Safety is paramount in the home appliance industry.

Due to the possibility of human misapplication,over-current, or short circuit failures within an appliance wiring system, fire protection requirements were created to evaluate and rate the flammability of material used within an appliance.

Glow wire testing is one such requirement used within the appliance industry today.
This paper explores glow wire testing, describes the rationale behind the glow wire test procedures and briefly compares the practice to other common flammability test methods.

Glow Wire Testing and IEC 60335-1: Safety of Household and Similar Electrical Appliances
IEC 60335-1 is a general specification that governs the safety of household appliances. Within the specification, glow wire testing is used to evaluate the flammability of non-metallic materials supporting current-carrying components used within the appliance.

Standards: IEC60695 – 2 – 10 / 11 / 12 / 13,IEC60884-1,IEC60335-1,VDE0620

Fine-wire thermocouple: nominal diameter of 1,0 mm. The thermocouple wires shall be suitable for continuous operation at temperatures up to 960 °C (e.g. chrome /alum (Type K) – see IEC 60584-1). The welded point shall be located inside the sheath as close to the tip as practicable. The sheath shall consist of metal resistant to continuous operation at a temperature of at least 1050 °C.