Electronic – IEC vs. UL current rating

mainsplugpowersocketul

I was doing a search on Digikey for some power entry connectors and noticed that many of the connectors are rated 10A by IEC standards and 15A by UL standards. Why is there such a large difference between the two standards, and if I plan on using this connector to draw potentially 15A from a North American wall socket, will I run into any trouble?

Picture provided for reference (current ratings on the right):

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Best Answer

Just because it was not tested to that standard does not mean it won't safely operate at that current. They may not bother testing above 10A, for example, because 10A is a lot of power at 230VAC. Or the allowable temperature rise may be more lenient under UL rules than IEC.

If you're in North America you need to worry about UL and CSA standards.

You shouldn't depend on a distributor's listing for important information like that. There are frequently errors. Look at the manufacturer's datasheet and make sure you understand it, and if there are any questions, contact the manufacturer. If the manufacturer is dubious, look at their test certifications and verify with the agency that they are still valid.

In this case I don't see the 15A UL rating listed for that particular part number on the datasheet (it is for the 575). I might have missed it though.