Just like all other appliances there are a wide number of regulations and standards expected to be followed by the air conditioner manufacturing companies.

As is the case with most of the devices, in the field of air conditioning too the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) are the leaders in setting down standards. Similarly the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) is also actively involved in setting down new standards.

The regulations and the standards for air conditioners have become particularly stringent following the discovery that the CFCs used for refrigeration were having affecting the ozone layer in an adverse manner.

Below most of the regulations set down by the ANSI and the ISO are listed along with brief descriptions.

• ANSI / ARI 210/240 – 2003
  This standard deals specifically with Air-Source Heat Pump Equipment and Unitary Air-Conditioning.

• ANSI / ARI 365 – 2002
  This standard is set down for Unitary Air Conditioning Condensing Units (Commercial and Industrial)

• ANSI / ARI 365 – 2002
  This standard is set down for Unitary Air Conditioning Condensing Units (Commercial and Industrial)

• ANSI / ARI 540-1999 (R2002)
  This document is related to Compressor Units

• ARI 260 – 2001
  This standard sets the sound rating of ducted Air Moving and Conditioning Equipment
  

There are a number of other standards set by the ANIS and the ARI in collaboration. These deal with the following factors
a) Voltage Ratings of Air Conditioning Equipment
b) Graphical Symbols and Electronic Diagrams for Air Conditioning Units
c) Water Cooled Refrigerant Condensers
d) And in many other fields.

The ISO’s Technical Committee TC 86 exclusively deals with Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning. This committee too has laid down various rules and regulations which are mandatory to be complied with by manufacturers. The Technical Committee has further 8 sub committees from TC86 / SC 1 to TC86 / SC 8. The SC 1 handles the safety requirements for refrigerating systems it also deals with the environmental requirements. Other committees are involved in testing of the various other parts of air – conditioners.

In India the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is responsible for setting the standards for air conditioning equipment. The Refrigeration and the Air conditioning department falls under the Mechanical Engineering Development Council (MEDC). The standards set down include:

Below most of the regulations set down by the ANSI and the ISO are listed along with brief descriptions

• IS 5456 : 2006 which is related to the testing of Positive Displacement Type Air Compressors.
  

• IS 1391 which recently witnessed amendments is also a crucial standard in the Indian context as it deals with specifications of room Air Conditioners both Unitary as well as Split.
  

• There are a few other standards as well which talk about Air Conditioning Units, but the ones mentioned above are the main ones.