What test methods and procedures must I use to determine compliance with the standards and requirements for certification?
40 C.F.R. § 60.534
in effectTest methods and procedures specified in this section or in appendices of this part, except as provided under § 60.8(b), must be used to determine compliance with the standards and requirements for certification under §§ 60.532 and 60.533 and for reporting carbon monoxide emissions and efficiency as follows:
(a)(1) For affected wood heaters subject to the 2015 and 2020 particulate matter emission standards of §§ 60.532(a) and (b), the manufacturer must have an EPA-approved test laboratory conduct testing according to paragraphs (a)(1)(i) or (ii) of this section. The manufacturer or manufacturer's authorized representative must submit a summary and the full test reports with all supporting information, including detailed discussion of all anomalies, whether all burn rate categories were properly achieved, any data not used in the calculations and, for any test runs not completed, the data that were collected and the reason that the test run was not completed. The burn rate for the low burn rate category must be no greater than the rate that an operator can achieve in home use and no greater than is advertised by the manufacturer or retailer. The manufacturer has the option of submitting test results obtained pursuant to either paragraph (a)(1)(i) or (ii) of this section to the Administrator as specified under § 60.537 as part of a request for a certification of compliance.
(i) Conduct testing with crib wood using EPA Method 28R of appendix A-8 of this part or an alternative crib wood test method approved by the Administrator or the ASTM E2779-10 (IBR, see § 60.17) pellet heater test method to establish the certification test conditions and the particulate matter emission values.
(ii) Conduct testing with cord wood using an alternative cord wood test method approved by the Administrator to establish the certification test conditions and the particulate matter emission values.
(2) For the 2020 cord wood alternative means of compliance option specified in § 60.532(c), the manufacturer must have an EPA-approved test laboratory conduct testing with cord wood using an alternative cord wood test method approved by the Administrator to establish the certification test conditions and the particulate matter emission values.
(b) [Reserved]
(c) For affected wood heaters subject to the 2015 and 2020 particulate matter emission standards specified in § 60.532(a) through (c), particulate matter emission concentrations must be measured with ASTM E2515-11 (IBR, see § 60.17) with the following exceptions: eliminate section 9.6.5.1 of ASTM E2515-11 and perform the post-test leak checks as described in paragraph (c)(1) of this section. Additionally, if a component change of either sampling train is needed during sampling, then perform the leak check specified in paragraph (c)(2) of this section. Four-inch filters and Teflon membrane filters or Teflon-coated glass fiber filters may be used in ASTM E2515-11.
(1) Post-test leak check. A leak check of each sampling train is mandatory at the conclusion of each sampling run before sample recovery. The leak check must be performed in accordance with the procedures of ASTM E2515-11, section 9.6.4.1 (IBR, see § 60.17), except that it must be conducted at a vacuum equal to or greater than the maximum value reached during the sampling run. If the leakage rate is found to be no greater than 0.0003 m
3/min (0.01 cfm) or 4% of the average sampling rate (whichever is less), the leak check results are acceptable. If a higher leakage rate is obtained, the sampling run is invalid.
(2) Leak checks during sample run. If, during a sampling run, a component (e.g., filter assembly) change becomes necessary, a leak check must be conducted immediately before the change is made. Record the sample volume before and after the leak test. The sample volume collected during any leak checks must not be included in the total sample volume for the test run. The leak check must be done according to the procedure outlined in ASTM E2515-11, section 9.6.4.1 (IBR, see § 60.17), except that it must be done at a vacuum equal to or greater than the maximum value recorded up to that point in the sampling run. If the leakage rate is found to be no greater than 0.0003 m
3/min (0.01 cfm) or 4% of the average sampling rate (whichever is less), the leak check results are acceptable. If a higher leakage rate is obtained, the sampling run is invalid.
(d) For all tests conducted using ASTM E2515-11 (IBR, see § 60.17), with the exceptions described in paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this section, and pursuant to this section, the manufacturer and approved test laboratory must also measure the first hour of particulate matter emissions for each test run by sampling with a third, identical and independent sampling train operated concurrently for the first hour of PM paired train compliance testing according to paragraph (c) of this section. The manufacturer and approved test laboratory must report the test results from this third train separately as the first hour emissions.
(e) The manufacturer must have the approved test laboratory measure the efficiency, heat output and carbon monoxide emissions of the tested wood heater using Canadian Standards Administration (CSA) Method B415.1-10 (IBR, see § 60.17), section 13.7.
(f) Douglas fir may be used in ASTM E2779-10, ASTM E2780-10 and CSA B415.1-10 (IBR, see § 60.17).
(g) The manufacturer of an affected wood heater model line must notify the Administrator of the date that certification testing is scheduled to begin by email to WoodHeaterReports@epa.gov. This notice must be received by the EPA at least 30 days before the start of testing. The notification of testing must include the manufacturer's name and physical and email addresses, the approved test laboratory's name and physical and email addresses, the third-party certifier name, the model name and number (or, if unavailable, some other way to distinguish between models), and the dates of testing. The laboratory may substitute certification testing of another affected wood heater on the original date in order to ensure regular laboratory testing operations.
(h) The approved test laboratory must allow the manufacturer, the manufacturer's approved third-party certifier, the EPA and delegated state regulatory agencies to observe certification testing. However, manufacturers must not involve themselves in the conduct of the test after the pretest burn has begun. Communications between the manufacturer and laboratory or third-party certifier personnel regarding operation of the wood heater must be limited to written communications transmitted prior to the first pretest burn of the certification test series. During certification tests, the manufacturer may communicate with the third-party certifier, and only in writing, to notify them that the manufacturer has observed a deviation from proper test procedures by the laboratory. All communications must be included in the test documentation required to be submitted pursuant to § 60.533(b)(5) and must be consistent with instructions provided in the owner's manual required under § 60.536(g).
Source: ecfr_bulkFetched: 7/26/2026
Source: eCFR APIURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-40.xml?part=60Fetched: 5/31/2026