What and How Different are UL, ETL, and CSA

Introduction of UL, ETL, CSA

What are UL, ETL, and CSA certification?

As more and more companies in America and Canada start to purchase commercial refrigerators and freezers directly from China, they require these refrigeration products to meet some specific standards. Which means you need to have your products listed with UL or ETL or CSA mark. Independent testing laboratories, such as UL ETL and CSA are all that are called Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTL) recognized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In other words, NRTLs are in place to provide independent safety and quality certifications on products.

UL ETL CSA Certificates for Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers

UL: Underwriters Laboratories from America. UL company does 2 different things: 1) It establishes safety standards for products like commercial refrigerators and freezers. 2) UL acts as an independent testing agency that makes sure refrigeration products meet those standards.

ETL: Electrical Testing Laboratories from the UK. It is currently a division of Intertek Testing Laboratories. ETL does not publish their own standards; instead, they test parts and components to the published standards of other NRTLs like UL.

CSA: Canadian Standards Association from Canada. CSA uses the same UL standards, is also widely trusted by leading US manufacturers like GE, IBM, and Apple.

Difference between UL, ETL, and CSA?

None.

Except for the body that issues the certificate, there is absolutely no difference between UL or ETL or CSA listing. So, rest assured that no matter which certification mark (UL, ETL or CSA) is on the refrigerators or freezers you receive, it has been tested and certified to the same UL standards and has periodic follow-up inspections to the refrigeration factory to ensure that it continues to meet the product safety standard. In a word, UL, ETL, and CSA are interchangeable.

Generally speaking, more Chinese refrigerator factory tends to use Intertek ETL as the cost is lower and the process is faster. PROCOOL is manufacturing and sending ETL commercial refrigerators every week to North America. Below are sample photos of our refrigerator production with ETL mark on both product and exterior carton box. Meanwhile, you’re welcomed to Contact us if you want to know more about the certification (UL, ETL, and CSA) or those refrigerator models with ETL mark to America and Canada.