PANN ARBOR, MI, Feb. 05, 2013 -- NSF International, a global independent public health organization that writes standards, and tests and certifies products for the water, food, and consumer goods industries, has certified the first gasket and sealing materials used with push-fit fittings to both the chloramine resistance and tensile strength performance requirements of ASSE 1061 and ASTM F2854.
Push-fit fittings are used to connect various pipes used in drinking water distribution systems that require the use of gasket materials to ensure a water-tight seal, such as PEX, copper, CPVC or PE-RT. Superior Seals’ EP 1/1/5 and EP 11/01/13 gasket and sealing materials are the first to earn NSF certification to the material requirements of both the ASSE 1061 and ASTM F2854 standards, which will save Superior Seals’ customers time and expense. The NSF certification provides push-fit fitting manufacturers with certified gaskets that have a demonstrated ability to resist degradation from chloramine-treated drinking water as well as validation of their tensile strength.
NSF International maintains the only laboratory in North America capable of providing chloramine resistance testing. This is important as more than one in five Americans use drinking water treated with chloramine, a disinfectant that has been used by water utilities for almost 90 years,* and drinking water distribution products, including push-fit fittings and their gaskets, must demonstrate their resistance to chloramine degradation. NSF engineers also performed the tensile strength testing requirements of ASTM F2854 to verify a minimum tensile strength.
Superior Seals’ EP 1/1/5 and EP 11/01/13 gasket and sealing materials also are certified to NSF/ANSI 61: Drinking Water System Components – Health Effects as well as Annex G of NSF/ANSI 61. NSF/ANSI 61 verifies that these products do not leach harmful levels of contaminants into drinking water. Certification to Annex G verifies that Superior Seals’ gasket and sealing materials have a weighted average of lead content of less than or equal to 0.25 percent, the same as required by federal legislation under the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act.
For earning certification, Superior Seals’ EP 1/1/5 and EP 11/01/13 gasket/sealing materials may now bear the NSF/ANSI 61, ASSE 1061 and ASTM F2854 marks, and appear on NSF International’s online listings. To ensure ongoing compliance, NSF will conduct periodic testing and annual unannounced inspections to verify that production of EP 1/1/5 and EP 11/01/13 continues to comply with all requirements.
"NSF International has tested and certified more than 900 gasket materials to the NSF/ANSI 61 standard. Now with the addition of performance testing to standards ASSE 1061 and ASTM F2854, gasket manufacturers can combine their testing needs and demonstrate compliance to all of the standards required by regulators and their customers," said Nasrin Kashefi, General Manager of NSF International Plastics and Mechanical Plumbing Certification Programs.
"Our goal is to collaborate with the world’s finest manufacturers to give them genuine company advantages. Our precision o-rings and seals are shipped to our customers all over the world so it is crucial that we demonstrate integrity, consistent quality and long-term performance of our products with third-party testing and certification from NSF International," said Pascal Barat, Sales and Marketing Director of Superior Seals.
NSF International is designated as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and is accredited by the International Accreditation Service (IAS), the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
About NSF International
NSF International is an independent global organization that writes standards, and tests and certifies products for the food, water and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment (nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide.
NSF led the development of the American national standards for all materials and products that treat or come in contact with drinking water. In 1990, the U.S. EPA replaced its own drinking water product advisory program with these NSF standards. Today, all major plumbing codes require certification to NSF standards for pipes and plumbing components in commercial and residential buildings.
Additional NSF International services include management systems registrations delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations (NSF-ISR); food safety and quality programs through the NSF Food Safety Division; pharmaceutical, medical device and nutritional supplement auditing and certification through the NSF Health Sciences Division; sustainability services through NSF Sustainability; and NSF Education and Training programs.
About Superior Seals
Superior is an internationally recognized manufacturer of precision o-rings and seals that are critical to the safe and reliable functioning of high integrity products.
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