AHAM Standards
By providing an objective and standardized verification of your product's performance, AHAM gives consumers, retailers and the home appliance industry a standard they can trust. The program furnishes uniform product comparison information, regularly verifies the results and reduces confusion at the point of purchase about product performance claims. AHAM conducts four certification programs for each category - room air cleaners, room air conditioners, dehumidifiers and refrigerator/freezers. The air cleaner certification program is known as AC-1.
How did AHAM develop AC-1?
AHAM developed a method for measuring the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) for portable household electric room air cleaners in the early 1980s. The resulting AHAM standard became an American National Standard in 1988. This standard, known as ANSI/AHAM AC-1, measures the air cleaner's ability to reduce tobacco smoke, dust and pollen particles in a room. It also includes a method for calculating the suggested room size. The Federal Trade Commission and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have both reviewed and agreed that the AC-1 provides a reasonable basis for making claims on performance.
The ANSI/AHAM AC-1-2006 Standard is available for download in the AHAM Publications section of www.AHAM.org.