This document, concerning Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test
Procedure for Residential Furnaces and Boilers, is a rulemaking action issued by the Department
of Energy. Though it is not intended or expected, should any discrepancy occur between the
document posted here and the document published in the Federal Register, the Federal Register
publication controls. This document is being made available through the Internet solely as a
means to facilitate the public's access to this document.

Scheduled publication: January 4, 2013[6450-01- P]

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 430
[Docket Number EERE–2012– BT

– TP –0024]

RIN: 1904-AC79

Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedure for Residential

Furnaces and Boilers

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Request for information (RFI).

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is initiating a rulemaking and data
collection process to consider amendments to DOE's test procedure for residential furnaces and
boilers. Because DOE has recently complet ed a test procedure rulemaking for the standby mode
and off mode energy consumption of these products, the primary focus of this rulemaking will be
on active mode operation

. This rulemaking is intended to fulfill DOE's statutory obligation to
review its test procedures for covered products at least once every seven years. To inform
interested parties and to facilitate the process, DOE has gathered data and has identified several
issues that might warrant modifications to the current ly applicable test procedures, including
topics on which DOE is particularly interested in receiving comment. In overview, the issues
outlined in this document mainly concern reducing the test burden, test conditions impacting the

1annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) metric, test conditions impacting non-AFUE efficiency
parameters, the performance test for automatic means in boilers, harmonization of standards,
alternative methods for furnace/boiler efficiency determination, and scope. These topics (and
others which commenters identify) are ones which DOE anticipates may lead to proposed test
procedure amendments in a subsequent notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR). DOE welcomes
written comments from the public on any subject related to the test procedures for residential
furnaces and boilers, including topics not specifically raised in this RFI.

DATES: Written comments and information are requested on or before February 19, 2013.

ADDRESSES : Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments using the Federal
eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov . Follow the instructions for submitting
comments. Alternatively, interested persons may submit comments, identified by docket number

EERE–2011– BT

– TP -0024 and/or RIN 1904-AC79, by any of the following methods:

E-mail : Res-Furnaces-Boilers-2012- TP -0024@ee.doe.gov

. Include EERE–2012– BT

–

TP -0024 and/or RIN 1904-AC79 in the subject line of the message. Submit electronic
comments in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, PDF, or ASCII file format, and avoid the use
of special characters or any form of encryption.

Postal Mail : Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies
Program, Mailstop EE–2J, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585–
0121. Telephone: (202) 586–2945. If possible, please submit all items on a compact disc
(CD), in which case it is not necessary to include printed copies.

2Hand Delivery/Courier : Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, Building
Technologies Program, 6th Floor, 950 L’Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 20024.
Telephone: (202) 586–2945. If possible, please submit all items on a CD, in which case
it is not necessary to include printed copies.

Instructions : All submissions received must include the agency name and docket number
or RIN for this rulemaking. No telefacsimilies (faxes) will be accepted. For detailed instructions
on submitting comments and additional information on the rulemaking process, see section III of
this document (Public Participation).

Docket : For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received,
go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov

.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information may be
sent to Mr. Mohammed Khan, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Program, EE–2J, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585–0121. Telephone: (202 ) 586–7892

. E-mail:
residential_furnaces_and_boilers@ee.doe.gov

.

Mr. Eric Stas, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General Counsel, GC-71, 1000
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586-9507. Email:
Eric.Stas@hq.doe.gov

.

For information on how to submit or review public comments, contact Ms. Brenda
Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy,

3Building Technologies Program, EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC
20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586-2945. E-mail: Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov

.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. Authority and Background II. Discussion A. Reducing Test Burden B. Test Conditions Impacting Energy Efficiency (AFUE) Performance C. Test Conditions Impacting Non-AFUE Efficiency Parameters D. Performance Test for Automatic Means in Boilers E. Harmonization of Standards F. Alternative Methods for Furnace/Boiler Efficiency Determination G. Scope H. Standby Mode and Off Mode I. Other Issue s III. Public Participation

I. Authority and Background

Title III, Part B, 1 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (“EPCA” or “the
Act”), Public Law 94-163 (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309, as codified) sets forth a variety of provisions
designed to improve energy efficiency and establishes the Energy Conservation Program for
Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles, 2 including residential furnaces and boilers

. (42

U.S.C. 6291(1)–(2) and 6292(a)(5))

1 This part was originally titled Part B. It was redesignated Part A in the United States Code for editorial reasons. 2 All references to EPCA in this document refer to the statute as amended through the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Public Law 110–140 (Dec. 19, 2007).
4Under the Act, this program consists essentially of four parts: (1) testing; (2) labeling;
(3) establishing Federal energy conservation standards; and (4) certification and enforcement
procedures

. The testing requirements consist of test procedures that manufacturers of covered
products must use as both the basis for certifying to DOE that their products comply with
applicable energy conservation standards adopted pursuant to EPCA, and for making

re presentations about the efficiency of those products. (42 U.S.C. 6293(c); 42 U.S.C. 6295(s))
Similarly, DOE must use these test procedures to determine whether the products comply with
any relevant standards adopted under EPCA. (42 U.S.C. 6295(s))

Under 42 U.S.C. 6293, EPCA sets forth criteria and procedures that DOE must follow
when prescribing or amending test procedures for covered products

. EPCA provides, in
relevant part, that any test procedures prescribed or amended under this section must be
reasonably designed to produce test results which measure energy efficiency, energy use, or
estimated annual operating cost of a covered product during a representative average use cycle
or period of use, and must not be unduly burdensome to conduct. (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(3))

In addition, if DOE determines that a test procedure amendment is warranted, it must
publish proposed test procedures and offer the public an opportunity to present oral and written
comments on them. (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(2)) Finally, in any rulemaking to amend a test
procedure, DOE must determine the extent to which the proposed test procedure would alter
the product’s measured energy efficiency. (42 U.S.C. 6293(e)(1)) If DOE determines that the
amended test procedure would alter the measured efficiency of a covered product, DOE must
amend the applicable energy conservation standard accordingly. (42 U.S.C. 6293(e)(2))

5Further, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) amended
EPCA to require that at least once every 7 years, DOE must review test procedures for all
covered products and either amend the test procedures (if the Secretary determines that amended
test procedures would more accurately or fully comply with the requirements of 42 U.S.C.
6293(b)(3)) or publish notice in the Federal Register of any determination not to amend a test
procedure. (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(1)(A)) Under this requirement, DOE must review the test
procedures for the various types of residential furnace and boiler products not later than
December 19, 2014 ( i.e. , 7 years after the enactment of EISA 2007). Thus, the final rule
resulting from this rulemaking will satisfy the requirement to review the test procedures for
furnaces and boilers within seven years of the enactment of EPCA.

DOE’s test procedure for residential furnaces and boilers is found at 10 CFR 430.23(n)
and 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix N, Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy
Consumption of Furnaces and Boilers . DOE established its test procedures for furnaces and
boilers in a final rule published in the Federal Register on May 12, 1997. 62 FR 26140. This
procedure establishes a means for determining annual energy efficiency (AFUE) and annual
energy consumption of gas-fired, oil-fired, and electric furnaces and boilers.

In addition to the test procedure review provision discussed above, EISA 2007 also
amended EPCA to require DOE to amend its test procedures for all covered products to include
measurement of standby mode and off mode energy consumption. (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A))
Consequently, DOE amended its test procedures for residential furnaces and boilers to include

6provisions for measuring the standby mode and off mode energy consumption of those products.
DOE published a final rule in the Federal Register on October 20, 2010, which updated the DOE
test procedures for residential furnaces and boilers to address the standby mode and off mode test
procedure requirements under EPCA. 75 FR 64621

. Since that time, DOE published a notice of
proposed rulemaking (NOPR) in the Federal Register on September 13, 2011, which calls for the
use of the second edition of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard 62301,
``Household Electrical Appliances

-- Measurement of standby power,'' in lieu of the first edition
incorporated by reference in the earlier final rule, as well as providing guidance on rounding and
sampling. 76 FR 56339

. On December 31, 2012 , DOE published in the Federal Register its
second test procedure final rule for furnaces and boilers related to standby mode and off mode , which incorporated by reference IEC Standards 62301 (Second Edition) and provided related
rounding and sampling guidance. However, that rulemaking was limited to test procedure
updates to address the above-referenced standby mode and off mode requirements, and
consequently, it has not considered several other potential non-standby mode/off mode issues in
DOE's existing test procedures for residential furnaces and boilers which DOE plans to address
in this rulemaking. The potential issues that DOE has preliminarily identified and plans to
address in this rulemaking are discussed in detail below in section II of this RFI.

In support of its test procedure rulemaking, DOE conducts in-depth technical analyses of
publicly-available test standards and other relevant information. DOE continually seeks data and
public input to improve its testing methodologies to more accurately reflect consumer use and to
produce repeatable results. In general, DOE is requesting comment and supporting data
regarding representative and repeatable methods for measuring the energy use of residential

7furnaces and boilers. Additionally, DOE seeks comment and information on the specific topics

below.

II. Discussion

A. Reducing Test Burden
DOE plans to identify available opportunities to potentially reduce testing burden by
simplifying appropriate parts of the residential furnaces and boilers test procedure. Knowledge
of a unit's physical characteristics may make it possible to reliably predict certain performance
parameters without conducting testing. If so, replacing certain burdensome tests with default
factors could significantly reduce the testing burden (time to conduct a test or cost of testing)
without sacrificing the validity of the test results. Of course, manufacturers would retain the
option to conduct actual testing, rather than rely on default values.

DOE plans to also reassess existing default factors in the test procedure, many of which
were created years ago and might no longer be relevant for some of today’s product designs. For
example, the existing off-cycle draft factor for flue gas flow ( D F ) default value of 0.4 for induced
draft products was established for clamshell heat exchangers intended for use in gravity vented

units. Today’s products are designed with more restrictive heat exchangers (tubes and small
formed sections) and are likely to result in draft factors less than 0.4. Regarding default factors,
DOE requests input and comments on:
(1) Defining default draft factors 3 for each product with different physical
characteristics;

3 Identified default draft factors in DOE’s residential furnaces and boilers test procedure include the off -cycl e draft factor for flue gas flow ( D F

), the off-cycle draft factor for stack gas flow ( D S ), the off-cycle draft factor for stack gas
8(2) Defining default jacket loss 4 factors for each product type;
(3) The appropriateness of replacing the “heat up” and “cool down” tests with default
seasonal factors to account for the year-round performance of the equipment

. If so,
should these factors be based on physical characteristics of the equipment being
evaluated, and should the use of default factors be optional or mandatory? Also,
DOE is requesting data about the effect of the heat up and cool down test result
measurements on AFUE calculation, the range and repeatability of the test results,
and the degree to which such results are correlated with physical attributes of the
tested product.
(4) Simplifying the calculation procedure for determining the burner cycling and draft
losses used to compute seasonal efficiency without losing important insight about a
product’s relative energy performance; and
(5) Ot her default values that need updating or parameters currently measured that could
be replaced with default values.

B. Test Conditions Impacting Energy Efficiency (AFUE) Performance
DOE is interested in receiving comments about improving the test procedure’s
effectiveness in quantifying energy efficiency performance under typical field conditions. DOE
has identified opportunities to reduce variability, eliminate ambiguity, and address discrepancies
between the test procedure and actual field conditions. On this topic, DOE seeks input on the
following issues:

flow without a stack damper ( D S O ), and the power burner draft factor ( D P ). D F is the ratio of gas mass flow rate through the flue during the off-cycle to the gas mass flow rate through the flue during the on-cycle at identical temperatures. D P is the ratio of the rate of flue gas mass flow through the furnace during the off-period to the rate of flue gas mass flow through the furnace during the on-period. 4 Identified default jacket loss factors in DOE’s residential furnaces and boilers test procedure include jacket loss factor (C J ) and jacket loss ( L J

), which measure the losses resulting from heat escaping the furnace or boiler jacket.
9(1) The DOE test procedure incorporates by reference the American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 103-

1993. 5 In 2007 , ASHRAE published a revised version of Standard 103 (ASHRAE
Standard 103-2007), which was updated to reflect improvements and changes in
equipment design that were not adequately covered by the previous version of the
standard. In particular, attention was given to the modern classes of two-stage and
modulating equipment that have come on the market, as well as equipment whose
performance is affected by post purge of the combustion chamber. Greater
understanding and clarity regarding energy losses were also incorporated into the
updated ASHRAE standard. Finally, changes in nomenclature and definitions were
included to clarify meaning within the standard, a need reflected by questions and
issues posed to ASHRAE committee members over the past 10 years. Furthermore , editorially, the errata from the previous version were incorporated into this version.

DOE plans on updating its references to the current ASHRAE Standard 103-2007 6

and seeks comments on which sections of ASHRAE 103-2007 should be included
in the DOE test procedure.
(2) DOE plans to review the tolerance ranges for measuring important variables such as
fuel calorific value, weight of condensate, water flow and temperature, voltage, and
flue gas composition. DOE seeks comment as to whether the existing tolerance

5 American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc., ASHRAE Standard: Method of Testing for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of Residential Central Furnaces and Boilers (1993) Report No. ANSI/ASHRAE 103-1993. 6 American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc., ASHRAE Standard: Method of Testing for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of Residential Central Furnaces and Boilers (2007) Report No. ANSI/ASHRAE 103-2007.
10ranges for measuring variables in the test procedure are acceptable or whether DOE
should define different methods of measuring and recording such variables.
(3) DOE plans to review the statistical variability encountered during testing in
important variables such as firing rate, heating media temperatures and flow rates,
and ambient air temperature. For example, the firing rate is generally to be set and
held to within ±2% of the nameplate rating. DOE seeks comment regarding
whether this range should be narrowed.
(4) Room ambient air temperatures are currently allowed to vary widely. Under the
DOE test procedure , t he room temperature is allowed to be between 65°F and
100°F, except for condensing furnaces and boilers, where the room temperature
shall not exceed 85°F. DOE plans to review whether it is appropriate to tighten the
allowable room air temperature range. DOE seeks comment as to whether it should
tighten the allowable room air temperature range.
(5) Currently, a minimum draft factor of 0.05 can be applied to products with restricted
flueways without providing a list of qualifications or instructions as to how to
verify that the units are designed with no measurable airflow through the
combustion chamber and heat exchanger during the burner off-period

. DOE seeks
comment as to whether and under what conditions, a minimum draft factor should
be used for products with restricted flueways and how the conditions could be
verified if questions arose.
(6) DOE requires all non-weatherized boilers to be rated as indoor equipment (see 10
CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix N, section 10.1). This implies that direct vent
boilers that would normally meet the definition of System 9 or System 10 should

11instead be defined as one of the other System number s. 7 DOE plans to review
whether it is appropriate for direct vent boilers to be calculated according to System
3 or alternatively according to System 9 or 10, but with jacket losses excluded ( i.e. ,
L J =0). DOE seeks input regarding how direct vent boilers should be tested.
(7) DOE plans to review the current value of the oversize factor 8 (0.7) to investigate
whether current field installations can be better approximated, for both furnaces and
boilers. DOE seeks comment regarding an appropriate value for the oversize factor.
(8) Currently, the DOE test procedure provides that water supply temperature must be
between 120°F and 124°F for non-condensing hot water boilers and 120°F (±2° F)
for condensing hot water boilers. DOE plans to review the value for the water
supply temperature for non-cond en sing and condensing boilers

. DOE seeks
comment on the appropriate water supply temperature for measuring the
performance of non-condensing and condensing boilers. Should DOE change the
water temperatures for condensing boilers to reflect the lower temperatures
encountered in low-temperature radiant installations?
(9) The current DOE test procedure does not specify that the tested equipment is set up
according to recommended field settings as defined in the product's installation and
operation manual. This potentially allows the unit to be tested under conditions that
are different from the field or may not be recommended for safety reasons.

7 System numbers are used in the ASHRAE 103 test procedure to categorize the different types of furnaces and boilers to be tested. “System 9” or “System10” refer to furnaces or boilers that are outdoor, direct vent, or isolated combustion systems. “System 3” refers to furnaces or boilers that can use indoor combustion air and have direct exhaust. 8 “Oversize factor” accounts for the national average oversizing of equipment that occurs when a heating equipment is sized to satisfy more than the heating load of the household. This is typically done to size the equipment so that it is able to satisfy the days in which the house heating requirements might be exceeded and/or to take into account uncertainties regarding house heating load. For example, a 0.7 oversize factor is equivalent to 30-percent oversizing of the heating equipment (in other words, 30 percent greater input capacity than is required).
12Examples of such test conditions include a different flue CO 2 percentage or reduced
input rate from the recommended field settings. DOE plans to review the use of
manufacturer-recommended values in testing, such as the minimum firing rate for
testing a unit equipped with manually-adjustable controls (see ASHRAE 103-2007,
section 8.4.1.1.2) and target flue gas CO 2 levels. Should DOE change the test
procedure to specify that the tested equipment is set up according to recommended
field settings as defined in the product's installation and operation manual?
(10) AFUE ratings are typically reported in manufacturer product literature and on
directories of certified products to the nearest 0.1, but this is neither specified in the
DOE test procedure nor explicitly required by the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC). Instead, DOE’s test procedure specifies that the AFUE rating should be
rounded to the nearest whole percentage point (see 10 CFR 430.23(n)(2)). DOE
plans to specify the requisite number of significant digits as part of this test
procedure rulemaking. DOE solicits input on how much precision is statistically
possible.
(11) Vent stack requirements differ between ANSI Z21.13 9 or ANSI Z21.47 10 and the
DOE test procedure

. DOE plans to review the difference in efficiency rating
attributable to the differences in vent stack configuration between the DOE test
procedure and ANSI Z21.13 or ANSI Z21.47. DOE seeks comment on whether it
should consider adopting the same vent stack requirements as set forth in ANSI

Z21.13 or ANSI Z21.47.

9 American National Standards Institute, American National Standard/CSA Standard for Gas-Fired Low Pressure Steam and Hot Water Boilers (2010) Report No. ANSI Z21.13-2010, CSA 4.9-2010. 10 American National Standards Institute, American National Standard/CSA Standard for Gas-Fired Central Furnaces (2006) Report No. ANSI Z21.47-2006, CSA 2.3-2006.
13C. Test Conditions Impacting Non-AFUE Efficiency Parameters
DOE plans to improve the ability of the test procedure to measure non-AFUE energy
efficiency parameters under typical field conditions. Regarding this topic, DOE seeks input on:

(1) The boiler test procedure measures only the power supplied to the power burner
motor, the ignition device, and the circulating pump ( see 10 CFR part 430, subpart
B, appendix N, section 10.2.1). Some boilers are equipped with an internal pump
used to maintain a minimum flow rate through the heat exchanger that does not
function as a system circulating pump. DOE seeks comment on whether the boiler
average annual auxiliary electrical energy consumption ( E AE ) calculations should
include one system circulating pump and an additional pump (if present) that
circulates water during the operation of the burner.
(2) Modulating power burners are often equipped with variable speed motors. The
efficiency of the motor/blower combination changes with the firing rate. The same

ma y be true for circulating pumps

. Currently, DOE ’s test procedure assumes a
fixed motor efficiency. For equipment with modulating power burners, using a
fixed motor efficiency would produce inaccurate electricity consumption estimates,
since the motor efficiency varies at the different firing rates. DOE plans to
incorporate a method for part-load efficiency into its electricity consumption
calculations for modulating equipment. DOE requests input regarding the
appropriateness of incorporating a method for part-load efficiency into its electricity
consumption calculations and input on what method DOE should use.

14(3) The current DOE test procedure includes power consumed by the ignition device,
circulating pump, and power burner motors, but it ignores other devices that use
power during the active mode ( e.g. , gas valve and safety and operating controls).
DOE plans to consider including any electrical power consumption not already
measured during the active mode. DOE seeks comment regarding how to address
any electrical power consumption not already measured during the active mode.
(4) Historical energy use data show that national average house heating loads have
been changing because of increased household square footage, improved building
shell efficiency, changes in the distribution of where this equipment is installed, and
changes in average weather conditions

. DOE plans to review the parameters to
calculate the burner operating hours in section 10.2.1 of the DOE test procedure
( i.e. , national average heating load hours and the adjustment factor). DOE seeks
comment regarding what national average values should be used to calculate burner
operating hours.

D. Performance Test for Automatic Means in Boilers
In 2008, DOE published a technical amendment to the 2007 furnace and boiler final rule
(72 FR 65136 (Nov. 19, 2007)) to add a number of design requirements set forth in EISA 2007

.73 FR 43611 (July 28, 2008). These requirements prohibit constant-burning pilot lights for gasfired hot water boilers and gas-fired steam boilers, and require an automatic means for adjusting
the water temperature for gas-fired hot water boilers, oil-fired hot water boilers, and electric hot
water boilers. The automatic means for adjusting water temperature must automatically adjust
the temperature of the water supplied by the boiler to ensure that an incremental change in

15inferred heat load produces a corresponding incremental change in the temperature of water
supplied.

While these requirements do not impact the AFUE rating, DOE is considering including
in this test procedure a performance test to demonstrate that the “automatic means” functions as
required

. While this test would not need to be performed by manufacturers to certify compliance
with the existing design standards, DOE would use this test to verify compliance with the design
standards should a question of compliance arise. DOE invites input on:

(1) Any principles or tests currently used, or being considered for use, to qualify the
operation of the automatic means.
(2) Required inputs and types of technologies needed to project changes in demand and
the relationships between these inputs/technologies and supply temperature or
pump/burner operation.
(3) Suggestions about the measurements that should be included in the test.

E. Harmonization of Standards
DOE invites input on other national or international test procedures commonly used to
rate residential furnace and boiler energy efficiency, including the advantages and disadvantages
of those test procedures compared to the current DOE test procedure. In particular, DOE seeks
input on:

16(1) Differences in efficiency performance caused by differences in minimum static
pressure requirements in ASHRAE 103-2007 11 (Table IV) compared to DOE’s
proposed furnace fan test procedure, 12 and drawbacks or advantages associated wit h
harmonizing the requirements.
(2) Any other national or international test procedures that could be considered for this
cycle of test procedure amendments.

F. Alternative Methods for Furnace/Boiler Efficiency Determination
DOE is aware of alternative methods to measure the heating efficiency (AFUE) of
residential furnaces and boilers. In particular, DOE seeks input on:

(1) Procedure developed by Brookhaven National Laboratory that uses linear
input/output, a relationship between fuel input and heat output that can be used to
determine the efficiency of residential boilers. 13

(2) Any other methods that could be considered for this test procedure update.

G. Scope
A combination space-heating and water-heating appliance is defined in the applicable
industry test standard as a unit that is designed to provide space heating and water heating from a
single primary energy source. 14 The two major types of combination appliances are: (1)

11 American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc., ASHRAE Standard: Method of Testing for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of Residential Central Furnaces and Boilers (2007) Report No. ANSI/ASHRAE 103-2007. 12 See 77 FR 28674 (May 15, 2012). 13 Butcher, Thomas, Technical Note: Performance of Combination Hydronic Systems, ASHRAE Journal (December 2011). 14 American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, ANSI/ASHRAE 124-2007: Methods of Testing for Rating Combination Space-Heating and Water-Heating Appliances (2007).
17boiler/tankless coil or boiler/indirect tank combination units, whose primary function is space
heating, and (2) water heater/fan-coil combination units, whose primary function is domestic
water heating. Currently, there is no DOE test procedure for determining the combined
efficiency of the combination products that can be used to supply domestic hot water in addition
to its space-heating function. However, there are DOE test procedures for the individual
components (boiler or water heater) of a combined appliance which provides for testing and
efficiency ratings for the primary function - space heating or domestic water heating.

DOE's test procedure for residential furnace and boilers, which is set forth at 10 CFR
430.23( n) and 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix N, address es central gas-fired, electric, and
oil-fired furnaces with inputs less than 225,000 Btu/h and gas-fired, electric, and oil-fired boilers
with inputs less than 300,000 Btu/h

. DOE's test procedure for residential water heaters, which is
set forth at 10 CFR 430.23(e) and 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix E, addresses gas-fired,
electric, and oil-fired storage-type water heaters with storage greater than 20 gallons and gasfired and electric instantaneous-type water heaters with storage volume less than 2 gallons.
ASHRAE has an existing test procedure, ANSI/ASHRAE 124-2007 (Methods of Testing for
Rating Combination Space-Heating and Water-Heating Appliances), which provides a method of
test to rate the performance of a combination space-heating and water-heating appliance. 15 For
this rulemaking, DOE is considering an expansion of the scope of the test procedure to include
definitions and test methods for these types of combination products

. DOE seeks comment on:
(1) Wh at types of combination equipment are there in this market?

15 American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, ANSI/ASHRAE 124-2007: Methods of Testing for Rating Combination Space-Heating and Water-Heating Appliances (2007).
18(2) How should DOE address the measurement of energy use by such combined
products (keeping in mind the potential for active mode, standby mode, and off
mode operation)?

H. Standby Mode and O ff Mode
On December 31, 2012 , DOE published a test procedure final rule in the Federal Register
for furnaces and boilers related to standby mode and off mode energy consumption. However,
given the broad scope of this 7-year-lookback test procedure rulemaking, comments are also

welcome on DOE’s test procedure provisions for determining standby mode and off mode

energy use.

I. Other Issues
DOE seeks comments on other relevant issues that would affect the test procedures for
residential furnaces and boilers. Although DOE has attempted to identify those portions of the
test procedure where it believes amendments may be warranted, interested parties are welcome
to provide comments on any aspect of the test procedure, including updates of referenced
standards, as part of this comprehensive 7-year-review process.

III. Public Participation
DOE invites all interested parties to submit in writing by February 19, 2013, comments

and information on matters addressed in this notice and on other matters relevant to DOE’s
consideration of amended test procedures for residential furnaces and boilers.

19After the close of the comment period, DOE will begin collecting data, conducting the
analyses, and reviewing the public comments. These actions will be taken to aid in the
development of a test procedure NOPR for residential furnaces and boilers.

DOE considers public participation to be a very important part of the process for
developing test procedures. DOE actively encourages the participation and interaction ofthe
public during the comment period at each stage of the rulemaking process. Interactions with and

between members ofthe public provide a balanced discussion ofthe issues and assist DOE in the
rulemaking process. Anyone who wishes to be added to the DOE mailing list to receive future

notices and information about this rulemaking should contact Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-

2945, or via e-mail at Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov.

Issued in Washington, DC, on December 28,2012.

Kathleen B. Hogan Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

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