New UL Standard for Temporary Lighting Strings  

Did you know that Underwriters Laboratory (UL) recently changed the 1088 code for Temporary Lighting Strings? Effective March 1, 2007, the newly revised UL 1088 code is specifically defined in the following paragraphs:

• Article 16.4: “a flexible cord employed in a temporary lighting string shall be suitable for outdoor use and have a serviceability rating equal to or greater than that of hard-usage type cords such as SJW, SJEW, SJOW, SJEOW,SJTW or equivalent power supply-cords”.
• Article 16.5: “cables shall be a standard wet-location type UF cable, or equivalent, additionally complying with the requirements for low-temperature and sunlight-resistant use as applicable to outdoor cords”.

The revised UL standard will now force electrical distributors and contractors to sell and use a slightly more expensive,heavier-duty product that was at one point the industry standard. Other key revisions to UL 1088 code include:

• Article 11.2: “an attachment plug, cord connector, lampholder, splices, or tap shall adhere tightly to the cable or flexible cord insulation at the point where it enters the fitting so as to exclude moisture”.
• Article 17.2: “for a lamp guard constructed of a polymeric material, the acceptability of the material shall include consideration of the aging characteristics relative to its normal steady state operating temperature and its resistance to the effects of sunlight and weather.

Note: Engineered Products Company’s lamp guard is molded from an ultra violet light (F1) rated material and complies with the National Electrical Code (NEC).

The NEC in conjunction with the UL 1088 code change does not prevent distributors from selling any manufacturer’s existing flat cord temporary lighting string with a UL label manufactured prior to March 1. However any Temporary Lighting Strings installed on construction sites or used in similar applications that do not meet the requirements of UL 1088 code change may be subjected to removal at the contractor’s expense as required by the local electrical inspectors. When making a purchasing decision, always check your supplier’s UL listing label for the month of manufacture.