In responding to review comments on a recent project I'm realizing that the vacuum requirement contains two separate elements, which I previously saw as one. The way the rating and online form are worded, I assumed that the dBA rating was part of the CRI certification. Apparently, this is not the case. CRI confirmed that they do not test for noise levels, which puts the responsibility back on the manufacturer. Unfortunately, I'm now having trouble verifying the dBA level for a CRI-certified vacuum.
Any other suggestions besides purchasing a Consumer Reports subscription?
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11478 thumbs up
February 23, 2011 - 6:31 pm
Jared, I guess the obvious question is whether you've checked with the manufacturers to see if they provide this information? I'm not sure that Consumer Reports or any other organization offers this kind of data.
Jared Silliker
OwnerSilliker + Partners
77 thumbs up
February 24, 2011 - 12:13 pm
Yep ... manufacturer turned out to be no help. Consumer Reports has the data, but will not release it despite a formal request to the Testing Director. They confirmed that they record dBA levels to do their sound ratings, but they keep the raw data confidential. Lesson learned ... CRI and sound are separate metrics, to be documented separately.
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11478 thumbs up
February 24, 2011 - 11:58 pm
If you do find a source for information, please post about it here. Good luck.
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11478 thumbs up
February 26, 2011 - 1:05 am
Jared, this might be cold comfort, but I confirmed with a colleague that most manufacturers do list this data. If the cut sheet doesn’t list it and the manufacturer can’t tell him what the dBA level is, unfortunately you probably are out of luck for that product.