CERTIFICATION
LEARN HOW TO IDENTIFY IF A PRODUCT IS APPROVED BY WRAS, KIWA OR NSF AND CONFORMS TO UK REGULATION 4… Understanding certification
W hen deciding on the selection of what product to use on your project, the most vital criterion is that the product is correctly approved and certified. Reputable manufacturers will always be able to demonstrate and present the correct product certification to show approval by WRAS, an independent
easily verified online by approval number, company, or keyword: • Kiwa – www.kiwa.com/gb/en/about- kiwa/water-products • WRAS – www.wrasapprovals.co.uk • NSF – www.nsf.org/gb/en/ certified-products-systems A manufacturer claiming valid approval
non-metallic material component complies with BS6920 (suitability of non-metallic products for use in contact with water intended for human consumption regarding their effect on the quality of the water) and should not be confused with a WRAS Approved Product certificate. ISO EN (INTERNATIONAL, EUROPEAN) VS. BS (BRITISH) STANDARDS When a product claims to be certified to an International and European Norm (EN) by a certified body such as the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) or the British Standards Institute (BSI), these certifications can be verified online according to company name, standard number, or keyword at: • NSAI – www.nsai.ie/certification/ search-for-a-certified-company • BSI – www.bsigroup.com/en-IE/ validate-bsi-issued-certificates/ These standards define strict testing criteria, material and performance specifications, as well as marking requirements. All standards bodies will have staff available and /or have links on their websites to facilitate the validation of issued certificates.
UK certification body for plumbing products and materials, KIWA, a world top 20 leader in Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) or the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF). Over the years, the term ‘WRAS-approved’ has become synonymous with compliance. However, that is not the only approval that can
will have a certificate clearly showing the name of the specific product brand and model. It is very important to highlight that approval is not deemed to be valid if a manufacturer presents a third-party manufacturer certificate displaying a different brand or model. To achieve UK
“Reputable manufacturers will always be able to demonstrate and present the correct product certification.”
demonstrate compliance with Regulation 4. To do so, products must hold a valid and verifiable certificate from either Kiwa, WRAS or NSF and bear the correct approval logo shown on this page. Products claiming product certification from the three approval bodies can be
Regulation 4 approval, fittings must pass strict material and mechanical regulatory performance tests. It is also important to note that WRAS operate two approval schemes, WRAS Approved Product and WRAS Approved Material. A WRAS Material Approval demonstrates that a
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