Standard for Sound Rating of Ducted Air Moving and Conditioning Equipment

ARI Standard 260: Standard for Sound Rating of Ducted Air Moving and Conditioning Equipment

For engineers and designers striving to create quieter, more comfortable indoor environments, understanding and quantifying the acoustic performance of HVAC equipment is paramount. ARI Standard 260 provides the essential framework for achieving this critical objective, ensuring that the sound output of ducted air moving and conditioning systems is accurately measured and reported.

What is ARI Standard 260?

ARI Standard 260, developed by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), is an authoritative industry standard that establishes a standardized methodology for sound rating ducted air moving and conditioning equipment. Its primary purpose is to provide a consistent and reliable means for manufacturers to acoustically describe their products and for engineers to utilize this data for predicting sound levels in occupied spaces.

Scope & Purpose

This comprehensive standard governs the sound rating of the indoor portions of ducted air moving and conditioning equipment that incorporate fans. It specifically addresses various sound components, including ducted discharge, ducted inlet, free inlet with casing radiation, and casing-radiated sound. The standard defines requirements for acquiring mapped sound data, calculating sound power levels, and presenting minimum data for published ratings. It explicitly excludes sound from air control devices, packaged terminal air conditioners, outdoor portions of equipment, and externally attached ductwork not supplied by the manufacturer.

Who Must Comply?

• • Primary audience: Acoustic Engineers, HVAC Engineers, Product Design Engineers, Test Technicians, and Mechanical Engineers involved in the specification, design, manufacturing, and testing of HVAC systems.
• • Industries affected: HVAC Manufacturing, Building Systems Design, Acoustics Consulting, and Industrial Equipment Manufacturing.
• • Compliance nature: While not always legally mandatory, compliance is generally recommended and often a de facto requirement for product comparison and specification within the industry.
• • Enforcement: Compliance is typically verified through product testing and data reporting by manufacturers, often reviewed by specifiers and engineers during project design and procurement phases.

Key Requirements Overview

• • The standard requires manufacturers to adopt a "Mapped" Sound Rating approach, typically referencing the product's supply fan operating map to characterize sound output across various operating conditions.
• • Professionals must ensure that sound ratings account for and integrate the acoustic contributions of the base unit, as well as any appurtenances (e.g., coils, filters, plenums) and other sound sources (e.g., refrigeration circuits).
• • Key provisions include the use of a Reverberation Room Technique, modeled after AMCA Standard 300, for testing ducted sound components.
• • Sound ratings are to be provided in the form of Octave Band Sound Power Levels (dB) across a defined frequency range (typically 125 Hz to 8,000 Hz), derived from one-third octave band measurements.
• • The standard mandates specific methods for calculating sound power levels and defines the minimum data requirements that must be published for clarity and comparability.

Related Standards & References

ARI Standard 260 works in conjunction with other ARI and industry standards. It references AMCA Standard 300 for reverberation room testing techniques and ARI Standard 250 for the calibration of reference sound sources. Additionally, it may reference other ARI standards for specific equipment types (e.g., ARI Standard 210/2