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#40953 08/10/04 01:13 PM
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3
F
Junior Member
I have source for quite cheap price of all kinds and size of the fittings including
Set Screw Connector, Couplings, compression couplings. I want to sell them to the US market, does anybody know what will be the proper way to do that, I am located in Canada right now.
Thanks,

Frank

#40954 08/10/04 03:23 PM
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 114
E
Member
Buyers for reputable companies, stores and dealers will want to see NRTL marks (UL, ETL, CSA, TUV, MET, or whatever mark the manufacturer's NRTL uses) and have documentation (test reports and/or valid file numbers) to prove the testing was really done. The file numbers from the original quality products your cheap source may have copied don't count [Linked Image]

#40955 08/10/04 03:45 PM
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3
F
Junior Member
Thanks for the info. Do you know they usually want to see one of those marks or all of them? If so, which one would be the most popular or first priority? Thanks again.

Frank

#40956 08/10/04 06:12 PM
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 444
S
Member
I sure hope its not that off shore stuff. The quality of that stuff is horrendous.

#40957 08/10/04 06:59 PM
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 886
H
Member
Frank, they want to see REAL DOCUMENTATION from one or more of these testing labs to prove that these products meet specs.

From what I've seen of these products, don't bother.

-Hal

#40958 08/11/04 08:01 AM
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 840
C
Member
Furthermore, many electricians simply won't buy anything that isn't a reputable brand name fitting, like Arlington, Crouse Hinds, Halex, Neer, etc.

A few might want to buy "quite cheap" fittings, but all my experiences with knock-offs have been bad. And I've never seen a reputable supplier sell no-name stuff either.

Peter


Peter
#40959 08/11/04 10:28 AM
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 114
E
Member
All of those marks mean exactly the same thing - that the Nationally Recognized Test Lab that has evaluated the product finds it to be in compliance with the applicable safety standard. What is confusing (to people who don't know) is that any of those marks could indicate that a product is, for example, listed to UL 467 or to a CSA standard, etc. The term "UL" is used like we used to use "Xerox" for copier or "kleenex" when we mean tissue paper. This is because UL is huge in the United States and writes a lot of the safety standards that all NRTLs use. So "UL 467 compliant" means the product complies with standard UL 467, but may have been evaluated by any NRTL, not necessarily Underwriters Laboratories.

The validity of marks can sometimes be verified easily (though you may still have a counterfit product, in which case the mark is invalid because the manufacturer and manufacturing location will not match with what is written in the safety report and the fraudulent manufacturer will not be subject to quarterly factory inspections like the real manufacturer is)

To check on a product bearing the UL or UR mark:
Go to www.ul.com
Select "certifications" from the collumn on the left
Select "company name/location" or "UL file number". Use "file number" if the UL mark you are verifying has a Exxxxxx number next to it. Use "company name" if you want to see everything the company in question has a file for.
Searching for "Halex" (for example)you will find two pages of product classifications. Select one and you will see all the model numbers of a product category verified to meet a certain safety standard.
click on "guide information" to see exactly what that standard covers.

To verify or check for ETL marks, go to www.etlsemko.com and click on "product directories" in the upper right side of the page. Its self explanatory after that - you can search by the ETL control number or by company name.

Some marks are difficult or impossible to verify online. Others, like the CE mark, are not associated with tests done by certified labs and are self-regulated and need to be verified directly with the manufacturer (the CE simply means the manufacturer states the product is in compliance with applicable electrical safety and EMC standards for the European Union.)

#40960 08/11/04 02:20 PM
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3
F
Junior Member
Thanks everybody, very informative, it will take me sometime to go through everything.
I am attempting to clarify here is that it may be not a exact equal between the cheap and bad-quality. Acutally my source or client I would call it here, they are doing the OEM for some big brand in the States for quite long time. That brand has a quite market share in the States, (I can't mention the name here). The reason I am collecting the information here is that we are think about to build our own brand gradually, all the material, manufacture and quality control will be the same as they do for the big brand ones.
It is cheap not because of the bad quality but the new brand.
I am new to this forum, but find it really good place. Thanks again.

Frank

#40961 08/12/04 10:35 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 687
A
Member
I hope they are not the kind I get at H depot where you need to work twice as hard to get the screws tight. The screws are not tapped well and or are too long. Maybe the screw heads don't have enough to grap on.

Making it look like it was not tightened even though you busted a --- tring too with every type of screw driver until it strips.

Remember too somtimes we need to tighten in tight spaces where we have an aquard grip.

How about making 5/16 hex head screws on the fittings?

I also hate lock nuts with 1 thread.

I will pay more for a better product that will save me time and make my job easier.

Tom

#40962 08/13/04 01:29 AM
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 943
Likes: 2
N
Member
The Halex brand sold at Home Despot are made in India,at least they are not made in China, but still junk.


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