1

This is a draft document and does not represent a definitive view of the agency on the questions addressed

.
This and other guidance documents are accessible on the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy web site at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/guidance/default.aspx?pid=2&spid=1

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Guidance Type: Certification and CCMS, Test Procedures, Enforcement, Definitions and Scope of Coverage Category: Plumbing Products Product: Faucets Guidance Version: DRAFT Issued: May 22, 2014 Comment Period Ends: June 23, 2014

The following is a draft U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) guidance document regarding the test procedure for faucets. This draft guidance document represe nts the Department’s interpretation of its existing regulations and is exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act. See 5 U.S.C. § 553(b)(A). Nonetheless, the Department is accepting comments and suggestions from the public until June 23, 2014. Comments and suggestions should be provided in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, PDF, or text file format by sending an email to FaucetGuidance2014GUID0023 @ee.doe.gov

. Please also include the docket number EERE

- 2014

- BT

GUID

- 0023. At the end of the comment period, this draft guidance document may be adopted, revised, or withdrawn.

Q: The third

- party test laboratory that performs faucet testing for my company typically uses a standard faucet body (or other test device) containing the same flow

- restricting device (such as an aerator or flow

- restricting insert) used in all of my faucet designs. Does th e test data obtained from this test fulfill the testing requirement for all of my faucet designs?

A

. DOE requires that a manufacturer test each of its basic model s of a covered product to determine its compliance prior to distribution in commerce of that covered product by the manufacturer

. A basic model is defined in 10 CFR 430.2 as all units of a given type of covered product (or class thereof) manufactured by one manufacturer, having the same primary energy source, and which have essentially identical electrical, physical, a nd functional (or hydraulic) characteristics that affect energy consumption, energy efficiency, water consumption, or water efficiency; and, with respect to faucets, have similar flow control mechanism attached to or installed within the fixture fittings, or similar water

- passage design features that use the same path of water in the highest flow mode. A manufacturer , however, may group all individual models that contain a s imilar flow

- restricting device into a single basic model so that only units of one basic model of faucet must be tested. See 10 C.F.R. §§ 429.11 and 429.28 and 10 C.F.R. § 430.2 (basic model definition for faucets).

E ven if the flow

- restricting device itsel f is solely responsible for determining the water consumption of a given m odel of faucet, because the covered product is the faucet and not the flow

- restricting insert, a given faucet can only be defined as the same basic model as another if both faucet s n ot only use a similar flow

- restricting insert, but are also manufactured by the same manufacturer. Thus, the use of a “standard” faucet body or other test device in a test does not constitute a test of a manufacturer’s basic2

model unless the “standard” fau cet body was manufactured by th e same manufacturer and otherwise conforms to the definition of a basic model

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This FAQ may also be of interest:

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/pdfs/replacement

- aerator

tests_faq_2014

- 05

- 22.pdf