.
(61 Hz) with filters in place for 1 h.
8.5.4 Exit the test chamber and initiate the particulate
10.1.1.1 Preconditioning Rotating Agitator-Type Vacuum
counter or photometer or both. Set the instrument(s) to take
Cleaner—In a stationary position, operate the vacuum cleaner
continuous readings throughout the duration of the test. The
for 1 h with the agitator bristles not engaged on any surface.
particle counter range sizes are 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 µm (other
10.1.1.2 Preconditioning a Straight Air Canister Vacuum
particle size ranges are optional).
Cleaner—Operatethevacuumcleanerfor1hwithawide-open
8.5.5 Energize the chamber purge/room air purifier until the
inlet (without hose).
baseline particulate level is under 1000 particles/ft at 0.3 µm
and count variation is under 10% for 5 min at the 0.3-µm 10.2 Used Test Vacuum Cleaners:
10.2.1 Recondition a Used Vacuum Cleaner—Before each
range. For the photometer, the µg/m baseline should be less
than1µg/m ,withavariationoflessthan10%fromthemean. test run:
10.2.1.1 Thoroughly remove excess dirt from the vacuum
8.5.6 De-energize both the chamber purge/room air purifier
cleaner. Without using tools for disassembly, clean the entire
and room-conditioning equipment.
outersurface,brushes,nozzlechamber,ductwork,insideofthe
NOTE 2—Testing is to be conducted in a static environment.
chamber surrounding the primary filter, and inside hose and
wands.
8.5.7 Immediately energize vacuum and monitor particle
counts (and concentration if using photometer) for 10 min. A 10.2.1.2 For vacuum cleaners using disposable filters as the
primary filters, use a new disposable primary filter from the
hard surface or a method for raising the agitator off of the
carpet should be employed to protect the carpet during this manufacturer for each test.
10.2.1.3 For vacuum cleaners using non-disposable dirt
portion of the test. If a hard surface is employed it shall not be
receptacles, empty in accordance with the manufacturer’s
included in the test strokes.
instructions after each test run, clean the receptacle, and then
8.5.8 Set conveyor or vacuum stroke counter at the proper
installitasrecommendedbythevacuumcleanermanufacturer.
number of strokes to accomplish 10 min 6 5 s of back and
forth vacuuming at 55 cm/s (1.8 ft/s), then energize conveyor
NOTE4—Effectivenessofthiscleaningcanbeseenintheuniformityof
and continue to monitor particle counts (and concentration if the successive runs.
using photometer).
10.3 Test Vacuum Cleaner Settings—If various settings are
8.5.9 At the conclusion of 10 min of vacuuming, de-
provided, set the motor speed setting, suction regulator, nozzle
...