Buying Electrical Goods? Look for the C-tick
[ Last Updated 28 June 2007 ]
Have you ever run a vacuum cleaner while the radio was on at home, and got static instead of songs? Or used your cordless phone and your microwave at the same time, and got an annoying buzzing on the line? This "noise" is called electromagnetic interference. It means that a product you are using is interfering with communications that use radio signals. Any electrical or electronic product can create this interference.
Fortunately it is easy to avoid this problem because we have a system to make sure that products won't cause interference. You should choose and use products that have the C-tick on them. The C-tick shows that a product won't cause interference to radiocommunications, including TV and radio broadcasts.
What is the C-tick?
The C-tick is a special mark that means a product complies with New Zealand's standards for radio interference.
Occasionally you may see a different mark, the Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM), which is an alternative to the C-tick and looks like this.
You may be surprised by the variety of products that can create interference, both New Zealand-made and imported ones. Look for the C-tick when you are buying:
Kitchen Appliances
- blenders
- mixers
- coffee grinders
- electric knives
- microwave ovens
Home Entertainment Systems
- TV receivers
- radio receivers
- VCRs
- CD and DVD players and recorders
Household Appliances
- vacuum cleaners
- energy saving compact fluorescent light bulbs
- clock radios
- sewing machines
- dehumidifiers
- power tools
- electric lawnmowers and hedge clippers
- electric chainsaws
Computers
- PCs and laptops
- scanners
- printers
- keyboard, mouse
- video display units and monitors.
Radio products must also comply with New Zealand standards and labelled with a Supplier Code Number to indicate their compliance. Look for a three or four digit number on the product label, with the prefix Z (e.g. Z1234).
Look for the C-tick on the power supply or battery charger on:
- baby monitors
- cordless telephones (the Telepermit indicates approval for connection to phone lines. It is not the same compliance mark as the C-tick)
- garage door openers
- marine radios
- wireless microphones
- home alarm systems
- CB radios
- wireless LAN products
- walkie-talkie radios
- emergency beacons
If you buy electrical or electronic products that do not have the C-tick, they may interfere with your own or your neighbour's radio and television reception. Potentially other services such as fire, police and ambulance may also be affected.
For More Information:
Information about the C-tick, radiocommunications, and the radio spectrum are on New Zealand's Radio Spectrum Management [external website].
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