BS EN 50156-1:2015

What is BS EN 50156-1 - Electric furnace installation design about? 

Attention to detail in planning and installing electrical equipment impacts how safe it is for users. The EN 50156 series discusses electrical equipment for furnaces and ancillary equipment. EN 50156 provides the design, installation, and safety measures for electrical equipment for furnaces. 

BS EN 50156-1 is the first part of the EN 50156 series that specifies the requirements and recommendations for the application design and installation of electrical and control equipment for furnaces and ancillary equipment and for the systems heated by the thermal energy released in the furnace to ensure: 

• Safety of personnel, property, and the environment 
• Consistency of proper function 

Such furnaces and the electrical equipment may be part, by way of example, of the following plant: 

• Water heating systems 
• Steam boiler installations (steam and hot-water boilers) and heat recovery steam boilers 
• Warm air heaters 
• HHHot-gas heaters 
• Heat exchanger systems 
• Combustion chambers of stationary turbines 

Note: The requirements in BS EN 50156-1 are not applicable to electrical equipment for: 

• Non-electrically heated appliances and burner control systems for household and similar purposes 
• Furnaces using technologies for the direct conversion of heat into electrical energy 
• Combustion chambers of non-stationary prime movers and turbines 
• Central oil supply systems for individual heating appliances 
• Furnaces using solid fuels for heating purposes for household use with a nominal thermal output up to 1 MW 
• Furnaces that are used to heat process fluids and gasses in chemical plant 

Who is BS EN 50156-1 - Electric furnace installation design for? 

BS EN 50156-1 on electric furnace installation design is useful for: 

• The construction / real estate industry  
• Architects / interior designers 
• Building engineers / electrical engineers 
• Real estate developers / builders / building contractors 
• Manufacturers and suppliers of electric furnaces / HVAC manufacturers 

Why should you use BS EN 50156-1 - Electric furnace installation design? 

Electrical equipment design is very important because it is directly related to the performance and heating efficiency of the furnaces. BS EN 50156-1 guides you with the application design and installation of electrical equipment, control circuits, and safety-related systems for furnaces that are operated with solid, liquid, or gaseous fuels and their ancillary equipment.  

BS EN 50156-1 specifies requirements to meet the operating conditions of furnace, to reduce the hazards of combustion, and to protect the heated systems from damage e.g., by overheating. 

BS EN 50156-1 provides guidance on a safety-related system that includes safety devices for: 

• Monitoring of flames and other safety conditions of the firing
• Interrupting the flow of fuel to the furnace
• Ventilating the body of the furnace and the flue gas ducts
• Monitoring of the safety condition of the heated systems

So long as no other standard is applicable for combined heat and power stations, we recommend the use of the requirements of BS EN 50156-1. The requirements of BS EN 50156-1 apply according to the electrical equipment of electrically heated steam boilers. BS EN 50156-1 may be used as a basis for the requirements placed on electrical equipment for furnaces, which are excluded from its field of application.  

Seagoing vessels and offshore facilities are governed by International Maritime Law and as such are not within the scope of BS EN 50156-1. These requirements may be used for such facilities. BS EN 50156-1 may also be used as a reference for electrical equipment requirements for term processing equipment. In addition to ensuring the safety of those in the vicinity of heating furnaces, BS EN 50156-1 guidelines can also be used as a basis for developing other standards related to furnaces.