Tuesday, 

September 21, 2010 

Part II 

Department of 

Energy 

10 CFR Part 430 

Energy Conservation Program for 

Consumer Products: Test Procedure for 

Residential Clothes Washers; Proposed 

Rule 


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57556 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

10 CFR Part 430 

[Docket No. EERE–2010–BT–TP–0021] 

RIN 1904–AC08 

Energy Conservation Program for 

Consumer Products: Test Procedure 

for Residential Clothes Washers 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Department of 

Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NOPR) and public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE) proposes amending its 

test procedure for residential clothes 

washers under the Energy Policy and 

Conservation Act to provide for 

measuring standby mode and off mode 

energy consumption, and to update the 

active mode test procedure. DOE is also 

proposing to eliminate an obsolete 

clothes washer test procedure currently 

codified in the Code of Federal 

Regulations, and is announcing a public 

meeting to discuss and receive 

comments on the issues presented in 

this NOPR. 

DATES: DOE will hold a public meeting 

on Thursday, October 28, 2010, from 9 

a.m. to 4 p.m., in Washington, DC. DOE 

must receive requests to speak at the 

public meeting before 4 p.m., Thursday, 

October 14, 2010. DOE must receive a 

signed original and an electronic copy 

of statements to be given at the public 

meeting before 4 p.m., Thursday, 

October 21, 2010. 

DOE will accept comments, data, and 

information regarding the NOPR before 

and after the public meeting, but no 

later than December 6, 2010. For details, 

see section V, ‘‘Public Participation,’’ of 

this NOPR. 

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be 

held at the U.S. Department of Energy, 

Forrestal Building, Room 1E–245, 1000 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–0121. To attend 

the public meeting, please notify Ms. 

Brenda Edwards at (202) 586–2945. 

Please note that foreign nationals 

visiting DOE Headquarters are subject to 

advance security screening procedures. 

Any foreign national wishing to 

participate in the meeting should advise 

DOE as soon as possible by contacting 

Ms. Edwards to initiate the necessary 

procedures. 

Any comments submitted must 

identify the NOPR on Test Procedures 

for Residential Clothes Washers, and 

provide the docket number EERE–2010– 

BT–TP–0021 and/or regulatory 

information number (RIN) 1904–AC08. 

Comments may be submitted using any 

of the following methods: 

1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

2. E-mail: RES-CW-2010-TP0021@ee.doe.gov. Include docket 

number EERE–2010–BT–TP–0021 and/ 

or RIN 1904–AC08 in the subject line of 

the message. 

3. Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. 

Department of Energy, Building 

Technologies Program, Mailstop EE–2J, 

1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–0121. Please 

submit one signed original paper copy. 

4. Hand 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. Please submit one 

signed original paper copy. 

For detailed instructions on 

submitting comments and additional 

information on the rulemaking process, 

see Section V, ‘‘Public Participation,’’ of 

this document. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents or 

comments received, visit the U.S. 

Department of Energy, Resource Room 

of the Building Technologies Program, 

6th Floor, 950 L’Enfant Plaza, SW., 

Washington, DC 20024, (202) 586–2945, 

between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

Please call Ms. Brenda Edwards at the 

above telephone number for additional 

information about visiting the Resource 

Room. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mr. Stephen L. Witkowski, 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) 586–7463. 

E-mail: mailto:Stephen.Witkowski

@ee.doe.gov. 

Ms. Jennifer Tiedeman, U.S. Department 

of Energy, Office of the General 

Counsel, GC–71, 1000 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585– 

0121. Telephone: (202) 287–6111. 

E-mail: mailto:Jennifer.Tiedeman

@hq.doe.gov. 

For information on how to submit or 

review public comments and on how 

to participate in the public meeting, 

contact Ms. Brenda Edwards, 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) 586–2945. 

E-mail: Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents 

I. Background and Legal Authority 

II. Summary of the Proposal 

III. Discussion 

A. Products Covered by This Test 

Procedure Change 

B. Compliance Date of Proposed Test 

Procedure 

C. Standby Mode, Off Mode, and 

Additional Active Mode Test Procedures 

1. Incorporating by Reference IEC Standard 

62301 for Measuring Standby Mode and 

Off Mode Power Consumption 

2. Determination of Modes To Be 

Incorporated 

3. Adding Specifications for the Test 

Methods and Measurements for Standby 

Mode, Off Mode, and Additional Active 

Mode Testing 

4. Calculation of Energy Use Associated 

With Each Operating Mode 

5. Measures of Energy Consumption 

D. Clothes Washer Active Mode Test 

Procedure 

1. Technologies Not Covered by the 

Current Clothes Washer Test Procedure 

a. Steam Wash Cycles 

b. Self-Clean Cycles 

c. Adaptive Control Technologies 

d. Demand Response Technology 

2. Changes to Reflect Current Usage 

Patterns and Capabilities 

a. Representative Annual Cycles 

b. Test Load Size Specifications 

c. Use Factors 

3. Test Cloth 

4. Other Revisions and Clarifications 

a. Clothes Washer Capacity Measurement 

Method 

b. New Measure of Water Consumption 

c. Energy Test Cycle 

d. Detergent Specifications for Test Cloth 

Preconditioning 

e. Clothes Washer for Test Cloth 

Preconditioning 

f. Water Supply Pressure 

g. Additional Revisions and Clarifications 

5. Test Procedure Performance 

Specifications 

E. Compliance With Other EPCA 

Requirements 

1. Test Burden 

2. Integration of Standby Mode and Off 

Mode Energy Consumption Into the 

Efficiency Metrics 

3. Commercial Clothes Washers 

F. Impact of the Proposed Amendments on 

EnergyGuide and ENERGY STAR 

G. Elimination of the Obsolete Clothes 

Washer Test Procedure 

IV. Procedural Requirements 

A. Review Under Executive Order 12866 

B. Review Under the Regulatory Flexibility 

Act 

C. Review Under the Paperwork Reduction 

Act of 1995 

D. Review Under the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

E. Review Under Executive Order 13132 

F. Review Under Executive Order 12988 

G. Review Under the Unfunded Mandates 

Reform Act of 1995 


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H. Review Under the Treasury and General 

Government Appropriations Act, 1999 

I. Review Under Executive Order 12630 

J. Review Under the Treasury and General 

Government Appropriations Act, 2001 

K. Review Under Executive Order 13211 

L. Review Under Section 32 of the Federal 

Energy Administration (FEA) Act of 1974 

V. Public Participation 

A. Attendance at Public Meeting 

B. Procedure for Submitting Requests to 

Speak 

C. Conduct of Public Meeting 

D. Submission of Comments 

E. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment 

1. Incorporation of IEC Standard 62301 

2. Clothes Washer Modes 

3. Default Settings 

4. Delay Start Mode 

5. Test Room Ambient Temperature 

6. Energy Use Calculation 

7. New Integrated Measures of Energy 

Consumption and Energy Efficiency 

8. Annual Energy Cost Calculation 

9. Steam Wash Cycles 

10. Self-Clean Cycles 

11. Adaptive Control and Demand 

Response Technologies 

12. Representative Number of Annual 

Cycles 

13. Test Load Size Specifications 

14. Use Factors 

15. Test Cloth 

16. Capacity Measurement Method 

17. New Integrated Measure of Water 

Consumption 

18. Energy Test Cycle Definition 

19. Detergent Specifications 

20. Clothes Washer for Preconditioning 

21. Water Supply Pressure 

22. Impact on Commercial Clothes Washers 

VI. Approval of the Office of the Secretary 

I. Background and Legal Authority 

Title III of the Energy Policy and 

Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6291 et 

seq.) (EPCA or the Act) sets forth a 

variety of provisions designed to 

improve energy efficiency. Part A of 

Title III (42 U.S.C. 6291–6309) 

establishes the ‘‘Energy Conservation 

Program for Consumer Products Other 

Than Automobiles,’’ which covers 

consumer products and certain 

commercial products (all of which are 

referred to below as ‘‘covered 

products’’). These include residential 

clothes washers, the subject of today’s 

notice. (42 U.S.C. 6292(a)(7)) 

Under the Act, this program consists 

essentially of three parts: (1) Testing, (2) 

labeling, and (3) Federal energy 

conservation standards. The testing 

requirements consist of test procedures 

that, pursuant to EPCA, manufacturers 

of covered products must use as the 

basis for certifying to DOE that their 

products comply with the applicable 

energy conservation standards adopted 

under EPCA and for representations 

about the efficiency of those products. 

DOE also must use these test 

requirements to determine whether the 

products comply with EPCA standards. 

Section 323 of EPCA (42 U.S.C. 6293) 

sets forth criteria and procedures for 

DOE’s adoption and amendment of such 

test procedures. EPCA provides that 

‘‘[a]ny test procedures prescribed or 

amended under this section shall 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, as 

determined by the Secretary [of Energy], 

and shall 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 

‘‘to what extent, if any, the proposed test 

procedure would alter the measured 

energy efficiency * * * of any covered 

product as determined under the 

existing test procedure.’’ (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. In determining the 

amended energy conservation standard, 

the Secretary shall measure, pursuant to 

the amended test procedure, the energy 

efficiency, energy use, or water use of a 

representative sample of covered 

products that minimally comply with 

the existing standard. The average of 

such energy efficiency, energy use, or 

water use levels determined under the 

amended test procedure shall constitute 

the amended energy conservation 

standard for the applicable covered 

products. (42 U.S.C. 6293(e)(2)) EPCA 

also states that ‘‘models of covered 

products in use before the date on 

which the amended energy conservation 

standard becomes effective (or revisions 

of such models that come into use after 

such date and have the same energy 

efficiency, energy use, or water use 

characteristics) that comply with the 

energy conservation standard applicable 

to such covered products on the day 

before such date shall be deemed to 

comply with the amended energy 

conservation standard.’’ (42 U.S.C. 

6293(e)(2)) 

The DOE test procedure for clothes 

washers currently being manufactured 

is found at 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, 

appendix J1. DOE adopted appendix J1 

in 1997 to correct for changes in 

consumer habits that resulted in an 

overstatement of average annual energy 

consumption when using the methods 

specified in appendix J. 62 FR 45508 

(Aug. 27, 1997). DOE added appendix 

J1, rather than amending appendix J, to 

accommodate continued use of 

appendix J until DOE amended the 

residential clothes washer conservation 

standards to reference the new appendix 

J1. On January 12, 2001, DOE published 

a final rule (hereinafter referred to as the 

January 2001 final rule), to amend the 

energy conservation standards for 

residential clothes washers to reference 

the efficiency metrics as defined in 

appendix J1. 66 FR 3314. Use of the 

amended J1 test procedure was required 

to demonstrate compliance with these 

amended energy conservation standards 

as of January 1, 2004. Since 1997, DOE 

has amended the test procedure in 

appendix J1 three times, twice 

substantively to address test cloth 

correlation procedures, and once to 

correct the introductory note. 63 FR 

16669 (Apr. 6, 1998); 66 FR 3330 (Jan. 

12, 2001); 68 FR 62204 (Oct. 31, 2003). 

One of these amendments also included 

an amendment to Appendix J. 66 FR 

3330 (Jan. 12, 2001). Because appendix 

J applies only to clothes washers 

manufactured before January 1, 2004, 

however, appendix J is now obsolete. 10 

CFR 430 appendix J1. 

The current applicable test procedure 

includes provisions for determining the 

modified energy factor (MEF) for clothes 

washers, which is a function of the total 

energy used for each cubic foot (ft3) of 

clothes washer capacity. The test 

procedure measures the total energy 

consumption of the clothes washer. It 

also accounts for the amount of energy 

required to heat the water and 

subsequently dry the load based on the 

remaining moisture content (RMC) of 

the clothes at the completion of the 

machine’s full cycle. The test procedure 

does not currently address energy use in 

the standby or off modes. 

Clothes washer energy conservation 

standards were originally established by 

the National Appliance Energy 

Conservation Act of 1987, which 

amended EPCA to prescribe that clothes 

washers manufactured on or after 

January 1, 1988, have an unheated rinse 

option. (42 U.S.C. 6295 (g)) The 

amendments to EPCA also required DOE 

to conduct a rulemaking by January 1, 

1990, to determine if the above 

mentioned standards should be 

amended. A final rule was issued on 

May 14, 1991, (hereinafter referred to as 

the May 1991 final rule) establishing the 

first set of performance standards for 

residential clothes washers. Compliance 

with these standards was required for 

products manufactured on or after May 

14, 1994. 56 FR 22279. EPCA also 


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1 IEC standards are available online at http:// 

www.iec.ch. 

2Multiple editions of this standard are referenced 

in this notice. Unless otherwise indicated, the terms 

‘‘IEC Standard 62301’’ or ‘‘IEC Standard 62301 First 

Edition’’ refer to ‘‘Household electrical appliances– 

measurement of standby power,’’ First Edition 

2005–06. 

3EISA 2007 directs DOE to also consider IEC 

Standard 62087 when amending its test procedure 

to include standby mode and off mode energy 

consumption. See 42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A). DOE 

considered IEC Standard 62087 and concluded that 

because IEC Standard 62087 addresses the methods 

of measuring the power consumption of audio, 

video, and related equipment, the narrow scope of 

this particular IEC Standard reduces its relevance 

to today’s proposal. Further details are provided 

later in this notice. 

required DOE to conduct a subsequent 

rulemaking no later than 5 years after 

the date of publication of the previous 

final rule to determine whether to 

amend those standards. A final rule 

establishing revised standards for 

residential clothes washers was 

published in the January 2001 final rule. 

66 FR 3313. The January 2001 final rule 

required all new residential clothes 

washers manufactured after January 1, 

2007 to be 35 percent more efficient 

than clothes washers minimally 

compliant with the efficiency standards 

established in the May 1991 final rule. 

The Energy Independence and 

Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007), Public 

Law 110–140, amended EPCA and, in 

relevant part, revised the energy 

conservation standards for residential 

clothes washers. The revised standards 

established a maximum water 

consumption factor (WF) of 9.5, 

effective January 1, 2011. EISA 2007 

further required that DOE publish a 

final rule no later than December 31, 

2011 determining whether to amend the 

standards in effect for clothes washers 

manufactured on or after January 1, 

2015. (42 U.S.C. 6295(g)(9)) 

Consequently, DOE is conducting a 

separate standards rulemaking for these 

products. 

The EISA 2007 amendments to EPCA 

also direct DOE to amend its test 

procedures to integrate measures of 

standby mode and off mode energy 

consumption into the overall energy 

efficiency, energy consumption, or other 

energy descriptor for each covered 

product unless the current test 

procedure already fully accounts for and 

incorporates standby and off mode 

energy consumption or such integration 

is technically infeasible. If an integrated 

test procedure is technically infeasible, 

DOE must prescribe a separate standby 

mode and off mode energy use test 

procedure for the covered product, if 

technically feasible. (42 U.S.C. 

6295(gg)(2)(A)) 

Any such amendment must consider 

the most current versions of the 

International Electrotechnical 

Commission (IEC) Standard 62301, 

‘‘Household electrical appliances— 

measurement of standby power,’’ First 

Edition 2005–06, and IEC Standard 

62087, ‘‘Methods of measurement for the 

power consumption of audio, video, and 

related equipment,’’ Second Edition, 

2008–09.1 2 In developing these test 

procedure amendments for clothes 

washers, DOE initially determined that 

it would consider a revised IEC 

Standard 62301 expected to be released 

in July 2009. DOE subsequently found 

that this revision is expected to be 

delayed until late-2010, so DOE 

determined it appropriate to proceed 

with an amended test procedure based 

on the current version of IEC Standard 

62301, First Edition 2005–06. DOE is 

also considering a draft version of IEC 

Standard 62301, Final Draft 

International Standard (IEC Standard 

62301 FDIS), for updated mode 

definitions, which are expected to be 

included in the final revised IEC 

Standard 62301, Second Edition. 

On August 28, 2009, DOE published 

a notice in the Federal Register 

announcing the availability of a 

framework document to initiate a 

rulemaking to consider amended energy 

conservation standards for residential 

clothes washers (hereafter the August 

2009 framework document). 74 FR 

44306. In the August 2009 framework 

document, DOE requested comments on 

the merits of revising the clothes washer 

test procedure, and sought input 

regarding how the test procedure could 

be improved. DOE held a public 

meeting on September 21, 2009 

(September 2009 public meeting). In 

addition, DOE requested written 

comments, data, and information on the 

August 2009 framework document, 

which it accepted through September 

28, 2009. 

DOE received comments in response 

to the August 2009 framework 

document stating that it should consider 

changes to the active mode test 

procedure. As a result, in addition to 

amending its test procedure for clothes 

washers to include measures for standby 

and off mode power consumption, DOE 

proposes to address issues regarding the 

active mode provisions of the test 

procedure. 

II. Summary of the Proposal 

In today’s NOPR, DOE proposes 

amending the test procedure for clothes 

washers to assist DOE in the concurrent 

development and implementation of 

standards that address use of standby 

mode and off mode power by these 

products. Specifically, DOE proposes to 

integrate measures of standby mode and 

off mode power consumption, as well as 

measures of power consumption in 

certain additional modes determined to 

be part of active mode, into the test 

procedure. DOE also proposes, for the 

measurement of energy use in active 

mode, to: (1) Adopt technical changes 

and procedures for accurately 

measuring the energy consumption of 

clothes washers with technologies not 

covered by the current procedure; 

(2) more accurately reflect current 

consumer behavior and clothes washer 

capabilities; (3) address issues related to 

the test cloth, detergent, and certain test 

equipment; (4) revise and clarify the 

existing methods and calculations; and 

(5) delete obsolete appendix J to subpart 

B of CFR part 430 and references 

thereto. The following paragraphs 

summarize these proposed changes. 

To integrate measures of standby 

mode and off mode power consumption 

into the test procedure, DOE proposes to 

incorporate by reference into the clothes 

washer test procedure specific 

provisions from IEC Standard 62301 

regarding test conditions and test 

procedures for measuring standby mode 

and off mode power consumption. DOE 

also proposes to incorporate into the test 

procedure the definitions of ‘‘active 

mode,’’ ‘‘standby mode,’’ and ‘‘off mode’’ 

that are based on the definitions 

provided in IEC Standard 62301 FDIS. 

Further, DOE proposes to include in the 

test procedure additional language that 

would clarify the application of clauses 

from IEC Standard 62301 for measuring 

standby mode and off mode power 

consumption.3 In addition, DOE 

proposes to incorporate energy 

consumption associated with delay start 

and cycle finished modes. Although 

these modes would be considered part 

of active mode, the measurements and 

calculations proposed for them are 

similar to those proposed for standby 

and off modes. DOE also proposes to: 

(1) Establish a new measure of energy 

use to calculate the per-cycle standby 

mode, off mode, delay start mode, and 

cycle finished mode energy 

consumption; and (2) adopt a new 

measure of energy efficiency (integrated 

modified energy factor (IMEF)) that 

includes the energy used in the active, 

standby, and off modes. As indicated 

above, DOE energy conservation 

standards currently do not address the 

energy use of clothes washers in the 

standby or off modes. Section 

325(gg)(2)(C) of EPCA provides that 

amendments to the test procedures to 

include standby and off mode energy 


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consumption will not be used to 

determine compliance with previously 

established standards. (42 U.S.C. 

6295(gg)(2(C)). 

For the measurement of active mode 

energy use other than in delay start and 

cycle finished modes, DOE proposes to: 

(1) Update the test procedure to 

address technologies not covered by the 

current procedure, based upon 

comments from interested parties in 

response to the August 2009 framework 

document and further review by DOE. 

These technologies include steam wash 

and self-cleaning cycles. Steam wash 

cycles inject steam into the wash basket, 

and claim to offer more effective 

cleaning. Self-clean cycles enable 

consumers to intermittently, typically 

once per month, run a self-clean cycle 

to prevent odor, bacteria, and mildew 

from building up in the clothes washer. 

DOE proposes to amend the test 

procedure to measure energy use in 

steam and self-clean cycles. DOE also 

received comments regarding demand 

response technologies, and investigated 

adaptive controls other than adaptive 

fill control. Demand response features 

enable an appliance to shift its activity 

based on interaction with the electric 

grid, utilities, or user programming. 

Adaptive controls enable a clothes 

washer to adjust parameters such as 

agitation speed, number of rinses, wash 

time, and wash and rinse temperatures 

based on the size, fabric mix, and soil 

level of a wash load. However, for 

reasons discussed in sections III.D.1.c 

and III.D.1.d, DOE is not proposing to 

update the test procedure to include 

provisions for measuring the energy 

consumption of clothes washers offering 

demand response technologies or 

adaptive controls other than adaptive 

fill control. 

(2) Amend the test procedure for 

clothes washers to reflect current usage 

patterns and capabilities. DOE received 

multiple comments on this issue in 

response to the August 2009 framework 

document, and reviewed current 

consumer data from surveys conducted 

in 2004 and 2005 to determine whether 

such updates are appropriate. The 

proposed amendments address the 

following specific issues: Representative 

average-use cycles per year for a clothes 

washer, test load size specifications, and 

consumer use factors. The proposed 

amendments are based on recent data 

that more accurately describe current 

consumer behavior and updated clothes 

washer capabilities. 

(3) Amend the test procedure to 

update the procedure and specifications 

for determining test cloth correlations, 

change the tolerances regarding the size 

and weight of the test cloth, and revise 

the detergent and preconditioning 

clothes washer specifications due to 

obsolescence or anticipated 

obsolescence of the existing test 

materials and equipment specified in 

the test procedure. These proposed 

amendments are based on multiple 

comments received in response to the 

August 2009 framework document and 

at the September 2009 public meeting 

regarding the test cloth used in the 

current test procedure. 

(4) Update the test procedure to 

clarify or revise the existing methods 

and calculations for measuring clothes 

container capacity, calculating water 

consumption factor, determining the 

energy test cycle, and setting the supply 

water test conditions. The current 

capacity measurement provisions can be 

interpreted in multiple ways. Different 

allowable interpretations of the 

maximum water fill level used for the 

measurement can produce inconsistent 

results that may not accurately reflect 

the actual usable volume of a clothes 

washer. The proposed revisions revise 

the capacity measurement specifications 

so that interpretations are more likely to 

be uniform, repeatable, and 

representative, thereby ensuring the 

data is reported consistently. DOE 

proposes to adopt a new measure of 

water consumption, integrated water 

consumption factor (IWF) that would 

include water used in self-clean cycles. 

The IWF would also include water 

consumption from all energy test cycles, 

rather than only from the cold wash/ 

cold rinse cycle as the test procedure 

currently requires. DOE also proposes to 

clarify the energy test cycle definition 

and the supply water test conditions 

specification. 

DOE has also investigated how each 

of the proposed amendments to the 

active mode provisions for clothes 

washers, discussed above would affect 

the measured efficiency of products. See 

section III.D for further details. Because 

of the potential for significant impacts 

to the measured efficiency of products, 

DOE proposes to codify the amended 

clothes washer test procedure as 

appendix J2 in 10 CFR part 430 subpart 

B. Manufacturers would not be required 

to use appendix J2 to demonstrate 

compliance with clothes washer energy 

conservation standards until the 

compliance date of new standards, 

which would take into account any test 

procedure amendments. Until that time, 

manufacturers would be required to use 

existing appendix J1. 

Finally, DOE proposes to delete 

appendix J to subpart B of CFR part 430, 

along with all references to appendix J 

in 10 CFR part 430.23. Appendix J only 

applies to clothes washers 

manufactured before January 1, 2004, 

and is now obsolete. Appendix J1 would 

retain its current designation and not be 

re-designated as Appendix J. 

III. Discussion 

A. Products Covered by This Test 

Procedure Change 

Today’s proposed amendments to the 

DOE test procedure cover residential 

clothes washers, which DOE’s 

regulations define as follows: 

Clothes washer means a consumer 

product designed to clean clothes, 

utilizing a water solution of soap and/ 

or detergent and mechanical agitation or 

other movement, and must be one of the 

following classes: automatic clothes 

washers, semi-automatic clothes 

washers, and other clothes washers. 

Automatic clothes washer means a 

class of clothes washer which has a 

control system which is capable of 

scheduling a preselected combination of 

operations, such as regulation of water 

temperature, regulation of the water fill 

level, and performance of wash, rinse, 

drain, and spin functions without the 

need for user intervention subsequent to 

the initiation of machine operation. 

Some models may require user 

intervention to initiate these different 

segments of the cycle after the machine 

has begun operation, but they do not 

require the user to intervene to regulate 

the water temperature by adjusting the 

external water faucet valves. 

Semi-automatic clothes washer means 

a class of clothes washer that is the 

same as an automatic clothes washer 

except that user intervention is required 

to regulate the water temperature by 

adjusting the external water faucet 

valves. 

Other clothes washer means a class of 

clothes washer which is not an 

automatic or semi-automatic clothes 

washer. 10 CFR 430.2. 

DOE is not proposing any 

amendments to these definitions in 

today’s NOPR. The clothes washers 

covered by these definitions, and by 

today’s proposed amendments, include 

top-loading compact (less than 1.6 ft3

capacity); top-loading standard size (1.6 

ft3 or greater capacity); top-loading, 

semi-automatic; front-loading; and sudssaving clothes washers. 

B. Compliance Date of Proposed Test 

Procedure 

As stated previously, DOE originally 

considered reviewing a revised IEC 

Standard 62301, expected to be released 

in July 2009, in the development of 

these test procedure amendments. DOE 

received comments in response to the 

August 2009 framework document 


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4A notation in the form ‘‘Joint Comment, No. 14 

at p. 1’’ identifies a written comment (1) made by 

ASAP, NRDC, and NCLC jointly; (2) recorded in 

document number 14 that is filed in the docket of 

the clothes washer energy conservation standards 

rulemaking (Docket No. EERE–2008–BT–STD–0019) 

and maintained in the Resource Room of the 

Building Technologies Program; and (3) which 

appears on page 1 of document number 14. 

5A notation in the form ‘‘ASAP, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 7 at p. 19’’ identifies an oral 

comment that DOE received during the September 

21, 2009, Framework public meeting, was recorded 

in the public meeting transcript in the docket for 

the clothes washer energy conservation standards 

rulemaking (Docket No. EERE–2008–BT–STD– 

0019), and is maintained in the Resource Room of 

the Building Technologies Program. This particular 

notation refers to a comment (1) made by ASAP 

during the public meeting; (2) recorded in 

document number 7, which is the public meeting 

transcript that is filed in the docket of the clothes 

washer energy conservation standards rulemaking; 

and (3) which appears on page 19 of document 

number 7. 

jointly from the Appliance Standards 

Awareness Project (ASAP), the Natural 

Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and 

the National Consumer Law Center 

(NCLC) (Joint Comment); and the 

Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), stating 

that the IEC 62301 revision process may 

take longer than previously thought and 

that DOE should proceed with updating 

the clothes washer test procedure. (Joint 

Comment, No. 14 at p. 1 4; ASE, No. 22 

at p. 1) Additionally, Northeast Energy 

Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) 

commented that waiting for the IEC 

process to finalize could be detrimental 

to the standards rulemaking, and that 

DOE should consider quickly revising 

the test procedure independently after 

the IEC procedure is finalized. (NEEP, 

No. 20 at p. 1) 

DOE agrees that the revision to IEC 

Standard 62301 is expected to be 

delayed; the revision is currently 

expected in late 2010. Therefore, DOE 

proposes basing the amendments to the 

clothes washer test on the first edition 

of IEC Standard 62301, as well as draft 

versions of the second edition, in the 

issuance of this NOPR. Such action is 

necessary to permit manufacturers to 

certify that their products comply with 

any newly established energy 

conservation standards that take into 

account standby and off mode energy 

use. 

The amended test procedure would 

become effective 30 days after the date 

of publication in the Federal Register of 

the final rule in this test procedure 

rulemaking. However, DOE would 

clarify in the published amended test 

procedure in 10 CFR part 430 subpart B 

appendix J2 that it need not be used to 

determine compliance with current 

energy conservation standards. Instead, 

manufacturers would be required to 

begin using the test procedures in 

appendix J2 on the compliance date of 

any final rule establishing amended 

energy conservation standards that 

would, in part, address standby and off 

mode power consumption for these 

products. 42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(C). 

C. Standby Mode, Off Mode, and 

Additional Active Mode Test Procedures 

1. Incorporating by Reference IEC 

Standard 62301 for Measuring Standby 

Mode and Off Mode Power 

Consumption 

As required by EPCA, as amended by 

EISA 2007, DOE considered the most 

current versions of IEC Standard 62301 

and IEC Standard 62087 for measuring 

power consumption in standby mode 

and off mode when developing today’s 

proposed amendments to the clothes 

washer test procedure. (42 U.S.C. 

6295(gg)(2)(A)) DOE noted that IEC 

Standard 62301 provides for measuring 

standby power in electrical appliances, 

including clothes washers, and thus is 

relevant here. DOE also reviewed IEC 

Standard 62087, which specifies 

methods of measuring the power 

consumption of TV receivers, video 

cassette recorders (VCRs), set top boxes, 

audio equipment, and multi-function 

equipment for consumer use. IEC 

Standard 62087 does not, however, 

include methods for measuring the 

power consumption of electrical 

appliances such as clothes washers. 

Therefore, DOE has determined that IEC 

Standard 62087 is inapplicable to this 

rulemaking, and has not included any of 

its provisions in today’s proposed test 

procedure. 

DOE proposes to incorporate by 

reference into this test procedure all 

applicable provisions from Sections 4 

and 5 of IEC Standard 62301. 

Specifically, DOE proposes to 

incorporate, from section 4, (‘‘General 

conditions for measurements’’), 

paragraph 4.2, ‘‘Test room;’’ paragraph 

4.4, ‘‘Supply voltage waveform;’’ 

paragraph 4.5, ‘‘Power measurement 

accuracy;’’ and from section 5, 

(‘‘Measurements’’), paragraph 5.1, 

‘‘General,’’ Note 1; and paragraph 5.3, 

‘‘Procedure.’’ These clauses provide test 

conditions and test procedures for 

measuring average standby mode and 

average off mode power consumption. 

With respect to test conditions, section 

4 of IEC Standard 62301 provides 

specifications for the test room 

conditions, supply voltage waveform, 

and power measurement meter 

tolerances to ensure repeatable and 

precise measurements of standby mode 

and off mode power consumption. With 

respect to test procedures, section 5 of 

IEC Standard 62301 provides methods 

for measuring power consumption when 

the power measurement is stable and 

when it is unstable. 

DOE invites comment on whether IEC 

Standard 62301 measures standby and 

off mode power consumption for clothes 

washers adequately, and whether 

incorporating these specific provisions 

into the DOE test procedure is 

appropriate. 

2. Determination of Modes To Be 

Incorporated 

EPCA provides the following mode 

definitions: 

‘‘Active mode’’ is defined as the 

condition in which an energy-using 

product is connected to a main power 

source, has been activated, and provides 

one or more main functions. (42 U.S.C. 

6295(gg)(1)(A)(i)) 

‘‘Standby mode’’ is defined as the 

condition in which an energy-using 

product is connected to a main power 

source and offers one or more of the 

following user-oriented or protective 

functions: to facilitate the activation or 

deactivation of other functions 

(including active mode) by remote 

switch (including remote control), 

internal sensor, or timer; or continuous 

functions, including information or 

status displays (including clocks) or 

sensor-based functions. (42 U.S.C. 

6295(gg)(1)(A)(iii)) 

‘‘Off mode’’ is defined as the condition 

in which an energy-using product is 

connected to a main power source and 

is not providing any standby mode or 

active mode function. (42 U.S.C. 

6295(gg)(1)(A)(ii)) 

During the September 2009 Public 

Meeting, ASAP commented that the 

definitions provided in IEC Standard 

62301 do not conform to the statutory 

definitions provided by EPCA, so ASAP 

believed it was not entirely clear that 

DOE should adopt the IEC definitions 

word-for-word. (ASAP, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 7 at p. 19) 5

DOE notes that the EPCA definition of 

standby mode differs from the one 

provided in IEC Standard 62301, which 

defines standby mode as the ‘‘lowest 

power consumption mode which cannot 

be switched off (influenced) by the user 

and that may persist for an indefinite 

time when an appliance is connected to 

the main electricity supply and used in 

accordance with the manufacturer’s 

instructions.’’ However, DOE expects 

significant changes to the mode 


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6The actual language for the standby mode 

definition in IEC Standard 62301 FDIS describes 

‘‘* * *user oriented or protective functions which 

usually persist’’ rather than ‘‘* * * user oriented or 

protective functions which may persist for an 

indefinite time.’’ DOE notes, however, that section 

5.1 of IEC Standard 62301 FDIS states that ‘‘a mode 

is considered to be persistent where the power level 

is constant or where there are several power levels 

that occur in a regular sequence for an indefinite 

period of time.’’ DOE believes that the proposed 

language, which was originally included in IEC 

Standard 62301 CD2, encompasses the possible 

scenarios foreseen by section 5.1 of IEC Standard 

62301 FDIS without unnecessary specificity. 

definitions included in IEC Standard 

62301, based on review of IEC Standard 

62301 FDIS. The definitions provided in 

IEC Standard 62301 FDIS are likely to 

be included in the final revised IEC 

Standard 62301, Second Edition. DOE 

considered the definitions provided by 

IEC Standard 62301 FDIS as the most 

current when determining the mode 

definitions proposed to be included in 

the test procedure. 

EPCA authorizes DOE to amend mode 

definitions, as appropriate, considering 

the most current versions of IEC 

Standards 62301 and 62087. (42 U.S.C. 

6295(gg)(1)(B)) DOE recognizes that the 

EPCA definitions for active mode, 

standby mode, and off mode were 

developed to be broadly applicable for 

many energy-using products. However, 

for specific products with multiple 

functions, these broad definitions could 

be interpreted in different ways. For 

these reasons, DOE proposes amending 

the test procedure to include definitions 

for these modes based on the definitions 

provided in IEC Standard 62301 FDIS, 

with added clarifications specific to 

clothes washers. 

Active Mode 

DOE proposes to define active mode 

as a mode in which the clothes washer 

is connected to a mains power source; 

has been activated; and is performing 

one or more of the main functions of 

washing, soaking, tumbling, agitating, 

rinsing, and/or removing water from the 

clothing, or is involved in functions 

necessary for these main functions, such 

as admitting water into the washer or 

pumping water out of the washer. DOE 

is proposing to refer to the typical 

clothes washing operation (i.e., a 

complete wash cycle intended for 

washing a clothing load, including 

washing, rinsing, and spinning) as the 

active washing mode. DOE is aware of 

three additional relevant modes that it 

proposes to define as a part of active 

mode: delay start mode, cycle finished 

mode, and self-clean mode. DOE is 

proposing to include these modes in the 

measures of clothes washer energy 

consumption, as discussed in section 

III.C.4. 

i. Delay Start Mode 

DOE proposes to define delay start 

mode as a mode in which activation of 

the active washing mode is facilitated 

by a timer. Because delay start mode is 

not a mode that may persist for an 

indefinite time, DOE believes it would 

not be considered as part of a standby 

mode based on the proposed definition 

discussed below. DOE also notes that 

IEC Standard 62301 Committee Draft 2 

(IEC Standard 62301 CD2) provides the 

additional clarification that ‘‘delay start 

mode is a one off user initiated short 

duration function that is associated with 

an active mode.’’ The subsequent IEC 

Standard 62301 Committee Draft for 

Vote (IEC Standard 62301 CDV) removes 

this clarification; however, in response 

to comments on IEC Standard 62301 

CD2 that led to IEC Standard 62301 

CDV, IEC states that delay start mode is 

a one off function of limited duration. 

DOE infers that delay start mode should 

therefore be considered part of active 

mode. DOE notes that IEC 62301 FDIS 

classifies delay start as a secondary 

function and therefore not part of active 

mode. DOE continues to believe, 

however, that because delay start is of 

limited duration and is uniquely 

associated with the initiation of a main 

function (i.e., washing cycle), it should 

be considered part of active mode. The 

proposed methods for measuring energy 

consumption in delay start mode are 

discussed in III.C.3. 

ii. Cycle Finished Mode 

DOE proposes to define cycle finished 

mode as a mode that provides 

continuous status display following 

operation in the active washing mode. 

However, as with delay start mode, 

cycle finished mode is not a mode that 

may persist for an indefinite time, and 

would therefore not be considered as a 

part of standby mode. Additionally, 

operation in cycle finished mode occurs 

only after operation in the active 

washing mode. DOE believes cycle 

finished mode, similar to delay start 

mode, would be considered a one off 

short duration function that is 

associated with an active mode. DOE is 

therefore proposing to define cycle 

finished mode as a part of active mode. 

The proposed methods for measuring 

energy consumption in cycle finished 

mode are discussed in III.C.3. 

DOE is aware that some clothes 

washers currently available offer energyconsuming features in cycle finished 

mode other than a continuous status 

display. For example, certain models 

may employ a low-power fan to 

circulate air around the damp clothes to 

prevent odors. These models may also 

periodically tumble the clothes to 

prevent wrinkles for up to 10 hours after 

the completion of the wash cycle. These 

functions, while enabled, would use 

more energy than the continuous 

display normally associated with cycle 

finished mode. However, DOE does not 

propose amending the test procedure to 

address these specific cycle finished 

mode functions, because DOE believes 

measuring the energy use from these 

functions would significantly increase 

the test cycle duration to capture a 

negligible contributor to annual energy 

consumption. In addition, DOE research 

indicates that only eight out of the 94 

residential clothes washer models 

currently produced by manufacturers 

representing more than 92 percent of the 

residential clothes washer market 

incorporate such a circulation or 

tumbling function. Because these 

models are also higher priced and 

recently introduced, DOE believes that 

the shipment-weighted percentage of 

residential clothes washers with a 

circulation or tumbling function in 

cycle finished mode is less than 5 

percent. Therefore, DOE believes the 

energy consumed by these features in 

cycle finished mode represents a 

negligible portion of the overall energy 

consumption of clothes washers. 

iii. Self-Clean Mode 

DOE proposes to define self-clean 

mode as a clothes washer operating 

mode that: 

• Is dedicated to cleaning, 

deodorizing, or sanitizing the clothes 

washer by eliminating sources of odor, 

bacteria, mold, and mildew; 

• Is recommended to be run 

intermittently by the manufacturer; and 

• Is separate from clothes washing 

cycles. 

Self-clean mode is considered a part 

of the active mode because it is a 

function necessary for the main 

functions associated with washing 

clothes. A clothes washer with 

excessive bacteria, mildew, or odor 

cannot effectively wash clothes. A 

further discussion of self-clean mode, 

including its incorporation in the 

clothes washer test procedure, is 

included in section III.D.1.b. 

Standby Mode 

DOE proposes to define standby mode 

as any mode in which the clothes 

washer is connected to a mains power 

source and offers one or more of the 

following user-oriented or protective 

functions which may persist for an 

indefinite time: 6

• Facilitation of the activation of 

other modes (including activation or 

deactivation of active mode) by remote 


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57562 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

switch (including remote control), 

internal sensor, or timer; 

• Continuous function: Information 

or status displays including clocks; and 

• Continuous function: Sensor-based 

functions. 

DOE proposes adding a clarification 

of what would be considered a timer 

under this definition of standby mode. 

DOE would clarify that a timer is a 

continuous clock function (which may 

or may not be associated with a display) 

that provides regular scheduled tasks 

(e.g., switching) and that operates on a 

continuous basis. As noted earlier in 

this section, this proposed definition 

was developed based on the definition 

provided in IEC Standard 62301 FDIS. 

It expands on the EPCA mode definition 

to provide additional clarifications as to 

which functions are associated with 

standby mode. 

The proposed definition of standby 

mode based on IEC Standard 62301 

FDIS allows for multiple modes to be 

considered a standby mode. DOE has 

identified only one mode that would be 

considered a standby mode under the 

proposed definition. DOE proposes to 

define this ‘‘inactive mode’’ as a standby 

mode that facilitates the activation of 

active mode by remote switch 

(including remote control), internal 

sensor, or timer, or that provides 

continuous status display. DOE 

proposes amending the test procedure 

for clothes washers to include 

provisions for measuring energy use in 

inactive mode as the measurement of 

standby energy use. Although it 

identified only this one particular 

standby mode, DOE remains open to 

consideration of additional standby 

modes. 

Off Mode 

As discussed in section III.C.1, DOE 

proposes in today’s NOPR to amend the 

DOE test procedure for clothes washers 

to define ‘‘off mode’’ as any mode in 

which the clothes washer is connected 

to a mains power source and is not 

providing any standby mode or active 

mode function and the mode may 

persist for an indefinite time. An 

indicator that only shows the user that 

the product is in the off position is 

included within the off mode 

classification. As noted in section 

III.C.1, this definition was developed 

based on the definitions provided in IEC 

Standard 62301 FDIS. It expands on the 

EPCA mode definitions to provide 

additional clarifications as to which 

functions are associated with off mode. 

Under the proposed definitions, a 

clothes washer equipped with a 

mechanical on/off switch that can 

disconnect power to the display and/or 

control components would be 

considered as operating in the off mode 

when the switch is in the ‘‘off’’ position, 

provided that no other standby or active 

mode functions are energized. An 

energized light-emitting diode (LED) or 

other indicator that only shows the user 

that the product is in the off position 

would be considered part of off mode 

under the proposed definition, again 

provided that no other standby or active 

mode functions are energized. As stated 

above, however, if any energy is 

consumed by the appliance in the 

presence of a one-way remote control, 

the unit would be operating in standby 

mode under the proposed definition. 

That definition would include remote 

controls that facilitate the activation or 

deactivation of other functions 

(including active mode) as a feature of 

standby mode. 

IEC Standard 62301 FDIS also 

provides definitions for additional 

modes that DOE determined are not 

applicable to the clothes washer test 

procedure. Section 3.7 of IEC Standard 

62301 FDIS defines network mode as a 

mode category that includes ‘‘any 

product modes where the energy using 

product is connected to a mains power 

source and at least one network function 

is activated (such as reactivation via 

network command or network integrity 

communication) but where the primary 

function is not active.’’ IEC Standard 

62301 FDIS also provides a note, stating 

that ‘‘[w]here a network function is 

provided but is not active and/or not 

connected to a network, then this mode 

is not applicable. A network function 

could become active intermittently 

according to a fixed schedule or in 

response to a network requirement. A 

‘network’ in this context includes 

communication between two or more 

separate independently powered 

devices or products. A network does not 

include one or more controls which are 

dedicated to a single product. Network 

mode may include one or more standby 

functions.’’ As discussed further in 

section III.D.1.c, DOE is not proposing 

any amendments to include provisions 

for testing network mode energy 

consumption in clothes washers. 

DOE also notes that section 3.9 of IEC 

Standard 62301 FDIS provides a 

definition of ‘‘disconnected mode’’, 

which is ‘‘the state where all 

connections to mains power sources of 

the energy using product are removed or 

interrupted.’’ IEC Standard 62301 FDIS 

also adds a note that common terms 

such as ‘‘unplugged’’ or ‘‘cut off from 

mains’’ also describe this mode and that 

this mode is not part of the lower power 

mode category. DOE believes that there 

would be no energy use in a 

disconnected mode, and therefore, is 

not proposing a definition or testing 

methods for such a mode in the DOE 

test procedure for clothes washers. 

DOE welcomes comment on the 

proposed establishment of the modes as 

discussed above, including inactive 

mode as the only standby mode for 

clothes washers. DOE also invites 

comment on the determination that 

delay start mode and cycle finished 

mode would be considered part of 

active mode. DOE further invites 

comment on the proposed mode 

definitions, including the definition of 

self-clean mode, and whether there are 

any modes that have not been identified 

in this NOPR that represent significant 

energy use and are consistent with the 

proposed active mode, standby mode, or 

off mode definitions. 

3. Adding Specifications for the Test 

Methods and Measurements for Standby 

Mode, Off Mode, and Additional Active 

Mode Testing 

This section discusses the provisions 

DOE proposes to include in the test 

procedure to clarify the IEC Standard 

62301 methods when used to measure 

standby mode and off mode energy use 

in clothes washers. These proposed 

procedures also include provisions for 

measuring energy use in delay start 

mode and cycle finished mode. 

Although these modes are considered a 

part of active mode under the proposed 

definitions, the methods for measuring 

their associated energy consumptions 

are similar to those used for standby 

mode and off mode. 

Paragraph 5.3.1 of section 5.3 of IEC 

Standard 62301 contains provisions for 

measuring power. It specifies, for 

products in which the power is stable 

(i.e., power varies by not more than 5 

percent from a maximum level during a 

period of 5 minutes), waiting at least 5 

minutes for the product to stabilize and 

then measuring the power at the end of 

an additional time period of not less 

than 5 minutes. Paragraph 5.3.2 

contains provisions for measuring 

average power in cases where the power 

is not stable (i.e., power varies by more 

than 5 percent from a maximum level 

during a period of 5 minutes). In such 

cases, IEC Standard 62301 requires a 

measurement period of no less than 5 

minutes, or one or more complete 

operating cycles of several minutes or 

hours. DOE notes these provisions do 

not preclude manufacturers from testing 

products with a longer stabilization 

period, or a longer measurement period 

(if the power varies by not more than 5 

percent or if that period represents one 

or more complete cycles). 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 57563 

Displays on residential clothes 

washers may reduce power 

consumption by dimming or turning off 

after a certain period of user inactivity 

(‘‘automatic power-down’’). For clothes 

washers whose power input in standby, 

off, and cycle finished modes varies in 

this manner during testing, DOE 

proposes that the test be conducted after 

the power level has dropped to its 

lowest level, as discussed in IEC 

Standard 62301, section 5, 

(‘‘Measurements’’), paragraph 5.1, 

‘‘General,’’ Note 1. DOE is aware that IEC 

Standard 62301 does not provide 

guidance on how long to wait for the 

appliance to drop to the lower-power 

state. DOE observed during tests of 17 

residential clothes washers that in units 

with an automatic power-down feature 

the higher-power state persists for less 

than 10 minutes of inactivity after the 

display has been energized. Thus, the 

energy consumption at the low-power 

level is most representative of standby 

mode, off mode, and cycle finished 

mode power. However, DOE notes the 

test sample of 17 clothes washers was 

relatively small. It is possible that some 

clothes washers may remain in the 

higher-power state for the duration of a 

5-minute stabilization period and 5- 

minute measurement period, and then 

drop to the lower-power state that is 

more representative of standby mode, 

off mode, or cycle finished mode. In 

contrast, IEC Standard 62301 CDV 

specifies for each testing method that 

the product be allowed to stabilize for 

at least 30 minutes prior to a 

measurement period of not less than 10 

minutes. DOE believes this method 

would allow sufficient time for displays 

that automatically dim or power down 

after a period of user inactivity to reach 

the lower-power state prior to 

measurement. Based on the automatic 

power-down time periods observed in 

its own testing, DOE believes that the 

IEC Standard 62301 CDV 30-minute 

stabilization and 10-minute 

measurement periods provide a clearer 

and more consistent testing procedure 

than the corresponding time periods 

specified in IEC Standard 62301. Those 

periods allow for representative 

measurements to be made among 

products that may have varying time 

periods before the power drops to a 

lower level more representative of 

standby, off, or cycle finished mode. 

DOE notes that IEC Standard 62301 

FDIS establishes an overall test period 

of not less than 15 minutes for products 

in which power consumption in the 

mode being tested is not cyclic. Data 

collected during the first third of the 

total period is discarded (and thus this 

time could be inferred to be a 

stabilization period), and data from the 

remaining two-thirds of the total period 

are used to determine whether the 

power is stable. If stability is not 

achieved, the total period is extended 

continuously until the stability criteria 

are achieved, to a maximum of 3 hours. 

Modes that are known to be non-cyclic 

and of varying power consumption shall 

follow this same procedure, but with a 

total test period not less than 60 

minutes. If power consumption in a 

mode is cyclic, measurements must be 

conducted with an initial operation 

period (analogous to a stabilization 

period) of at least 10 minutes, and the 

average power measured over at least 

four complete cycles. The measurement 

period must be at least 20 minutes. DOE 

believes that the specifications provided 

in IEC Standard 62301 FDIS would not 

produce power consumption 

measurements as accurate, repeatable, 

and enforceable as the specifications 

provided in IEC Standard 62301 CDV. 

Therefore, DOE proposes to require that: 

(1) the product be allowed to stabilize 

for at least 30 minutes, then (2) the 

power measurement be made for a 

period not less than 10 minutes for 

inactive, off, and cycle finished modes. 

DOE’s test procedures are developed 

to measure representative energy use for 

the typical consumer, and cannot 

capture all possible consumer actions 

and appliance usage patterns that might 

increase energy use. For example, 

certain residential clothes washer 

models featuring a display power-down 

may allow consumers to alter the 

display settings to increase the amount 

of time in the high-power state, or to 

make the high-power state permanent. 

Because DOE does not have information 

regarding the likelihood consumer will 

alter the default display settings, DOE 

has not proposed additional provisions 

in today’s NOPR to address the 

possibility of increased energy use as a 

result of consumers adjusting the 

display power-down settings or other 

features. DOE welcomes comment on 

the suitability of using the default 

settings in testing standby energy 

consumption. It also welcomes 

comment on any methodologies that can 

account for consumer actions that might 

increase energy use, and requests data 

on the repeatability of such testing 

procedures. 

DOE understands that clothes washers 

with a delay start capability may use 

varying amounts of power during delay 

start mode, depending on the delay time 

entered, the amount of remaining delay 

time displayed, and/or display 

indication of mode status. To ensure 

comparable and valid results, DOE 

proposes to include in its clothes 

washer test procedure a specification for 

the delay start time to be set at 5 hours, 

and for power to be monitored for 60 

minutes after waiting at least 5 minutes 

for power input to stabilize. In 

determining the specification for delay 

start parameters, DOE considered the 

possibility that display power input 

would depend on the time displayed, 

which is typically the time in hours 

remaining before the start. Displays may 

be one or two digits. Some two-digit 

displays may show whole numbers for 

remaining delay hours of 10 or more 

and both the ones and tenths digits for 

the remaining delay hours of 9.9 or less. 

DOE analyzed the number of LEDs 

activated in LED displays of the 

remaining hours over a range of delay 

times. It concluded that the average 

number of LEDs lit for the range of all 

possible delay times would be best 

approximated by determining the 

average number of LEDs lit for either 

single-digit or two-digit displays in a 60- 

minute test if the delay time is set at 5 

hours. DOE welcomes comment on this 

approach to measuring delay start mode. 

DOE is also proposing that test room 

ambient temperatures for standby mode 

and off mode testing, as well as delay 

start mode and cycle finished mode 

testing, be specified for all clothes 

washers according to section 4, 

paragraph 4.2 of IEC Standard 62301. 

The current DOE test procedure 

includes a test room ambient air 

temperature specification only for 

water-heating clothes washers, for 

which the requirement is 75 ± 5 degrees 

Fahrenheit (°F). This falls within the 

range specified by IEC Standard 62301 

of 73.4 ± 9 °F. Today’s proposed test 

procedure would allow manufacturers 

of water-heating clothes washers to use 

the more stringent ambient temperature 

range in the current DOE test procedure 

if tests of active washing mode 

performance and standby, off, delay 

start, and cycle finished mode power are 

conducted simultaneously in the same 

room on multiple clothes washers. 

Alternatively, the proposed temperature 

specifications taken from IEC Standard 

62301 would allow a manufacturer that 

opts to conduct standby, off, delay start, 

and cycle finished mode testing 

separately from active washing mode 

testing more latitude in maintaining 

ambient conditions. DOE requests 

comment on the appropriateness of this 

proposed modified test room ambient 

temperature range. 

4. Calculation of Energy Use Associated 

With Each Operating Mode 

To combine active washing mode 

energy consumption with energy 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
57564 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

7See section III.C.5 for a detailed description of 

how the efficiency metric is calculated. 

8 J. Dieckmann, D. Westphalen. 1997. ‘‘Laboratory 

Testing of Clothes Washers.’’ The High-Efficiency 

Laundry Metering and Market Analysis (THELMA). 

Volume 2. Final Report to the Electric Power 

Research Institute (EPRI). Report No. TR–109147– 

V2. December 29, 1997. Available for purchase at 

http://www.epri.com. 

9These studies appeared in the July 1998, July 

1999, and August 2000 issues of Consumer Reports. 

10C. Wilkes et al. 2005. ‘‘Quantification of 

Exposure-Related Water Uses for Various U.S. 

Subpopulations.’’ U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, Office of Research and Development. 

Report No. EPA/600/R–06/003. Washington, DC. 

December 2005. Available at http:// 

www.wilkestech.com/ 

205edrb06_Final_Water_Use_Report.pdf. 

11Australia’s National Appliance and Equipment 

Energy Efficiency Committee (NAEEEC). Standby 

Product Profile—Clothes Washers. October 2003. 

Available at http://www.energyrating.gov.au/ 

library/pubs/sb200308-washers.pdf. 

12Australian Electrical and Electronic 

Manufacturer’s Association. A Submission to 

NAEEEC on Mode Times for Use When Determining 

Standby Energy Consumption of Clothes Washers, 

consumption from inactive, off, and 

additional active modes (delay start, 

cycle finished, and self-clean modes), 

DOE estimated the representative energy 

use for each of these modes. The total 

energy consumption in each of these 

modes depends on both the power level 

of that mode and the time spent in that 

mode. This section discusses the 

approach DOE proposes for calculating 

energy use associated with each 

operating mode for clothes washers and 

the numbers of hours proposed to be 

associated with each mode. 

Energy use for clothes washers is 

expressed in terms of ft 3 of wash load 

capacity per total energy use per wash 

cycle.7 As discussed further in section 

III.E.2, DOE has tentatively determined 

that it is technically feasible to integrate 

measures of standby mode and off mode 

energy use into the overall energy use 

metric, as required by the EISA 2007 

amendments to EPCA. (42 U.S.C. 

6295(gg)(2)(A)) Therefore, DOE has 

examined standby mode and off mode 

power consumption in terms of annual 

energy use apportioned on a per-cycle 

basis. DOE has also examined energy 

consumption from delay start, cycle 

finished, and self-clean modes on a percycle basis. Energy used during an 

active washing mode test cycle is 

directly measured in the current DOE 

test procedure, and a weighted average 

is calculated under different load sizes, 

fill levels, and wash temperature 

conditions according to the specific 

machine’s capacity and features. (See 

section 4.1 of appendix J1 of subpart B 

of 10 CFR 430 for details.) The 

calculation of MEF also includes 

nominal energy used by a water heater 

to heat the water supplied to the clothes 

washer, and by a dryer to remove the 

remaining moisture after the clothes 

washer completes its full cycle 

(weighted by a dryer usage factor (DUF) 

to account for loads not dried in a 

clothes dryer). 

Average cycle times can vary 

significantly based on the axis of basket 

rotation and type of load. One 1997 

study compared a 37-minute normal 

cycle for a vertical-axis, top-loading 

clothes washer with 40 to 110-minute 

cycles for eight different front-loading, 

horizontal-axis machines.8 The U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

reported in 2005 on three studies in the 

magazine ‘‘Consumer Reports’’ 9 that 

determined top-loading clothes washers 

have ‘‘normal’’ cycle times of 37–55 

minutes, and front-loading washers 

have ‘‘normal’’ cycle times of 51–105 

minutes.10 Therefore, DOE proposes to 

adopt the estimate of 1 hour per cycle 

associated with a residential clothes 

washer’s typical active washing mode 

(i.e., a complete wash cycle including 

washing, rinsing, and spinning). DOE is 

proposing a single cycle duration for 

both top-loading and front-loading 

clothes washers rather than more 

accurate cycle times specific to each 

product class to simplify the test 

procedure and calculations. 

Additionally, proposing cycle times for 

each product class would have an 

insignificant effect on the calculations 

proposed in the test procedure because 

it is used only to allocate the number of 

annual hours associated with inactive/ 

off mode. For example, using cycle 

times of 45 minutes for top-loaders and 

75 minutes for front-loaders would 

change the number of hours allocated to 

inactive/off mode (the only modes 

affected by the number of active mode 

hours) by less than 1 percent. 

In the January 2001 final rule, 66 FR 

3314, DOE estimated the representative 

number of annual wash cycles per 

clothes washer as 392. DOE is proposing 

to update the number of wash cycles per 

year from 392 to 295 to reflect more 

current consumer behavior, which is 

discussed in detail in section III.D.2.a. 

One hour per cycle would result in a 

total of 295 hours per year associated 

with active mode. DOE is proposing to 

associate the remaining 8,465 (8,760 

minus 295) hours of the year with all 

modes other than the active washing 

mode. 

DOE is aware of five modes other than 

active washing mode in which 

residential clothes washers use energy: 

(1) Inactive mode, (2) cycle finished 

mode, (3) delay start mode, (4) off mode, 

and (5) self-clean mode. DOE is aware 

of only limited studies of the time 

clothes washers spend in these different 

modes. One household survey 

conducted by the National Appliance 

and Equipment Energy Efficiency 

Committee (NAEEEC) in Australia in 

2000, for example, measured the time 

associated with different modes for 61 

clothes washers with an average age of 

9 years. The daily time spent in each 

mode in this study averaged 1 hour for 

washing (active washing mode), zero 

time for delay start and ‘‘active standby’’ 

modes, and the remaining time split 20 

percent for ‘‘end of program’’ mode and 

80 percent for off mode.11 Self-clean 

mode was not explicitly addressed. The 

active standby mode of the washers in 

this study is equivalent to the inactive 

mode defined in section III.C.2 of this 

notice, and the end of program mode is 

equivalent to cycle finished mode. 

The average age of the clothes 

washers in the study suggests that many 

of them have electromechanical rather 

than electronic controls, and thus would 

not likely have been capable of inactive 

mode. Hence, DOE does not infer from 

those results that more modern clothes 

washers spend negligible time in 

inactive mode. DOE believes that 

because current clothes washer models 

offer both mechanical and electronic 

controls, the time apportioned to off 

mode in this study would actually be 

split between off mode and inactive 

mode. Clothes washers with 

electromechanical controllers can have 

a delayed start feature, although its 

implementation appears to be marketspecific. Markets with a long history of 

residential time-of-day electricity 

pricing are more likely to have 

appliances with delayed start features 

than in markets where household 

electricity prices are constant. The 

clothes washers in the NAEEEC study 

would have been less likely to have a 

delay start mode because differential 

power pricing is a relatively recent 

development in the Australian 

residential power market. Thus, the 

findings in the Australian clothes 

washer study regarding delayed start are 

inconclusive regarding the time current 

models of clothes washers spend in 

delay start mode. 

To help address this uncertainty, DOE 

examined a more recent 2005 Australian 

study that noted a small number of 

usage hours associated with delay start 

mode. This study used dataloggers to 

monitor time clothes washers spent in 

different modes in Australia and New 

Zealand. The study showed that the 

average amount of time spent in delay 

start mode per wash cycle was 

approximately 5 minutes.12 DOE 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 57565 

Dishwashers, and Dryers. Appendix B. March 11, 

2005. Available at http://www.aeema.asn.au/ 

ArticleDocuments/258/standby.pdf. 

13R. Bole. Life-Cycle Optimization of Residential 

Clothes Washer Replacement. Center for 

Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan. 

Report. No. CSS06–03. Appendix C. April 21, 2006. 

Available at css.snre.umich.edu/css_doc/CSS06- 

03.pdf. 

expects similar low usage patterns of 

delayed start functionality for clothes 

washers in U.S. households because 

DOE research suggests that most U.S. 

residential electricity customers have 

fixed-rate electricity pricing (i.e., the 

cost of electricity does not change with 

time of day, day of week, or time of 

year). However, delayed start 

functionality usage could increase in the 

United States as more electric utilities 

offer residential customers variable-rate 

pricing plans that encourage shifting 

electricity consumption to off-peak 

hours. 

DOE welcomes comment on whether 

the sources cited provide a reasonable 

indication of residential clothes washer 

mode usage patterns, and also welcomes 

any additional information about such 

usage patterns. 

Based on these two studies, DOE 

concludes that a typical modern 

residential clothes washer spends a 

small amount of time in delay start 

mode. Using an estimated 5 minutes per 

cycle, the total annual amount of time 

spent in delay start mode, using the 

proposed representative 295 cycles per 

year, is 25 hours. 

The NAEEEC study suggests that 20 

percent of the total use cycle time not 

allocated to active washing or delay 

start mode would be associated with 

cycle finished mode. However, DOE 

testing of multiple residential clothes 

washers showed that the time spent in 

a cycle finished mode per use cycle is 

very short. Several models tested had no 

cycle finished mode, and immediately 

reverted to off/inactive mode after the 

wash cycle completed. All of the tested 

units with cycle finished mode 

remained in that state for less than 5 

minutes before switching back to off/ 

inactive mode. Based on these results, 

DOE is proposing to allocate 3 minutes 

per average use cycle to cycle finished 

mode, for a total of 15 hours per year. 

In addition, DOE is aware that some 

residential clothes washers offer a selfclean mode, as further discussed in 

section III.D.1.b. These self-clean cycles 

are not accounted for in the proposed 

295 active mode washing hours per 

year. DOE tested seven machines that 

had these cycles, and found an average 

self-clean cycle time of 1.3 hours. DOE 

proposes to account for the time spent 

in self-cleaning cycles, if applicable, 

based on an estimated average 

manufacturer recommendation of 12 

self-clean cycles per year, resulting in 

16 hours per year. Therefore, machines 

offering a self-cleaning cycle will spend 

16 fewer hours per year in standby 

mode or off mode. 

In summary, DOE is proposing to 

allocate 295 hours per year to the active 

washing mode, 16 hours to self-clean 

mode (if applicable), 25 hours to delay 

start mode, 15 hours to cycle finished 

mode, and the remainder (8,409 hours 

for clothes washers offering other 

modes) to off and/or inactive mode. 

Table III.1 presents DOE’s estimate of 

the annual energy use associated with 

all modes for a clothes washer that is 

capable of each of these functions. The 

approximate ranges of power associated 

with the different modes are based on 

DOE testing of residential clothes 

washers with the exception of active 

washing mode, as noted below. Where 

ranges of average power are listed, the 

highest and lowest average measured 

values for both top- and front-loading 

clothes washers are provided. Active 

washing mode annual energy use is 

calculated based on the proposed 295 

cycles per year in a standard-size, toploading or front-loading clothes washer. 

Active washing mode per-cycle energy 

use is determined from a 2006 study 

that referenced data provided in 2005 by 

the Association of Home Appliance 

Manufacturers (AHAM) and Whirlpool 

Corporation (Whirlpool).13 This study 

estimated that, in 2005, average percycle energy use was 2.23 kWh for a 

typical residential clothes washer in the 

United States with an average MEF of 

1.37 and a capacity of 3.06 ft 3. 

TABLE III.1—ESTIMATE OF ANNUAL ENERGY USE OF RESIDENTIAL CLOTHES WASHER MODES

Mode Hours Typical average power W Annual energy use kWh 

Active Washing ......................................................... 295 2,230 ........................................................... ** 657.9. 

Self-Clean .................................................................. 16 75 to 2,081 .................................................. † 1.2 to 33.3 

Delay Start ................................................................ 25 1.4 to 8.9 ..................................................... 0.04 to 0.2. 

Cycle Finished ........................................................... 15 0 to 5.2 ........................................................ 0 to 0.08. 

Off and Inactive ......................................................... * 8,409 0 to 1.7 ........................................................ 0 to 14.3. 

* Remaining time = 8,760 ¥ 295 ¥ 16 ¥ 25 ¥ 15 = 8409. ** Includes energy consumption for water heating and moisture removal in the dryer as well as machine electrical energy consumption. 

† Based on DOE testing of seven units with self-clean cycles, and 12 cycles per year. Values include energy consumption for water heating 

and machine electrical energy consumption. 

To determine the annual hours per 

mode for clothes washers that do not 

utilize all possible modes, DOE 

estimated values based upon 

reallocating the hours for modes that are 

not present to off/inactive modes. Table 

III.2 summarizes the allocation of hours 

to different possible modes under each 

scenario. 

TABLE III.2—ESTIMATE OF ANNUAL HOURS OF POSSIBLE CLOTHES WASHER MODES

Mode All modes 

possible 

No delay start 

mode 

No cycle finished 

mode 

No delay start or 

cycle finished 

modes 

No Self-Clean Available 

Active Washing ................................................................................ 295 295 295 295 

Delay Start ....................................................................................... 25 0 25 0 

Cycle Finished ................................................................................. 15 15 0 0 

Off and Inactive ............................................................................... 8,425 8,450 8,440 8,465 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
57566 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

TABLE III.2—ESTIMATE OF ANNUAL HOURS OF POSSIBLE CLOTHES WASHER MODES—Continued 

Mode All modes 

possible 

No delay start 

mode 

No cycle finished 

mode 

No delay start or 

cycle finished 

modes 

Self-Clean Available 

Active Washing ................................................................................ 295 295 295 295 

Self-Clean ........................................................................................ 16 16 16 16 

Delay Start ....................................................................................... 25 0 25 0 

Cycle Finished ................................................................................. 15 15 0 0 

Off and Inactive ............................................................................... 8,409 8,434 8,424 8,449 

DOE believes the proposed definition 

of off mode as applied to residential 

clothes washers refers to units with 

mechanical rather than electronic 

controls, or units with electronic 

controls combined with a mechanical 

switch with which the user can deenergize the electronic controls. 

Reactivation of the clothes washer with 

a pushbutton sensor, touch sensor, or 

other similar device that consumes 

power is considered to be a standby 

mode feature under the proposed 

definition. DOE believes there are few 

clothes washers with electronic controls 

that have an additional mechanical on/ 

off switch. Therefore, the combined 

inactive/off hours would most likely be 

allocated fully either to inactive mode 

or off mode, depending on the type of 

controls present on the clothes washer. 

DOE does not have market share 

information to determine how many 

residential clothes washers are currently 

shipped with electromechanical 

controls. For clothes washers with 

electronic controls plus a mechanical 

on/off switch, DOE is proposing to 

allocate half of the inactive/off hours 

each to inactive and off modes. DOE 

welcomes comment and additional 

information on this point. 

In conclusion, DOE is proposing to 

calculate residential clothes washer 

energy use per cycle associated with 

inactive, off, delay start, and cycle 

finished modes by (1) Calculating the 

product of wattage and allocated hours 

for all possible inactive, off, delay start 

and cycle finished modes; (2) summing 

the results; (3) dividing the sum by 

1,000 to convert from Wh to kWh; and 

(4) dividing by the proposed 295 use 

cycles per year. DOE is also proposing 

to calculate energy use per cycle 

associated with self-clean mode, if 

available, by (1) multiplying the energy 

use per self-clean cycle in kWh by 12 

(the number of self-clean cycles 

estimated per year); and (2) dividing by 

the proposed 295 use cycles per year. 

DOE invites comments on this 

proposed methodology and associated 

factors, including accuracy, allocation of 

annual hours, and test burden. DOE may 

also consider the following alternative 

methodology based on comments 

received: 

The comparison of annual energy use 

of different clothes washer modes shows 

that delay start and cycle finished 

modes represent a relatively small 

number of hours at low power 

consumption levels. For clothes washers 

currently on the market, these levels are 

distinct from, but comparable to, those 

for off/inactive modes. Thus, DOE could 

adopt an approach that would be 

limited to specifying hours for only off 

and inactive modes when calculating 

energy use. In that case, all of the hours 

not associated with active washing 

mode or self-clean mode (8,465 hours 

total) would be allocated to the inactive 

and off modes. DOE invites comment on 

whether such an alternative would be 

representative of the power 

consumption of clothes washers 

currently on the market. 

5. Measures of Energy Consumption 

The DOE test procedure for clothes 

washers currently incorporates various 

measures of per-cycle energy 

consumption including total weighted 

per-cycle hot water energy consumption 

(for electric-, gas-, or oil-heated water), 

total weighted per-cycle machine 

electrical energy consumption, and percycle energy consumption for removing 

moisture from a test load in a dryer. (See 

sections 4.1 and 4.3 of appendix J1 of 

subpart B of 10 CFR 430 for details.) The 

test procedure also provides a 

calculation for MEF, which is equal to 

the clothes container capacity in ft3

divided by the sum, expressed in kWh, 

of the total weighted per-cycle hot water 

energy consumption, the total weighted 

per-cycle machine electrical energy 

consumption, and the per-cycle energy 

consumption for removing moisture 

from a test load. (See section 4.4 of 

appendix J1 of subpart B of 10 CFR 430 

for details.) The current Federal energy 

conservation standards for clothes 

washers are expressed in MEF. (10 CFR 

430.32(g)(3)). 

In response to the August 2009 

framework document, Whirlpool 

commented that DOE should 

incorporate standby power into the MEF 

calculation, and that standby power 

should not be accounted for separately. 

(Whirlpool, No. 21 at p. 2) Additionally, 

the Joint Comment and ASE commented 

that DOE should integrate standby and 

no-load mode power into a single 

energy metric based on the revisions to 

IEC Standard 62301. (Joint Comment, 

No. 14 at p. 1; ASE, No. 22 at p. 1). 

Under 42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A), EPCA 

directs that the ‘‘[t]est procedures for all 

covered products shall be amended 

pursuant to section 323 to include 

standby mode and off mode energy 

consumption * * * with such energy 

consumption integrated into the overall 

energy efficiency, energy consumption, 

or other energy descriptor for each 

covered product, unless the Secretary 

determines that—(i) the current test 

procedures for a covered product 

already fully account for and 

incorporate the standby mode and off 

mode energy consumption of the 

covered product; or (ii) such an 

integrated test procedure is technically 

infeasible for a particular covered 

product, in which case the Secretary 

shall prescribe a separate standby mode 

and off mode energy use test procedure 

for the covered product, if technically 

feasible.’’ 

DOE proposes to establish the 

following measure of energy 

consumption for clothes washers. It 

integrates energy use of standby mode 

and off, modes with the energy use of 

the product’s main functions, including 

delay start and cycle finished modes as 

well as any self-clean function available. 

DOE would define a ‘‘per-cycle standby, 

off, delay start and cycle finished mode 

energy consumption,’’ and a ‘‘per-cycle 

self-clean mode energy consumption’’ 

measure, as applicable, expressed in 

kWh. DOE would also define integrated 

modified energy factor (IMEF) as the 

clothes container capacity in ft3 divided 

by the sum, expressed in kWh, of: 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 57567 

• The total weighted per-cycle hot 

water energy consumption; 

• The total weighted per-cycle 

machine electrical energy consumption; 

• The per-cycle energy consumption 

for removing moisture from a test load; 

• The per-cycle standby, off, delay 

start and cycle finished mode energy 

consumption; and 

• The per-cycle self-clean mode 

energy consumption, as applicable 

(discussed in III.D.1.b). 

DOE proposes an amended clothes 

washer test procedure, appendix J2 to 

subpart B of 10 CFR part 430, to include 

the measurement of the energy 

consumption in these additional modes 

and the calculation of IMEF. 

DOE does not propose to amend the 

estimated annual operating cost 

calculation in 10 CFR 430.23 to include 

the cost of energy consumed in the nonactive washing modes because: 

• DOE believes that the cost of energy 

consumed in self-clean, standby, off, 

delay start, and cycle finished modes is 

small relative to the total annual energy 

cost for clothes washers and, therefore, 

would make little difference in the 

estimated annual operating cost 

calculation; and 

• The Federal Trade Commission’s 

(FTC’s) EnergyGuide Label for clothes 

washers includes as its primary 

indicator of product energy efficiency 

the estimated annual operating cost, 

compared to a range of annual operating 

costs of similar products. Appendix F1 

to 16 CFR part 305. An estimated annual 

operating cost incorporating self-clean, 

standby, off, delay start, and cycle 

finished mode energy use would no 

longer be directly comparable to the 

minimum and maximum energy costs 

prescribed for the EnergyGuide Label. 

D. Clothes Washer Active Mode Test 

Procedure 

1. Technologies Not Covered by the 

Current Clothes Washer Test Procedure 

a. Steam Wash Cycles 

Multiple clothes washer models 

currently available on the market offer 

a steam function via pre-set cycles or as 

an optional addition to conventional 

wash cycles. During these cycles, steam 

is injected into the basket, which 

manufacturers claim provides enhanced 

cleaning and/or sterilization. The steam 

is produced in a generator that requires 

a significant amount of energy to heat 

and vaporize the water. The current 

clothes washer test procedure does not 

account for energy or water 

consumption during this type of wash 

cycle. 

In response to the August 2009 

framework document, DOE received 

comments from the Joint Comment and 

ASE supporting revisions to the test 

procedure to measure energy and water 

consumption during steam wash cycles. 

(Joint Comment, No. 14 at p. 3; ASE, No. 

22 at p. 1). 

The current clothes washer test 

procedure specifies methods for 

measuring energy and water 

consumption over a range of wash 

temperatures based on the temperature 

selections available on a clothes washer, 

as specified in Table 3.2 of the test 

procedure, Test Section Reference. DOE 

proposes amending the test procedure to 

include an additional measurement of 

energy and water consumption during a 

steam wash cycle for clothes washers 

offering this feature, included in section 

3.9. In the proposed amendments, Table 

3.2 of the test procedure is updated to 

include a column that specifies the test 

sections to be followed for clothes 

washers offering a steam wash cycle, to 

update the footnotes, and to correct an 

error in the current organization of the 

table. The test sections required for 

clothes washers without a steam wash 

cycle would remain unchanged. The 

proposed updated Table 3.2 from the 

test procedure is shown below as table 

III.3. 

TABLE III.3—TEST SECTION REFERENCE

Max. wash temp. available ≤135 °F (57.2 °C) ** >135 °F (57.2 °C) 

Number of wash temp. selections 1 2 >2 3 >3 

Test Sections Required to be Followed .................................................. .................... .................... .................... 3.3 3.3 

.................... 3.4 3.4 .................... 3.4 

.................... .................... 3.5 3.5 3.5 

3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 

.................... .................... * 3.7 * 3.7 * 3.7 

3.8 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.8 

.................... .................... .................... † 3.9 † 3.9 

** Only applicable to machines with a warm wash/warm rinse cycle. 

** Only applicable to water heating clothes washers on which the maximum wash temperature available exceeds 135 °F (57.2 °C) 

† Only applicable to machines equipped with a steam wash cycle. 

DOE also proposes to include the 

energy and water consumption from 

steam wash cycles in the final 

calculations for the energy and water 

use metrics. For clothes washers capable 

of steam wash cycles, the measurements 

of energy and water consumption from 

the steam wash cycle with the hottest 

wash temperature would be included in 

the overall energy and water use 

calculations based on the temperature 

use factor (TUF) for steam wash. Table 

4.1.1 of the test procedure specifies the 

current weight given to the 

consumption measurements for the 

different wash cycles. DOE believes 

extra hot and steam cycles would be 

reserved for the most heavily soiled 

loads, and would have similar use 

factors. However, DOE has tentatively 

assumed that the steam wash cycles 

would be selected somewhat fewer 

times than the extra hot cycle because 

on some models steam is available only 

as an option on certain settings. DOE is 

proposing to update Table 4.1.1 to 

include 0.02 as the TUF of a steam wash 

cycle, when available. Although DOE 

lacks data on consumer use of steam 

wash cycles, DOE believes these cycles 

would decrease the use of extra hot 

cycles, but would leave the use of hot, 

warm, and cold cycles unchanged. DOE 

therefore believes the 0.02 TUF 

associated with steam washes would 

correspond to a 0.02 decrease in the 

current TUFs associated with extra hot 

cycles, from 0.05 to 0.03 or 0.14 to 0.12, 

for a steam-capable clothes washer 

Table III.4 below shows the proposed 

Table 4.1.1, including specifications for 

a steam wash cycle, and updated warm 

rinse TUFs, as discussed below in 

section III.D.2.c. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
57568 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

TABLE III.4—TEMPERATURE USE FACTORS

Max wash temp available ≤135 °F 

(57.2 °C) 

≤135 °F 

(57.2 °C) 

≤135 °F 

(57.2 °C) 

>135 °F 

(57.2 °C) 

>135 °F 

(57.2 °C) Steam Steam 

Number wash temp selections Single 2 Temps > 2 Temps 3 Temps > 3 Temps 3 Temps > 3 Temps 

TUFs (steam) ............................................ NA NA NA NA NA 0.02 0.02 

TUFm (extra hot) ...................................... NA NA NA 0.14 0.05 0.12 0.03 

TUFh (hot) ................................................ NA 0.63 0.14 NA 0.09 NA 0.09 

TUFww (warm/warm) ................................ NA NA * 0.27 * 0.27 * 0.27 * 0.27 * 0.27 

TUFw (warm) ............................................ NA NA 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.22 

TUFc (cold) ............................................... 1.00 0.37 0.37 0.37 0.37 0.37 0.37 

* Only applicable to machines offering a warm/warm cycle. For machines with no warm/warm cycle, this value would be zero and the warm/ 

cold TUF should be increased by 0.27. 

DOE requests comment on the 

following issues: Whether the energy 

and water consumption of a steam wash 

cycle should be included in the test 

procedure; whether the proposed TUF 

associated with steam wash cycles is 

appropriate; and whether any data are 

available regarding consumer usage 

patterns of such cycles. 

b. Self-Clean Cycles 

Many residential clothes washers 

currently on the market offer a self-clean 

cycle. These cycles are used 

periodically with bleach and/or 

detergent but no clothes load to clean, 

deodorize, or sanitize the components 

that come into contact with water by 

preventing or eliminating mold, 

bacteria, and mildew. Self-clean cycles 

may require higher water temperatures 

and greater volumes of water than a 

normal cycle, and therefore potentially 

consume a substantial amount of 

energy. The current test procedure does 

not account for energy or water 

consumption attributable to self-clean 

cycles. 

In response to the August 2009 

framework document, DOE received 

comments from the Joint Comment and 

ASE recommending that DOE amend 

the test procedure to account for energy 

and water consumption from these 

periodic cleansing or sanitizing cycles. 

According to both commenters, the test 

procedure should also be amended to 

credit clothes washer designs that 

address mold and odor issues without 

the use of periodic sanitizing cycles. 

(Joint Comment, No. 14 at p. 3; ASE, No. 

22 at p. 1). 

In its research, DOE noted that many 

clothes washer user manuals include a 

recommendation for how frequently the 

consumer should run a self-clean cycle. 

DOE observed that the manufacturerrecommended frequency typically is 

once a month. Some manufacturers also 

recommend a cleaning cycle every 

certain number of wash cycles. DOE 

believes that these self-clean cycles are 

not accounted for in the proposed 295 

wash cycles per year. Because these 

cycles may consume a significant 

amount of energy and water, DOE is 

proposing to include them in the 

calculation of the efficiency metric. 

DOE is proposing to define a ‘‘selfclean mode’’ as a clothes washer 

operating mode that: 

• Is dedicated to cleaning, 

deodorizing, or sanitizing the clothes 

washer by eliminating sources of odor, 

bacteria, mold, and mildew; 

• Is recommended to be run 

intermittently by the manufacturer; and 

• Is separate from clothes washing 

cycles. 

DOE also proposes to integrate energy 

and water consumption in self-clean 

cycles into the overall energy efficiency 

metric, under the assumption that these 

cycles are typically run once per month. 

As discussed in section III.C.5, DOE 

proposes to define IMEF as the clothes 

container capacity in ft3 divided by the 

sum, expressed in kWh, of: 

• The total weighted per-cycle hot 

water energy consumption, 

• The total weighted per-cycle 

machine electrical energy consumption, 

• The per-cycle energy consumption 

for removing moisture from a test load, 

• The per-cycle standby mode and off 

mode energy consumption, and 

• The per-cycle energy consumption 

from any self-clean cycles. 

DOE proposes to calculate the percycle energy consumption from selfclean cycles by: 

• Measuring the hot and cold water 

consumption and the electrical energy 

consumption for a self-clean cycle, 

• Calculating the per-cycle hot water 

energy consumption and summing with 

the per-cycle machine electrical energy 

consumption for the self-clean cycle, 

and 

• Multiplying by the number of selfclean cycles per year (12) divided by 

295 annual active washing mode cycles. 

This approach apportions the annual 

energy use in self-clean mode to each 

annual active washing mode cycle. DOE 

notes that it only proposes to account 

for self-clean cycles in the IMEF 

calculation for clothes washers for 

which the manufacturer provides and/or 

recommends such cycles. If a clothes 

washer is designed to address mold and 

odor problems without the need for 

separate dedicated cleaning cycles, the 

per-cycle self-clean energy consumption 

will be zero. 

DOE proposes to use a similar 

approach for including self-clean water 

consumption in the calculation of IWF 

(see section III.D.4.b). The total 

measured hot and cold water 

consumption for a self-clean cycle 

would be multiplied by 12 self-clean 

cycles per year divided by 295 annual 

active washing mode cycles. This percycle self-clean water consumption 

would be summed with the total 

weighted per-cycle water consumption 

in the active washing mode, then 

divided by clothes container capacity to 

obtain IWF. 

DOE requests comment on self-clean 

cycles, including the proposed 

definition, the inclusion of self-clean 

cycle energy and water use into the 

overall energy efficiency metrics, and on 

whether any relevant data are available 

regarding self-clean cycles. 

c. Adaptive Control Technologies 

Adaptive control technologies can 

adjust parameters such as agitation 

speed, number of rinses, wash time, and 

wash and rinse temperatures based on 

the size, fabric mix, and soil level of a 

wash load. The current test procedure 

accounts for adaptive fill technologies, 

but no other types of adaptive controls. 

AHAM, BSH Home Appliances 

Corporation (BSH), and Whirlpool 

commented in response to the August 

2009 framework document that adaptive 

controls are already widely used in 

residential clothes washers. DOE agrees 

that multiple models are available on 

the market that use adaptive control 

technologies to respond to measured or 

inferred load size and fabric mix. 

However, DOE lacks data on the 

distribution of load size and fabric 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
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14AHAM and AS/NZS standards are available 

online at http://webstore.ansi.org/. 

content representative of actual 

consumer usage. DOE is also not aware 

of any residential clothes washers that 

currently incorporate soil sensing 

systems. According to multiple 

manufacturers that DOE interviewed, 

implementing soil sensing systems 

requires overcoming several technical 

challenges. For example, typical soil 

sensors have difficulty identifying a 

single soiled clothing item. Also, 

detergent foaming can interfere with 

control systems using turbidity sensors 

to monitor the clarity of the wash water. 

DOE is aware that other consumer 

products employ adaptive controls, and 

that these are addressed in their 

respective test procedures. For example, 

many dishwashers incorporate adaptive 

controls by means of a turbidity sensor 

which adjusts the number and duration 

of wash and rinse cycles. The 

dishwasher test procedure accounts for 

these models through the use of soiled 

dishware loads. (10 CFR part 430, 

subpart B, appendix C) 

If clothes washers become available 

that offer adaptive controls using a 

turbidity sensor, DOE could consider 

amending the clothes washer test 

procedure to measure energy and water 

consumption with a soiled wash load. 

DOE is aware of other industry and 

international clothes washer test 

procedures that use a soiled wash load 

to determine wash performance, 

including AHAM HLW–1, ‘‘Performance 

Evaluation Procedures for Household 

Clothes Washers,’’ IEC 60456, ‘‘Clothes 

washing machines for household use— 

Methods for measuring the 

performance,’’ and Standards Australia/ 

Standards New Zealand (AS/NZS) 

2040.1, ‘‘Performance of household 

electrical appliances—Clothes washing 

machines—Methods for measuring 

performance, energy and water 

consumption.’’ 14 DOE could, for 

example, incorporate the test cloth 

soiling method from one of these test 

procedures into the DOE clothes washer 

test procedure to capture the energy and 

water consumption effects of adaptive 

controls. 

DOE welcomes comment on whether 

there are any clothes washers available 

on the market offering soil-sensing 

adaptive controls, and on its tentative 

decision to account for only adaptive fill 

controls in the test procedure. DOE 

further invites information on the size 

distribution and fabric content of wash 

loads typical of consumer use, and 

comment on using a soiled test load to 

determine energy and water 

consumption in the presence of 

adaptive controls. 

d. Demand Response Technology 

Demand response technology enables 

an appliance to shift its activity based 

on interaction with the electric grid, 

utilities, or user programming. 

Appliances that can communicate with 

the electric grid or any other network 

would be considered to have a network 

mode as defined by IEC Standard 62301 

FDIS. This standard defines network 

mode as a mode category that includes 

‘‘any product modes where the energy 

using product is connected to a mains 

power source and at least one network 

function is activated (such as 

reactivation via network command or 

network integrity communication) but 

where the primary function is not 

active.’’ IEC Standard 62301 FDIS also 

provides a note stating, ‘‘[w]here a 

network function is provided but is not 

active and/or not connected to a 

network, then this mode is not 

applicable. A network function could 

become active intermittently according 

to a fixed schedule or in response to a 

network requirement. A ‘network’ in 

this context includes communication 

between two or more separate 

independently powered devices or 

products. A network does not include 

one or more controls which are 

dedicated to a single product. Network 

mode may include one or more standby 

functions.’’ 

In response to the August 2009 

framework document, DOE received 

multiple comments regarding demand 

response technologies in clothes 

washers. Energy Solutions, Pacific Gas 

and Electric Company (PG&E), Southern 

California Gas Company (SoCal Gas), 

San Diego Gas and Electric Company 

(SDG&E), and Southern California 

Edison Design & Engineering Services 

(SoCal Edison) (jointly, the California 

Utilities) commented that it is important 

for DOE standards to give credit not 

only to energy conservation, but to the 

reduction of peak demand from demand 

responsive controls. (California Utilities, 

No. 18 at p. 6) AHAM commented that 

DOE should evaluate the capability of 

residential clothes washers to provide 

peak load shedding capabilities through 

a ‘‘smart grid’’ infrastructure. (AHAM, 

No. 15 at p. 4) General Electric (GE) also 

commented in support of DOE 

considering demand responsiveness as a 

technology associated with residential 

clothes washers. (GE, No. 19 at p. 3) 

Samsung Electronics America 

(Samsung) commented that DOE should 

consider smart grid or grid-enabled 

appliance technologies for their effect 

on energy use as it drafts DOE’s clothes 

washer test procedure. (Samsung, No. 

22 at p. 4) 

However, as mentioned in section 

III.C.2, DOE does not propose amending 

the test procedure to include any 

provisions for measuring energy 

consumption in network mode because 

it is unaware of any clothes washers 

currently available on the market that 

incorporate a networking function. At 

this time, DOE is unaware of any data 

regarding network mode in clothes 

washers that would enable it to 

determine appropriate testing 

procedures and mode definitions for 

incorporation into the test procedure. In 

particular, DOE is unaware of: 

• Data and methods for the 

appropriate configuration of networks; 

• Whether network connection speed 

or the number and type of network 

connections affect power consumption; 

• Whether wireless network devices 

may have different power consumptions 

when the device is looking for a 

connection and when the network 

connection is actually established; 

• How the energy consumption for 

clothes washers in a network 

environment may be affected by their 

product design and user interaction as 

well as network interaction; and 

• Whether the network function 

could become active intermittently 

according to a fixed schedule or in 

response to a network requirement. 

For these reasons, the proposed 

amendments in today’s NOPR do not 

include the measurement of energy use 

in network mode. Provisions for testing 

power consumption in network mode 

could be incorporated into the test 

procedure through future amendments, 

once the appropriate data and testing 

methodologies become available. DOE 

welcomes comment on whether clothes 

washers that incorporate a networking 

function are currently available, and 

whether definitions and testing 

procedures for a network mode should 

be incorporated into the DOE test 

procedure. DOE also requests comment 

on appropriate methodologies for 

measuring energy consumption in a 

network mode, and data on the 

repeatability of such testing 

methodology. 

2. Changes To Reflect Current Usage 

Patterns and Capabilities 

a. Representative Annual Cycles 

In the January 2001 final rule, DOE 

estimated the representative number of 

annual wash cycles per clothes washer 

as 392. 66 FR 3314. This number is not 

used in the calculations for the current 

energy efficiency metric, because MEF 

is calculated on a per cycle basis. In this 


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57570 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

15 Information on the American Housing Survey 

can be found on the U.S. Census Bureau Web site 

at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/ahs/ 

ahs.html. 

NOPR, DOE is proposing to include 

power consumption from modes other 

than active washing mode in the energy 

efficiency metric. As discussed above, 

doing so requires an estimate of the time 

a typical clothes washer spends in 

active washing, inactive, off, delay start, 

cycle finished, and self-clean modes. 

The number of annual wash cycles is 

used to determine the time spent in the 

active washing mode, and determines 

the remaining time to be allocated to the 

other possible modes. 

DOE received comments in response 

to the August 2009 framework 

document on the number of average 

clothes washer cycles per year. Alliance 

Laundry Systems, LLC (ALS) 

commented that the annual cycles value 

should be revised to approximately 300 

cycles per year, referring to Procter & 

Gamble (P&G) consumer studies which 

have been used by DOE in prior test 

procedure rulemakings. (ALS, No. 12 at 

p. 1) The Joint Comment and ASE stated 

that DOE should acquire data for an 

updated annual number of wash cycles 

because the current value in the test 

procedure is based on outdated 

consumer usage patterns and machine 

characteristics. (Joint Comment, No. 14 

at p. 1; ASE, No. 22 at p. 1) AHAM 

stated that it supported the use of data 

from the 2005 ‘‘Residential Energy 

Consumption Survey’’ (RECS) in 

determining the annual energy and 

water consumption of residential 

clothes washers. (AHAM, No. 15 at p. 6) 

Additionally, Whirlpool commented 

that the RECS data has limitations, but 

that it was unaware of any more robust 

alternatives to determine annual energy 

and water consumption of residential 

clothes washers. (Whirlpool, No. 21 at 

p. 7) 

The 2005 RECS compiles data on 

energy use in residential buildings from 

households across the United States. 

The survey has a section devoted to 

appliance usage, including residential 

clothes washer usage. The survey asked 

respondents to identify the average 

number of loads per week that they 

wash, with response options of 1 or 

fewer, 2 to 4, 5 to 9, 10 to 15, and more 

than 15 loads per week. DOE assigned 

a representative average number of wash 

cycles per year to each of these response 

categories, and calculated the weighted 

average. Using this method, DOE 

determined that the data show an 

average of 295 wash cycles per year. 

DOE is aware that the ‘‘California 

Residential Appliance Saturation 

Survey’’ (California RASS) from 2004 

also provides data on the use of 

residential appliances. For clothes 

washer use, the survey asks for the 

number of loads washed in the 

household during a typical week using 

hot, warm, and cold wash water 

temperature settings. There are 11 

response options, ranging from zero to 

10+ per week. DOE summed the average 

number of wash loads per week for each 

water temperature and scaled this 

weekly value to an annual value to 

determine the average number of wash 

cycles per year. Using this method, the 

California RASS data show an average 

of 283 wash cycles per year. 

P&G also supplied DOE with data on 

typical consumer use of clothes 

washers. The P&G data show an average 

of 308 wash cycles per year. DOE review 

determined that the P&G data set 

contains fewer single-person 

households and more multiple-person 

households than the 2005 RECS data, 

which more closely approximates the 

household sizes shown in the latest 

sampling performed by the U.S. Census 

Bureau and the American Housing 

Survey in 2007.15 DOE believes that the 

larger average household size in the 

P&G study could lead to the higher 

average annual wash cycles value found 

in the P&G data. 

In today’s notice, DOE is proposing 

295 as the representative number of 

wash cycles per year based on the 2005 

RECS data. DOE believes this is a more 

representative value than the results of 

the California RASS because the survey 

is nationwide rather than limited to a 

single State. DOE also believes the 2005 

RECS value is more representative of 

average use than the value based on the 

P&G study due to the household size 

distribution of the data sets. Overall, 

however, the relatively small variation 

among the three estimates of annual 

clothes washer cycles supports DOE’s 

tentative conclusion that 295 cycles per 

year is a reasonable value to include in 

its clothes washer test procedure. 

DOE welcomes comment on whether 

295 wash cycles per year is 

representative of typical consumer use, 

and whether the 2005 RECS is an 

appropriate source of data for this issue. 

DOE also seeks any additional data 

relevant to the representative number of 

annual clothes washer cycles. 

b. Test Load Size Specifications 

The current DOE clothes washer test 

procedure specifies the test load size for 

the active washing mode energy tests 

based on the clothes washer’s container 

volume. The table specifying the test 

load sizes in the test procedure, Table 

5.1, currently only covers clothes 

washer container volumes up to 3.8 ft3. 

DOE is aware that multiple clothes 

washers available on the market have 

container volumes exceeding 3.8 ft3. 

ALS commented in response to the 

August 2009 framework document that 

it supports revising Table 5.1 to account 

for larger capacities because larger 

capacity clothes washers exist in the 

marketplace, for which Whirlpool filed 

a petition for waiver on November 21, 

2005. 71 FR 48913. ALS also stated that 

it supports Whirlpool’s petition. (ALS, 

No. 12 at p. 1) AHAM and Whirlpool 

commented that DOE should expand 

Table 5.1 to include washer capacities 

up to 6 ft3. AHAM stated that the larger 

capacities should be addressed by 

continuing the linear relationship used 

in the current table. (AHAM, No. 15 at 

p. 2; Whirlpool, No. 21 at p. 1) 

DOE also received comments from the 

Joint Comment and ASE opposing the 

expansion of the test load size 

specifications to cover container 

volumes up to 6 ft3 unless DOE verifies 

the validity of the calculations used in 

Table 5.1 with current consumer data. 

Specifically, these commenters request 

that DOE verify the average load 

calculations across machines of 

different capacities. These commenters 

also stated that DOE should ensure that 

the calculations do not introduce a bias 

favoring clothes washers with larger 

capacities. (Joint Comment, No. 14 at 

pp. 1–2; ASE, No. 22 at p. 1) 

In response to Whirlpool’s November 

2005 request for waiver, DOE granted an 

interim test procedure waiver to 

Whirlpool for three of Whirlpool’s 

clothes washer models with container 

capacities greater than 3.8 ft3. 71 FR 

48913 (August 22, 2006). This notice 

contained an alternate test procedure, 

which extended the linear relationship 

between maximum test load size and 

clothes washer container volume in 

Table 5.1 to include a maximum test 

load size of 15.4 pounds (lbs) for clothes 

washer container volumes of 3.8 to 3.9 

ft3. 

DOE is aware of limited data 

regarding typical clothes washer load 

sizes. In 2003, P&G conducted a survey 

on load size with 510 respondents, 

comprising 3367 loads of laundry. The 

data from this survey show an average 

load size of 7.2 lbs for top-loading 

machines, and 8.4 lbs for front-loading 

machines. These load sizes correspond 

to the average test loads for the 2.7–2.8 

ft3 and 3.3–3.4 ft3 clothes washer 

capacity bins, respectively, in Table 5.1. 

These results are consistent with the 

shipment-weighted average tub volume 

of 3.05 ft3 from the 2005 AHAM 

Factbook. 


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P&G has also noted that increases in 

average load size tend to correlate with 

increases in clothes washer capacities. 

DOE has found that from 1993 to 2005, 

tub capacities have increased by 14 

percent, based on AHAM data, while 

the number of cycles per year has 

decreased by 17 percent, based on RECS 

data. Assuming that households 

continued to wash the same volume of 

clothes each year, the data imply that, 

on average, the wash loads were larger. 

The limited data on this subject 

suggest that the current values in the 

test load size chart are appropriate, and 

extending the linear relationship 

between test load size and container 

capacity to larger capacities is valid. 

Thus, DOE proposes amending the 

clothes washer test procedure to 

establish test load size specifications for 

clothes washer container volumes up to 

6.0 ft3. The amendment would be based 

on a continuation of the linear 

relationship between test load size and 

clothes washer container volume 

currently in the DOE clothes washer test 

procedure. DOE welcomes comment on 

the proposed test load sizes, including 

whether the linear relationship between 

test load size and clothes washer 

container volume is representative of 

actual consumer use, and additional 

consumer use data relevant to this topic. 

c. Use Factors 

The clothes washer test procedure 

relies on use factors to weight different 

consumer behaviors in the overall 

energy and water consumption 

calculations. The factors are based on 

consumer use data and represent the 

fraction of all cycles that are run with 

certain settings or characteristics. The 

use factors in the test procedure cover 

wash and rinse temperatures, load sizes, 

and dryer use. 

DOE received comments from the 

Joint Comment and ASE regarding usage 

factors in the current clothes washer test 

procedure. They stated that DOE should 

validate the use factors for minimum, 

average, and maximum loads, TUFs, 

and the DUF based on current data. 

They also stated that DOE should verify 

that the current use factors for load 

size—12 percent for minimum load size, 

74 percent for average load size, and 14 

percent for maximum load size—do not 

introduce a systematic bias favoring 

large capacity clothes washers. These 

factors also might not reflect current 

consumer usage because they were 

established in the 1990s and because the 

assumed downward trend in the 

number of annual wash cycles may 

indicate that loads are, on average, 

larger. The Joint Comment and ASE also 

suggested that DOE should reassess the 

load adjustment factor (LAF) used in the 

RMC calculation. This factor is intended 

to represent the ratio of maximum load 

size to average load size, but a fixed 

value of 0.52 is used despite the ratio 

changing as capacity increases 

according to the data in Table 5.1. (Joint 

Comment, No. 14 at pp. 1–3; ASE, No. 

22 at p. 1) 

DOE’s responses to these comments 

on use factors are discussed separately 

in the following sections. 

i. Load Size Use Factors 

The load size use factors in the DOE 

test procedure represent the fraction of 

all wash cycles a typical consumer runs 

for the minimum, average, and 

maximum load sizes. DOE is not aware 

of recent data characterizing such usage 

patterns. Therefore, DOE is not 

proposing in today’s notice to change 

the load size use factors. DOE welcomes 

input and data on consumer selection of 

load sizes. 

ii. Temperature Use Factors 

As stated in section III.D.1.a, DOE 

proposes amending the TUFs in its 

clothes washer test procedure to 

account for steam wash cycles, and to 

revise the warm rinse TUF. DOE 

believes the steam wash cycle TUF only 

affects the extra hot TUF, leaving the 

other TUFs unchanged. 

Among the limited data on consumer 

wash and rinse temperature selections, 

the 2005 RECS and the 2004 California 

RASS both provide some information on 

temperature selections. However, each 

of these surveys only disaggregate 

temperature use into hot, warm, and 

cold cycle settings, providing no 

information on extra hot or steam use. 

Further, the RECS questionnaire asks 

respondents only for the water 

temperature selections usually used for 

the wash and rinse cycles of a clothes 

washer, which may not account for the 

less-frequent use of the hot wash cycle. 

Hot wash cycles are generally used for 

the most heavily soiled loads, which 

DOE believes would not represent the 

water temperature selection usually 

used by consumers. As a result, the 

2005 RECS data may support a hot wash 

use factor that is lower than the actual 

value. The California RASS 

questionnaire asks for the number of 

wash loads per week typically washed 

at hot, warm, and cold temperature 

settings. While this phrasing captures 

the use of all three temperature 

selections, the California RASS only 

represents one State, and may not reflect 

consumer use nationwide. Table III.5 

compares the TUFs from these two 

surveys with the current values in the 

DOE clothes washer test procedure for 

hot, warm, and cold washes, and for 

warm rinse. 

TABLE III.5—TEMPERATURE USE FACTORS

Temperature setting TUF, current test 

procedure TUF, 2005 RECS 

TUF, 2004 

California 

RASS 

Hot Wash ........................................................................................................................... 0.14 0 .062 0.2 

Warm Wash ....................................................................................................................... 0.49 0 .542 0.41 

Cold Wash ......................................................................................................................... 0.37 0 .397 0.39 

Warm Rinse ....................................................................................................................... 0.27 0 .2 N/A 

Because the factors from each source 

demonstrate general agreement, DOE 

believes that the TUFs in its test 

procedure are a reasonable estimate of 

current consumer use. While DOE is 

therefore proposing to amend only the 

TUFs for clothes washers offering a 

steam wash cycle as discussed in 

section III.D.1.a and shown in Table 

III.4, DOE welcomes comment on the 

proposed TUFs. 

DOE also notes that it has recently 

received consumer usage survey data 

from a manufacturer which indicate 

that, for one clothes washer model with 

no cold rinse option on the cycle 

recommended for cotton clothes and a 

default cold rinse on all other cycles, 

users participating in the survey 

reported using warm rinse for 1.6 

percent of all cycles. Although DOE 

does not believe that this conclusion 

necessarily applies to all consumers and 

residential clothes washer models, it 

remains open to considering the warm 

rinse TUF and welcomes further data 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
57572 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

regarding consumer usage of warm 

rinse. 

In addition, DOE proposes to revise 

the methods for measuring warm rinse 

and incorporating the revised 

measurement into the test procedure’s 

calculations. The current test procedure 

addresses warm rinses by applying a 

TUF of 0.27 to account for the 

incremental energy consumption of a 

warm rinse over that of a cold rinse. 

This indicates that 27 percent of all 

loads across all temperatures use a 

warm rinse. Because the test procedure 

incrementally accounts for warm rinses, 

the relevant provisions require the 

measurement of hot water consumption 

for the warm rinse only and the 

measurement of the electrical energy 

consumed by the clothes washer to heat 

the rinse water only. For some clothes 

washers, though, it is not entirely clear 

when water consumption for the wash 

cycle ends and rinse begins because 

multiple fill and drain events may occur 

in various sequences. 

To address this uncertainty, DOE 

believes that it is more appropriate to 

measure energy and water consumption 

over an entire cycle that utilizes warm 

rinse. DOE believes that most clothes 

washers currently available on the 

market allow users to select a warm 

rinse only with a warm wash cycle. DOE 

is, therefore, proposing to establish a 

TUF for a full warm wash/warm rinse 

cycle and to eliminate the incremental 

use factor currently attributed to warm 

rinse. DOE believes that the value of this 

incremental use factor of 0.27 would 

represent a valid TUF for the warm 

wash/warm rinse cycle. For those 

clothes washers with such an option, 

DOE is also proposing to decrement the 

warm wash/cold rinse TUF by a 

corresponding amount, reducing it from 

0.49 to 0.22. DOE further proposes that 

the warm wash/warm rinse TUF would 

not be applicable for clothes washers 

with one or two wash temperature 

settings because these washers would 

not be capable of warm wash. 

DOE is not proposing to amend the 

TUFs for wash temperature selections 

other than the warm wash. 

Additionally, the proposed TUFs for 

warm/cold and warm/warm sum to the 

current warm wash TUF. Overall, the 

warm wash temperature selection 

would receive the same weight in the 

energy and water consumption 

calculations. 

DOE recognizes that not all clothes 

washers offer a warm/warm temperature 

selection under the normal wash cycle 

setting recommended for washing 

cotton or linen clothes (hereafter, the 

‘‘Normal’’ setting). For these clothes 

washers, if a warm/warm cycle is 

available in any other wash cycle setting 

that employs agitation/tumble 

operation, spin speed(s), wash times, 

and rinse times that are largely similar 

to the ‘‘Normal’’ cycle, the warm/warm 

cycle would be tested using the wash 

cycle setting that would best reflect 

typical consumer use. Under the current 

test procedure, only the hot water 

consumption for the warm rinse and the 

electrical energy consumed by the 

clothes washer to heat the rinse water 

are required to be measured for this 

cycle. The proposed test procedure 

would require measuring energy and 

water consumption over the complete 

warm wash/warm rinse cycle. As a 

result, MEF measured under the current 

test procedure could differ from the 

MEF measured with under the proposed 

revisions. During the ongoing energy 

conservation standards rulemaking, 

DOE expects to analyze potential effects 

of the proposed warm rinse 

methodology on measured MEF and 

incorporate any such effects, as 

appropriate, into any amended 

standards. 

As stated above, DOE welcomes 

comment on these proposed TUFs, 

including steam wash and warm wash/ 

warm rinse cycles, and on whether any 

other consumer use data regarding 

temperature setting selection is 

available. DOE also requests comment 

and any relevant data on whether the 

proposed method of incorporating warm 

rinse would affect MEF ratings. 

iii. Dryer Use Factor 

DOE investigated whether the DUF of 

0.84 in its clothes washer test procedure 

reflects current consumer usage. The 

2005 RECS includes data on both 

clothes washer and clothes dryer use. 

As stated previously in section III.D.2.a, 

AHAM and Whirlpool both commented 

in support of using RECS data for 

representative annual cycles, because 

they believe no other alternative data set 

is available. (AHAM, No. 15 at p. 6; 

Whirlpool, No. 21 at p. 7) 

Analysis of the RECS data shows that, 

for households with both a clothes 

washer and dryer, the average DUF is 

0.96. For all households with a clothes 

washer, the average DUF is 0.91. This 

use factor is lower because it includes 

households with only a clothes washer 

and no dryer. DOE also analyzed the 

2004 California RASS to determine that 

its data show a DUF of 0.86 for 

households with both a clothes washer 

and dryer. This dryer use factor is based 

on 283 clothes washer cycles per year as 

supported by the California RASS, not 

the proposed 295 cycles per year in 

today’s NOPR. Including households 

without a clothes dryer, the California 

RASS data show a DUF of 0.76. 

DOE proposes amending its clothes 

washer test procedure to include a DUF 

of 0.91, based on the 2005 RECS. DOE 

is proposing 0.91 rather than 0.96 

because the clothes washer test 

procedure aims to estimate the energy 

use of all clothes washers, regardless of 

clothes dryer ownership. DOE is 

proposing to use the value derived from 

the 2005 RECS rather than the 2004 

California RASS to be consistent with 

the proposed number of wash cycles per 

year and because, as stated in section 

III.D.2.a, the RECS data represent the 

entire country rather than one State. 

DOE welcomes comment on the 

proposed value of 0.91 for the DUF and 

using the RECS data to calculate this 

value. 

iv. Load Adjustment Factor 

Load Adjustment Factor (LAF) 

represents the ratio of maximum load 

size to average load size. This ratio is 

used in the calculation of the energy 

required to remove moisture from the 

test load. The RMC value used in this 

calculation is based only on tests using 

the maximum test load, so the LAF is 

used to scale this value down to the 

average load size. DOE lacks 

information warranting adjusting this 

value or changing it from a fixed value 

to one that varies as a function of 

average load size, and is therefore not 

proposing to amend the LAF in the test 

procedure. DOE welcomes comments on 

appropriate adjustments that could be 

made to the LAF. 

3. Test Cloth 

The current clothes washer test 

procedure requires the use of closelyspecified test cloth for the energy test 

cycles. The test cloth affects the 

calculated energy consumption largely 

through the RMC value. RMC is 

calculated as the ratio of the weight of 

water absorbed by the test cloth after a 

complete energy cycle to the initial 

weight of the ‘‘bone dry’’ test cloth, 

multiplied by 100 percent. The RMC is 

then used to calculate the per-cycle 

energy consumption for removal of 

moisture from the test load. Because the 

test cloth plays a central role in 

determining energy consumption, the 

test procedure includes provisions to 

ensure consistent and accurate results. 

The test cloth characteristics can vary 

based on production lot, or even within 

the same lot, so the test procedure 

includes a calibration procedure to 

provide consistent results for all test 

cloth. 

DOE received multiple comments in 

response to the August 2009 framework 


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document regarding the test cloth used 

in its clothes washer test procedure. 

ALS commented that DOE should revise 

the test procedure to improve test cloth 

calibration auditing. (ALS, No. 12 at p. 

1) AHAM submitted detailed comments 

on this issue, including a proposal it 

sent to DOE on September 22, 2008, that 

addresses energy test cloth tolerances, 

provides additional detail for 

determining RMC, and removes 

redundant sections regarding 

preconditioning the test cloths. AHAM 

also commented that DOE should 

provide guidance and/or support on the 

annual test cloth correlation work, 

including a proposal for the creation of 

a DOE Test Cloth Advisory Panel. 

(AHAM, No. 15 at pp. 2, 10, 14–18, 34) 

In a letter to DOE sent March 29, 2010, 

AHAM confirmed that the AHAM DOE 

Test Cloth Task Force, which includes 

AHAM members, BSH, Electrolux Home 

Products, GE, Samsung, Whirlpool, and 

SDL Atlas, supported the test clothrelated changes to the test procedure 

that were proposed in AHAM’s 

comments submitted for the framework 

document. Whirlpool commented in 

support of the AHAM test cloth 

proposal. Whirlpool also commented 

that DOE should provide guidance and/ 

or support on the test cloth issues not 

addressed by the current test cloth 

supplier, which include quality, 

correlation coefficients, and the 

availability of new fabric lots. 

(Whirlpool, No. 21 at pp. 1–2) 

DOE believes that the test cloth 

specifications that AHAM proposed 

represent the industry’s consensus on 

the available means to limit uncertainty 

in the test procedure due to variations 

in the test cloth properties. DOE is 

therefore proposing to update the 

sections of the test procedure regarding 

test cloth to reflect the changes in 

September 22, 2008, proposal included 

in the AHAM comment and supported 

by Whirlpool and the Test Cloth Task 

Force. The current test procedure does 

not specify any tolerances for the size 

and weight of the energy test cloths. 

DOE is proposing the following 

tolerances: 

• In section 2.6.1, ‘‘Energy Test 

Cloth,’’ the energy test cloth shall be 24 

± 1⁄2 inches by 36 ± 1⁄2 inches (61.0 ± 1.3 

cm by 91.4 ± 1.3 cm) and hemmed to 22 

± 1⁄2 inches by 34 ± 1⁄2 inches (55.9 ± 1.3 

cm by 86.4 ± 1.3 cm) before washing; 

• In section 2.6.2, ‘‘Energy Stuffer 

Cloth,’’ the energy stuffer cloth shall be 

12 ± 1⁄4 inches by 12 ± 1⁄4 inches (30.5 

± .6 cm by 30.5 ± .6 cm) and hemmed 

to 10 ± 1⁄4 inches by 10 ± 1⁄4 inches (25.4 

± .6 cm by 25.4 ± 0.6 cm) before 

washing; and 

• In section 2.6.4.2, the fabric weight 

specification shall be 5.60 ± 0.25 ounces 

per square yard (190.0 ± 8.4 g/m2). 

According to AHAM, these tolerances 

are supported by test cloth supplier 

data. DOE believes that manufacturers 

generally agree with these updated 

tolerances, as they were proposed 

through AHAM. It also believes that 

specified tolerances will result in 

consistency across lots of test cloth. 

The current test procedure also 

contains redundant sections regarding 

the test cloth specifications and 

preconditioning. DOE proposes to delete 

the redundant sections 2.6.1.1–2.6.1.2.4. 

These sections were made obsolete in 

the 2001 Final Rule, which added 

sections 2.6.3 through 2.6.7.2 into 

Appendix J1. 66 FR 3314. However, 

DOE proposes to use in section 2.6.4.3 

the thread count specification from 

deleted section 2.6.1.1(A), of 65 × 57 per 

inch (warp × fill), based on supplier 

data. Additionally, DOE proposes to 

maintain a shrinkage limit, relocated 

from section 2.6.1.1(B) to new section 

2.6.4.7, but to increase the limit from 4 

percent to 5 percent on the length and 

width. DOE also proposes to require the 

cloth shrinkage be measured as per the 

American Association of Textile 

Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) Test 

Method 135–2004, ‘‘Dimensional 

Changes of Fabrics after Home 

Laundering.’’ These revisions are also 

supported by supplier data, according to 

AHAM. (AHAM, No. 15 at p. 15) 

The current DOE test procedure uses 

extractor tests of up to 500 units of 

gravitational acceleration (g) in 

determining the RMC correlation curve 

for test cloth lots. Clothes washers 

currently available on the market are 

capable of higher spin speeds that 

achieve g-forces higher than 500 g. DOE 

is therefore proposing to include an 

additional set of extraction tests at 650 

g. Because of the prevalence of higher 

spin speeds, DOE is also proposing to 

remove the requirement that the 500 g 

requirement be used only if a clothes 

washer can achieve spin speeds in the 

500 g range. These proposed 

amendments will result in 60 extractor 

RMC test runs required for correlation 

testing rather than the currently 

required 48. DOE is also proposing to 

update Tables 2.6.5—Matrix of Extractor 

RMC Test Conditions, and Table 

2.6.6.1—Standard RMC Values (RMC 

Standard) to include tests at 650 g. The 

proposed updated Table 2.6.6.1 is 

shown below in Table III.6, and it 

contains the additional standard RMC 

values at 650 g that were suggested by 

AHAM and supported by the AHAM 

DOE Test Cloth Task Force. 

TABLE III.6—STANDARD RMC VALUES (RMC STANDARD) 

‘‘g Force’’ 

RMC percentage 

Warm soak Cold soak 

15 min. spin 4 min. spin 15 min. spin 4 min. spin 

100 45.9 49.9 49.7 52.8 

200 35.7 40.4 37.9 43.1 

350 29.6 33.1 30.7 35.8 

500 24.2 28.7 25.5 30.0 

650 23.0 26.4 24.1 28.0 

AHAM also commented on certain 

equipment necessary for extractor RMC 

tests. Specifically, AHAM suggested 

updating the manufacturer specified for 

the extractor from Bock Engineered 

Products to North Star Engineered 

Products, Inc., although the extractor 

model number remains the same. 

AHAM also suggested updating the 

requirements for bone drying the test 

cloth in preparation for determining the 

RMC of the test loads in the extractor 

tests, including a requirement for using 

a clothes dryer capable of heating the 

test cloth to over 210 degrees Fahrenheit 

(°F) (99 degrees Celsius (°C)). AHAM 

also suggested clarifications to the 

requirements for bundling and draining 

the test cloth prior to completing the 

extractor spin cycles. These 

clarifications include procedures to 

create loose bundles of four test clothes 

each, as well as a time limit of 5 seconds 

for gravity draining the bundles after 


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soaking and 1 minute for overall 

draining and loading of all bundles into 

the extractor. Whirlpool stated that it 

supports these revisions and 

clarifications. (AHAM, No. 15 at pp. 17– 

18; Whirlpool, No. 21 at p. 1) DOE 

concurs that these revisions are 

appropriate. In particular, DOE 

conducted extractor testing and 

observed that handling the test cloth as 

specified by AHAM produces consistent 

and repeatable RMC measurements for 

use in developing RMC correction 

curves. DOE also notes that North Star 

Engineered Products, Inc. operates at 

the same location and supplies the same 

model of extractor as the previously 

specified Bock Engineered Products, 

and that AHAM’s proposed 

requirements for a bone dryer add 

specificity that was previously lacking 

in the test procedure and have general 

industry approval. Therefore, DOE 

proposes in today’s notice to amend its 

clothes washer test procedure in 

sections 2.6.5.1 and 2.6.5.3 as discussed 

above, and add new section 2.12 with 

the bone dryer specifications. 

AHAM also recommended that DOE 

add a section 2.6.5.3.1.2 to include a 

‘‘Bone Drying Procedure.’’ (AHAM, No. 

15 at p. 17) DOE finds that this 

procedure is duplicative of the 

definition of ‘‘bone-dry’’ in section 1 of 

its test procedure, and, therefore, is not 

proposing to amend section 2.6.5.3.1 as 

suggested by AHAM. 

DOE requests comment on the 

proposed updated test cloth tolerances 

and correlation procedure. DOE also 

requests any data related to the test 

cloth and correlation procedures. 

4. Other Revisions and Clarifications 

a. Clothes Washer Capacity 

Measurement Method 

The current clothes washer test 

procedure requires measuring clothes 

container capacity as ‘‘the entire volume 

which a dry clothes load could occupy 

within the clothes container during 

washer operation.’’ 10 CFR part 430, 

subpart B, appendix J1. The procedure 

involves filling the clothes washer with 

water, and determining the volume 

based on the added weight of water 

divided by its density. Specifically, the 

test procedure requires that the clothes 

container be filled manually with either 

60 °F ± 5 °F (15.6 °C ± 2.8 °C) or 100 

°F ± 10 °F (37.8 °C ± 5.5 °C) water to 

its ‘‘uppermost edge’’. Id. 

DOE became aware that this general 

specification of the water fill level could 

lead to multiple capacity measurements 

that do not reflect the actual capacity 

available for washing clothes. DOE 

conducted capacity tests on a small 

sample of clothes washers to observe the 

different possible fill levels and to 

determine the variability associated 

with the current capacity test method. 

Comparison of measured capacities to 

rated values for the models in DOE’s test 

sample showed that the majority of the 

reported capacities varied from DOE’s 

measurements, some by as much as 0.5 

ft3. To provide more specific 

instructions on measuring the clothes 

container capacity, DOE issued draft 

guidance interpreting the maximum fill 

level required by the existing test 

procedure, available at http:// 

www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/

appliance_standards/residential/pdfs/

frequently_asked_questions_cw_final_

05-13-2010.pdf. This draft guidance 

determines the maximum fill level (i.e., 

the ‘‘uppermost edge’’) as the highest 

horizontal plane that a clothes load 

could occupy with the clothes container 

oriented vertically. 

Separate from development of the 

guidance interpreting the fill level 

required by the existing test procedure, 

DOE sought comment in the August 

2009 framework document on whether 

improvements to the existing test 

procedure were warranted. BSH 

commented that a performance 

assessment related to claimed load size 

would significantly benefit the 

consumer. According to BSH, 

comparing clothes container volumes 

between ‘‘regular efficiency’’ verticalaxis, high efficiency vertical-axis, and 

horizontal-axis clothes washers can be 

misleading. BSH stated that capacity 

should be linked to performance to 

better describe the utility of the 

appliance. (BSH, No. 9 at p. 2) The Joint 

Comment and ASE stated that the test 

procedure capacity measurement should 

reflect the useful volume of the clothes 

container that is actually available for 

clothes washing. The two comments 

noted that in 1995 DOE received 

information from Maytag that the 

clothes container volumes for verticalaxis machines could be overstated by 15 

to 20 percent. The two comments stated 

that DOE should modify the test 

procedure to provide more accurate 

measurements if this overstatement is 

still occurring today. (Joint Comment, 

No. 14 at pp. 2–3; ASE, No. 22 at p. 1) 

Samsung also commented that DOE 

should propose to clarify how clothes 

container capacity for vertical-axis 

clothes washers is measured so that the 

result would reflect the usable capacity 

of the clothes washer. Samsung 

suggested the Committee Draft for Vote 

of IEC Standard 60456, Fifth Edition as 

a possible source for the clarification. 

That document specifies filling the 

clothes container with water ‘‘to its 

uppermost edge which may be used to 

fill in clothes, respecting manufacturer 

instructions.’’ Samsung notes that 

manufacturers instruct consumers to fill 

clothes to the top of the clothes 

container’s internal basket. (Samsung, 

No. 24 at pp. 1–2) ALS commented that 

DOE should revise the test procedure to 

clarify that, for vertical-axis clothes 

washers, the ‘‘uppermost edge’’ 

terminating point for the ‘‘capacity’’ 

measurement should be defined as the 

‘‘top of the tub cover.’’ (ALS, No. 12 at 

p. 1) ASAP expressed concern that the 

advertised capacity of a specific model 

is typically larger than the capacity 

that’s reported to ENERGY STAR, CEC, 

and other public databases. (ASAP, 

Public Meeting Transcript, No. 7 at p. 

20) According to the Joint Comment, the 

advertised capacity may be based on the 

DOE capacity, multiplied by an IEC 

conversion factor of 15/13, but that this 

conversion may not be made apparent. 

(Joint Comment, No. 14 at p. 2) 

DOE believes that these comments 

indicate that improvements to the 

description of the fill level required by 

the current test procedure could result 

in more stable, accurate, representative, 

and repeatable capacity measurements. 

The following paragraphs describe 

DOE’s proposed changes to the test 

measurements for both horizontal-axis 

and vertical-axis clothes washers. 

For vertical-axis clothes washers, DOE 

proposes that the clothes container be 

filled to the uppermost edge of the 

rotating portion, including any balance 

ring. In tests DOE conducted on a 

limited sample of residential clothes 

washers for this rulemaking, DOE 

observed the maximum height to which 

the dry clothes could be filled in a 

vertical-axis clothes washer technically 

includes space above the upper surface 

of the stationary portion over the wash 

tub (commonly referred to as the tub 

cover.) However, in most cases, if 

clothes were placed in that region 

during a wash cycle, it is likely that 

portion of the load would not interact 

with water and detergent properly, and 

that entanglement would also likely 

occur. Based on its tests and review of 

manufacturer recommendations 

provided in product manuals, DOE 

believes the uppermost edge of the 

rotating portion of the clothes container 

for a vertical-axis clothes washer would 

be the highest horizontal plane that a 

clothes load could occupy while 

maintaining proper wash performance 

and ensuring a stable, accurate, and 

repeatable measurement. This would 

include the uppermost edge of any 

balance ring attached to the clothes 

container. Additionally, any volume 


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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 57575 

within the clothes container that a 

clothing load could not occupy during 

active washing mode operation should 

be excluded from the measurement. 

For horizontal-axis clothes washers, 

DOE proposes that the clothes container 

be filled to the uppermost edge that is 

in contact with the door seal. DOE 

believes that the uppermost edge of the 

clothes container would typically be the 

portion of the door seal in contact with 

the door during operation. DOE also 

considered using the inner surface of 

the closed door as a possible definition 

of the uppermost edge of the clothes 

container. However, DOE observed 

during testing that small variations in 

the leveling of the clothes container’s 

upper edge can make it difficult to 

determine in a repeatable way the water 

level that just meets the inner door 

surface. Additionally, measuring to the 

innermost surface of the closed door 

would not account for the extra volume 

available due to other parts of the door 

not projecting as far into the clothes 

container. Therefore, DOE believes that 

the uppermost edge of the clothes 

container that is in contact with the 

door seal for a horizontal-axis clothes 

washer would be the highest horizontal 

plane that a clothes load could occupy, 

as determined with the door open. Any 

volume within the clothes container 

that the clothing load could not occupy 

during active washing mode operation 

must be excluded. 

DOE believes the proposed 

amendments would provide a consistent 

approach to determining the fill level 

and result in a representative capacity 

measurement. DOE is aware of other 

methods for measuring the clothes 

container capacity, such as those 

contained in IEC Standard 60456, but 

believes these other methods create an 

unnecessary test burden by using 

uncommon materials to measure the 

container capacity, and may not result 

in a capacity that is representative of 

actual use. DOE welcomes comment on 

whether the proposed method for 

measuring clothes container capacity 

provides a representative measurement 

of the volume which a dry clothes load 

could occupy within the clothes 

container during washer operation. DOE 

also welcomes comment on whether any 

other valid measurement method is 

available. 

b. New Measure of Water Consumption 

The calculation for WF currently set 

forth in the clothes washer test 

procedure is derived from only the 

water consumed during the cold wash/ 

cold rinse wash cycle. 10 CFR part 430, 

subpart B, appendix J1. Hot water 

consumption is measured for all wash 

cycles, including warm, hot, and extra 

hot washes, but it is only used to 

determine the energy needed to heat the 

water. This presents an opportunity to 

bias the test procedure results by setting 

cold wash water consumption very low, 

while using more water at higher 

temperatures, in order to minimize the 

weighted average water consumption on 

which the WF is based. 

To prevent such bias and to produce 

the most representative value of water 

consumption, DOE proposes to include 

water consumption from all energy test 

cycles in the calculation of the new 

integrated metric, IWF. DOE believes 

the proposed IWF calculation will 

provide a more representative measure 

of water consumption and will not 

substantially increase manufacturers’ 

test burden. This is because hot water 

consumption is already recorded for all 

wash cycles and the equipment for 

measuring cold water consumption 

must be in place for the cold wash 

cycles. DOE believes that, in practice, 

manufacturers likely record the data for 

cold water consumption at other wash 

temperatures as well even though it is 

not required by the current test 

procedure. 

DOE therefore proposes to measure 

both the hot and cold water 

consumption for each test cycle in order 

to calculate IWF. Doing so will provide 

total water consumption for each test 

cycle, including self-clean cycles. The 

total weighted per-cycle water 

consumption will equal the self-clean 

cycle water consumption multiplied by 

the number of self-clean cycles per year 

divided by 295 annual use cycles, plus 

the total water consumption for each 

test cycle multiplied by its TUF and 

load usage factor. IWF is then equal to 

this total weighted per-cycle water 

consumption divided by the clothes 

container volume. 

DOE welcomes comment on the 

validity of including water consumption 

from all test cycles, including self-clean 

cycles, in the proposed calculation of 

IWF. DOE also requests comment on 

whether the IWF calculation would 

result in a significant test burden. 

c. Energy Test Cycle 

The energy test cycle is the cycle used 

in determining the MEF and WF for a 

clothes washer. The current clothes 

washer test procedure defines the 

energy test cycle as ‘‘(A) the cycle 

recommended by the manufacturer for 

washing cotton or linen clothes, and 

includes all wash/rinse temperature 

selections and water levels offered in 

that cycle, and (B) for each other wash/ 

rinse temperature selection or water 

level available on that basic model, the 

portion(s) of other cycle(s) with that 

temperature selection or water level 

that, when tested pursuant to these test 

procedures, will contribute to an 

accurate representation of the energy 

consumption of the basic model as used 

by consumers. Any cycle under (A) or 

(B) shall include the agitation/tumble 

operation, spin speed(s), wash times, 

and rinse times applicable to that cycle, 

including water heating time for water 

heating clothes washers.’’ 10 CFR 430, 

subpart B, appendix J1. 

Many machines provide a ‘‘normal’’ 

cycle setting, or some equivalent, which 

is typically used for washing cotton or 

linen clothes. Testing conducted using 

the normal cycle setting satisfies part A 

of the energy test cycle definition. 

However, many of these normal cycle 

settings limit range of wash and rinse 

temperature selections. For example, 

they may offer cold and warm wash 

temperatures with cold rinse, but may 

not allow the user to select a hot or extra 

hot wash, or a warm wash with warm 

rinse. Testing only the wash 

temperature options available to the 

normal cycle, despite being able to 

access the other temperature options by 

switching out of the normal cycle, may 

neglect part B of the energy test cycle 

definition, which requires 

manufacturers to switch out of the 

normal cycle to a different setting that 

allows the other temperature settings to 

be selected and tested if such testing 

contributes to an accurate 

representation of energy consumption as 

used by consumers. 

DOE understands that the 

requirement to test different 

temperature options ‘‘if such testing 

contributes to an accurate 

representation of energy consumption as 

used by consumers’’ has caused some 

confusion. As a result, DOE proposes to 

amend part B of the energy test cycle 

definition to definitively account for 

temperature options available only 

outside the normal cycle. The proposed 

part (B) would read ‘‘* * * (B) if the 

cycle described in (A) does not include 

all wash/rinse temperature settings 

available on the clothes washer, and 

required for testing as described in this 

test procedure, the energy test cycle 

shall also include the portions of a cycle 

setting offering these wash/rinse 

temperature settings with agitation/ 

tumble operation, spin speed(s), wash 

times, and rinse times that are largely 

comparable to those for the cycle 

recommended by the manufacturer for 

washing cotton or linen clothes. Any 

cycle under (A) or (B) shall include the 

default agitation/tumble operation, soil 

level, spin speed(s), wash times, and 

rinse times applicable to that cycle, 


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57576 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

including water heating time for water 

heating clothes washers.’’ DOE believes 

that requiring manufacturers to test 

temperature options available outside 

the normal cycle would result in clear 

testing requirements. Combined with 

appropriate TUFs, the proposed test 

procedure would produce results that 

measure energy consumption of clothes 

washers during a representative average 

use cycle or period of use, as required 

by 42 U.S.C. 6923(b)(3). 

DOE notes that it has issued draft 

guidance, available at http:// 

www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ 

appliance_standards/residential/pdfs/ 

warm_rinse_guidance_july_30.pdf, 

interpreting the definition of energy test 

cycle under the existing clothes washer 

test procedure. This draft guidance 

states DOE’s view that under the 

existing test procedure, the energy test 

cycle should include the warm rinse of 

the cycle most comparable to the cycle 

recommended by the manufacturer for 

washing cotton or linen clothes if warm 

rinse is not available on the cotton or 

linen cycle. In addition, DOE reiterates 

in the guidance that under the existing 

test procedure, warm rinse is to be 

measured as being used 27 percent of 

the time, regardless of whether the 

warm rinse is available on the cotton or 

linen cycle. 

DOE also notes that it has received 

information from a manufacturer that 

suggests that cycles that vary from the 

cotton or linen cycle by means of lower 

spin speed result in a higher RMC than 

would be measured for the cotton or 

linen cycle, and therefore would not be 

largely comparable to those for the cycle 

recommended by the manufacturer for 

washing cotton or linen clothes or 

contribute to an accurate representation 

of energy consumption as used by 

consumers if they were included in the 

energy test cycle. 

DOE requests comment on the 

proposed definition of the energy test 

cycle and on how manufacturers 

currently address wash/rinse 

temperature selection under the current 

definition, as well as the percentage of 

loads in which consumers use warm 

rinse, as represented by the TUFs 

discussed in section III.D.2.c.ii. DOE 

also requests comment on the selection 

of cycles to be included in the energy 

test cycle under section 1.7(B) of the test 

procedure to definitively account for 

temperature options available only 

outside the normal cycle. 

d. Detergent Specifications for Test 

Cloth Preconditioning 

The DOE clothes washer test 

procedure currently specifies that the 

test cloth be preconditioned by 

performing two normal wash-rinse-spin 

cycles using AHAM Standard detergent 

IIA. 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, 

appendix J1. This detergent is obsolete 

and no longer supplied by AHAM or 

other suppliers. The current AHAM 

standard detergent is identified as 

AHAM standard test detergent Formula 

3. Because AHAM Standard detergent 

IIA is no longer available to 

manufacturers, DOE proposes amending 

the clothes washer test procedure to 

specify the use of AHAM standard test 

detergent Formula 3 in test cloth 

preconditioning. 

Tests that DOE conducted with 

AHAM standard test detergent Formula 

3 according to the existing DOE clothes 

washer test procedure suggest that the 

dosage that is specified in section 

2.6.3.1 for AHAM Standard detergent 

IIA—6.0 grams (g) per gallon of water— 

may no longer be appropriate. At the 

end of test cloth preconditioning, 

undissolved clumps of detergent were 

observed in the cloth load. Further, DOE 

conducted extractor tests that indicate 

that detergent dosage affects RMC 

measurements by as much as several 

percent. 

Instructions provided with AHAM 

standard test detergent Formula 3 by 

one supplier of standard test materials, 

SDL Atlas, indicate that the appropriate 

dosage for this detergent is 27.0 g + 4.0 

g per pound of cloth load. In addition, 

AHAM’s clothes dryer test standard, 

AHAM HLD–1–2009, specifies the same 

dosage of AHAM standard test detergent 

Formula 3 for test cloth pre-treatment. 

Due to the problems associated with the 

current dosage specification in the DOE 

clothes washer test procedure, DOE is 

tentatively proposing to amend the test 

procedure to require 27.0 g + 4.0 g/lb of 

AHAM standard test detergent Formula 

3 for test cloth preconditioning. 

However, DOE is also seeking further 

information on the appropriate 

detergent concentration. 

e. Clothes Washer for Test Cloth 

Preconditioning 

Section 2.6.3.1 of the current DOE 

clothes washer test procedure delineates 

the requirements for preconditioning 

the test cloths using a clothes washer for 

which a maximum water level can be 

set, the load can be washed for 10 

minutes, and the wash temperature can 

be controlled to 135 °F ± 5 °F (57.2 °C 

± 2.8 °C). 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, 

appendix J1. In interviews with DOE, 

multiple manufacturers expressed 

concern that there are currently few 

clothes washers commercially available 

that meet these requirements. They also 

expressed concern that the more 

stringent energy conservation standards 

that may result from the residential 

clothes washer standards rulemaking 

may eliminate such clothes washer 

models from the market entirely. DOE 

seeks information regarding an 

alternative specification for the clothes 

washer to be used for preconditioning 

that would allow for the use of more 

recent models. 

f. Water Supply Pressure 

Section 2.4 of the current DOE clothes 

washer test procedure provides the 

water pressure test conditions. 

According to this section, ‘‘[t]he static 

water pressure at the hot and cold water 

inlet connection of the clothes washer 

shall be maintained at 35 pounds per 

square inch gauge (psig) ±/¥ 2.5 psig 

(241.3 kPa ± 17.2 kPa) during the test. 

The static water pressure for a single 

water inlet connection shall be 

maintained at the 35 psig ± 2.5 psig 

(241.3 kPa ± 17.2 kPa) during the test. 

A water pressure gauge shall be 

installed in both the hot and cold water 

lines to measure water pressure.’’ 10 

CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix J1. 

DOE believes this description is 

ambiguous as to whether the nominal 35 

psig water pressure is to be set under 

static (non-flow) conditions and allowed 

to drop during flow due to the head 

losses in the line, or whether the 35 psig 

is to be maintained continuously under 

all flow conditions during the test. In 

addition, the test procedure does not 

specify where the pressure 

measurement is to be taken, which 

could lead to different results 

depending on the pressure drops 

associated with the water supply lines 

between the gauge and the connection 

to the clothes washer. 

Tests conducted by DOE on a small 

sample of both front- and top-loading 

clothes washers indicate that water 

supply pressure can affect water 

consumption during a wash cycle, and 

the effect of water supply pressure on 

total water use can vary depending on 

the temperature settings selected. For 

tests at 10, 20, and 35 psig water supply 

pressure under flow conditions, water 

consumption varied by 10–30 percent 

among the different pressure conditions 

for either hot wash/cold rinse or cold 

wash/cold rinse cycles. 

The test data suggest that a water 

supply pressure of 20 psig under flow 

conditions results in the most consistent 

water use among different cycles for a 

given clothes washer. DOE believes that 

20 psig may represent typical static 

pressure under flow conditions that 

would result from 35 psig at non-flow 

conditions. DOE further believes that 

these conditions may be more 

representative of water supply 


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conditions that would be found in 

typical residential settings than a 

constant static pressure of 35 psig even 

under flow conditions. 

However, DOE test procedures for 

other residential appliances more 

closely specify the 35 psig requirement 

as being applicable under flow 

conditions. For example, section 2.4 of 

the DOE test procedure for dishwashers 

(10 CFR part 430 subpart B, appendix C) 

specifies to ‘‘maintain the pressure of 

the water supply at 35 ± 2.5 pounds per 

square inch gauge (psig) when the water 

is flowing.’’ Dishwashers and clothes 

washers would likely have the same 

water supply pressure when installed in 

a house, so the test procedures for these 

products should include consistent 

water supply pressure specifications. 

DOE is uncertain about which 

interpretation of the water supply 

pressure (i.e., 35 psig only for no-flow 

conditions, or 35 psig under all flow 

conditions) has been assumed by 

manufacturers and certification 

laboratories. DOE also lacks sufficient 

information as to which interpretation 

produces representative, repeatable 

water consumption measurements. For 

these reasons, DOE is not proposing in 

today’s notice amendments to its clothes 

washer test procedure to more closely 

specify water supply pressure. DOE 

seeks information about the conditions 

under which clothes washers are 

currently tested and invites comment on 

the appropriate specification of the 

water supply pressure. 

g. Additional Revisions and 

Clarifications 

Section 2.6.4.5.3 of the current test 

procedure discusses standards 

incorporated by reference for verifying 

the absence of water repellent finishes 

on the energy test cloth: AATCC Test 

Method 118–1997, ‘‘Oil Repellency: 

Hydrocarbon Resistance Test’’ and 

AATCC Test Method 79–2000, 

‘‘Absorbency of Bleached Textiles.’’ 10 

CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix J1. 

To be consistent with referenced 

standards in other DOE test procedures, 

DOE proposes to remove this paragraph 

from the clothes washer test procedure 

and, instead, include these two AATCC 

test procedures in 10 CFR 430.3, 

‘‘Materials Incorporated by Reference.’’ 

In addition, DOE proposes adding to 10 

CFR 430.3 the newly referenced AATCC 

Test Method 135–2004, ‘‘Dimensional 

Changes of Fabrics after Home 

Laundering’’ for measuring shrinkage of 

the energy test cloth. 

Section 3.8.4 provides test methods 

for measuring RMC for clothes washers 

that have options that result in different 

RMC values, such as multiple selection 

of spin speeds or spin times. The 

methodology requires conducting tests 

to measure RMC at maximum spin 

settings with the maximum test load 

size for cold rinse and, if any, for warm 

rinse, and then repeating the tests at 

minimum spin settings. These tests 

would result in two values of RMC at 

maximum load size, which are weighted 

to obtain final RMC. These two values 

are currently identified as RMCmax

extraction and RMCmin extraction, which do 

not correspond to the nomenclature 

used in the sections from which they are 

derived, sections 3.8.2 or section 3.8.3, 

respectively. In those sections, the 

measurement is designated as RMCmax. 

DOE proposes to modify the 

nomenclature in section 3.8.4 to clarify 

that these are the values obtained from 

either section 3.8.2 or section 3.8.3. 

Section 4.1.4 of the current clothes 

washer test procedure calculates the 

total per-cycle hot water energy 

consumption using gas-heated or oilheated water. The equation listed in this 

section contains a clerical error in the 

symbol for total weighted per-cycle hot 

water energy consumption. DOE 

proposes amending the equation to 

replace the incorrect symbol, HT, with 

the correct symbol, HET. DOE would 

apply this amendment to both existing 

appendix J1 and new appendix J2 in 10 

CFR part 430 subpart B. 

Section 4.5 of the current clothes 

washer test procedure provides for the 

calculation of Energy Factor (EF). EF 

was the energy efficiency metric used to 

establish energy conservation standards 

for clothes washers manufactured before 

January 1, 2004. 10 CFR 430.32(g). This 

metric is no longer used to determine 

compliance with energy conservation 

standards, or in any other related 

metrics. For example, the EnergyGuide 

labeling requirements specify 

identification of annual operating costs. 

16 CFR part 305, appendix F1, appendix 

F2. Annual operating cost is based on 

the per-cycle energy consumption, 

rather than EF or MEF. 10 CFR 430.23(j). 

Therefore, DOE proposes to remove the 

obsolete calculation of EF from the 

clothes washer test procedure. 

5. Test Procedure Performance 

Specifications 

The current DOE clothes washer test 

procedure does not include any 

provisions for evaluating the wash 

quality of a clothes washer. The intent 

of the test procedure is to determine the 

water and energy consumption of a 

clothes washer, regardless of its wash 

capabilities. 

In response to the August 2009 

framework document, DOE received 

multiple comments regarding adding 

performance measures to the clothes 

washer test procedure. AHAM and BSH 

commented that DOE should evaluate 

the feasibility of incorporating a 

performance measure into the test 

procedure because, according to both, 

the efficiency level 4 and max-tech 

MEFs and WFs proposed in the August 

2009 framework document are 

approaching limits at which product 

performance and consumer satisfaction 

may become an issue. AHAM noted it 

has a standard addressing performance, 

AHAM HLW–1, which is harmonized 

with IEC Standard 60456, ‘‘Clothes 

washing machines for household use— 

Methods for measuring the 

performance.’’ Additionally, AHAM and 

BSH stated that Europe requires a 

performance rating in addition to energy 

and water consumption requirements. 

BSH stated that DOE should review IEC 

Standard 60456 for methods of assessing 

performance. (AHAM, No. 15 at p. 2; 

BSH, No. 9 at p. 1) ALS also expressed 

concern that the standards have reached 

a point where increased efficiency 

levels will result in unacceptable 

washing, rinsing, and expected 

consumer utility performance, 

especially in the standard capacity 

vertical-axis product class. According to 

ALS, washing clothes requires both 

water and thermal energy, but higher 

efficiency standards require decreasing 

both. ALS commented that there already 

appears to be ‘‘consumer backlash’’ from 

some owners of high-efficiency clothes 

washers regarding the ability of these 

washers to clean their laundry as 

expected. ALS recommended that DOE 

examine AHAM HLW–1, IEC Standard 

60456, and AS/NZS 2040.1 as possible 

performance test procedures. (ALS, No. 

12 at pp. 1–2) Whirlpool commented 

that many of the candidate standard 

levels in the August 2009 framework 

document could only be met by 

significantly compromising product 

performance, and therefore provisions 

to ensure proper wash performance, 

rinse performance, and an absence of 

fabric damage must be added to the test 

procedure. The comment referenced the 

AHAM test procedure, HLW–1–2007, as 

a source for such performance criteria. 

(Whirlpool, No. 21 at p. 2) 

DOE has carefully considered these 

comments and recognizes the benefits of 

wash performance characterization, but 

is not proposing to incorporate 

measures of wash performance into the 

clothes washer test procedure. As stated 

in EPCA, ‘‘[a]ny test procedures 

prescribed or amended under this 

section shall be reasonably designed to 

produce test results which measure 

energy efficiency, energy use * * * or 


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estimated annual operating cost of a 

covered product during a representative 

average use cycle or period of use * * * 

and shall not be unduly burdensome to 

conduct.’’ 42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(3). DOE 

will, however, consider wash 

performance and related impacts to 

consumer utility in developing any 

future energy conservation standards for 

residential clothes washers. 

E. Compliance With Other EPCA 

Requirements 

1. Test Burden 

As noted previously, under 42 U.S.C. 

6293(b)(3), EPCA requires that ‘‘[a]ny 

test procedures prescribed or amended 

under this section shall 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 shall not be 

unduly burdensome to conduct.’’ For the 

reasons that follow, DOE has tentatively 

concluded that amending the relevant 

DOE test procedures to incorporate 

clauses regarding test conditions and 

methods found in IEC Standard 62301, 

along with the proposed modifications 

to the active washing mode test 

procedure, would satisfy this 

requirement. 

The proposed amendments to the 

DOE test procedure incorporate a test 

standard that is accepted internationally 

for measuring power consumption in 

standby mode and off mode. Based on 

its analysis of IEC Standard 62301, DOE 

determined that the proposed 

amendments to the clothes washer test 

procedure will produce standby mode 

and off mode average power 

consumption measurements that are 

representative of an average use cycle, 

both when the measured power is stable 

and when the measured power is 

unstable (i.e., when the measured power 

varies by 5 percent or more during 30 

minutes.) Additionally, DOE is 

proposing similar provisions for 

measuring power in additional active 

modes (delay start and cycle finished 

modes). The test methods and 

equipment that the amendments would 

require for measuring power in these 

modes are not substantially different 

from the test methods and equipment 

required in the current DOE test 

procedure for measuring the product’s 

energy consumption in active washing 

mode. Therefore, the proposed test 

procedure would not require 

manufacturers to make a major 

investment in test facilities and new 

equipment. For these reasons, DOE has 

tentatively concluded that the proposed 

amended test procedure would produce 

test results that measure the standby, 

off, delay start and cycle finished mode 

power consumption of a clothes washer 

during a representative average use 

cycle, and that the test procedure would 

not be unduly burdensome to conduct. 

DOE is also proposing amendments to 

the active washing mode portion of the 

clothes washer test procedure. Because 

these amendments would require 

manufacturers to make the same 

measurements as specified by the 

current test procedure, DOE believes 

that manufacturers likely would not 

require additional investment or 

equipment purchases to conduct the 

energy testing as proposed in this 

notice. The proposed water pressure 

requirement may require some 

manufacturers to purchase additional 

pressure regulators, but DOE believes 

this expense would not be significant— 

on the order of hundreds of dollars. The 

proposed amendments would also 

require additional time to conduct, 

because manufacturers would need to 

test additional cycles not included in 

the current test procedure, such as selfclean or steam wash cycles. DOE 

believes, however, that including these 

additional cycles in the test procedure 

would provide for a more representative 

measurement of machine energy 

efficiency and water use, and that the 

time commitment required to test these 

additional cycles would not represent a 

significant burden on manufacturers. 

The current test procedure already 

requires multiple energy test cycles. 

Testing self-clean and steam wash 

cycles, only on clothes washers offering 

these features, would likely increase the 

total test time for these units by 

approximately 25 percent. 

2. Integration of Standby Mode and Off 

Mode Energy Consumption Into the 

Efficiency Metrics 

Section 325(gg)(2)(A) of EPCA 

requires that standby mode and off 

mode energy consumption be 

‘‘integrated into the overall energy 

efficiency, energy consumption, or other 

energy descriptor for each covered 

product’’ unless the current test 

procedures already fully account for the 

standby mode and off mode energy 

consumption or if such an integrated 

test procedure is technically infeasible. 

(42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A)) DOE proposes 

to incorporate the clothes washer 

standby and off mode energy 

consumption, in addition to energy 

consumption in delay start and cycle 

finished modes, into a ‘‘per-cycle 

standby, off, delay start and cycle 

finished mode energy consumption,’’ 

expressed in kWh, and into an IMEF, as 

discussed in section III.C.5 of this 

notice. 

EPCA provides that test procedure 

amendments adopted to comply with 

the new EPCA requirements for standby 

and off mode energy consumption will 

not determine compliance with 

previously established standards. (42 

U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(C)) Because DOE is 

proposing to adopt the amendments as 

a new appendix J1 to 10 CFR part 430 

subpart B that manufacturers would not 

be required to use until the compliance 

date of amended energy conservation 

standards for residential clothes 

washers, the test procedure 

amendments pertaining to standby 

mode and off mode energy consumption 

that DOE proposes to adopt in this 

rulemaking would not apply to, and 

would have no effect on, existing 

standards. 

3. Commercial Clothes Washers 

The test procedure for commercial 

clothes washers is required to be the 

same test procedure established for 

residential clothes washers. (42 U.S.C. 

6314(a)(8)) Thus, the test procedure set 

forth in appendix J1 of subpart B of 10 

CFR part 430 is also currently used to 

test commercial clothes washers. (10 

CFR part 431.154) If DOE were to apply 

the proposed new appendix J2 to 

commercial clothes washers, the 

impacts would be limited to the 

proposed amendments associated with 

active washing mode because 

commercial clothes washer standards 

are based on MEF and WF. These 

include proposed changes to the test 

load size specification, TUFs, DUF, test 

cloth specification, capacity 

measurement, detergent specification, 

and water supply pressure specification, 

which will have some effect on the 

measured energy and water efficiencies 

of a commercial clothes washer. DOE 

believes that the most significant 

impacts could be associated with the 

proposed amendments for capacity 

measurement and usage factors, but 

does not have information to evaluate 

any impacts for commercial clothes 

washers. Therefore, DOE welcomes 

inputs on the effects of the proposed 

amendments in appendix J2 on the 

measured energy and water efficiencies 

of commercial clothes washers. 

F. Impact of the Proposed Amendments 

on EnergyGuide and ENERGY STAR 

DOE considered potential impacts of 

the proposed test procedure 

amendments to the FTC EnergyGuide 

requirements and determined that there 

will be no impact. DOE also considered 

potential impacts of the proposed test 

procedure amendments to the EPA/DOE 


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16A searchable database of certified small 

businesses is available online at: http:// 

dsbs.sba.gov/dsbs/search/dsp_dsbs.cfm. 

ENERGY STAR voluntary labeling 

program. The ENERGY STAR program 

for clothes washers is based on MEF and 

WF. DOE notes that the calculation of 

MEF could be affected by the proposed 

revisions incorporating the energy and 

water consumption for warm wash/ 

warm rinse cycles. These proposed 

revisions should not affect the 

calculated MEF for the majority of 

clothes washers, but could have some 

effect on clothes washers offering a 

warm/warm temperature selection only 

for cycle setting(s) other than the cycle 

setting recommended by the 

manufacturer for cotton or linen 

clothing. The calculations of both MEF 

and WF could also be affected by the 

proposed revision to the clothes 

container capacity measurement, 

depending on how manufacturers are 

currently interpreting the nonspecific 

water fill level specification. As part of 

the current residential clothes washer 

energy conservation standards 

rulemaking, DOE would analyze any 

potential impact of the proposed test 

procedure on calculated MEF values. 

G. Elimination of the Obsolete Clothes 

Washer Test Procedure 

DOE proposes to delete appendix J to 

subpart B of 10 CFR part 430 along with 

all references to appendix J in 10 CFR 

430.23. Appendix J applies only to 

clothes washers manufactured before 

January 1, 2004 and is therefore 

obsolete. Appendix J1 to subpart B of 10 

CFR part 430 provides an applicable test 

procedure for all clothes washers 

currently available on the market. DOE 

proposes to maintain the current 

naming of appendix J1, rather than 

renaming it as appendix J, and to 

establish new appendix J2 to simplify 

the changes required. DOE has 

previously used this approach of 

retaining later versions of appendices to 

subpart B of 10 CFR part 430 when 

deleting the original version, including 

appendix A1, ‘‘Uniform Test Method for 

Measuring the Energy Consumption of 

Electric Refrigerators and Electric 

Refrigerator-Freezers,’’ and appendix B1, 

‘‘Uniform Test Method for Measuring 

the Energy Consumption of Freezers.’’ 

IV. Procedural Requirements 

A. Review Under Executive Order 12866 

Today’s regulatory action is not a 

‘‘significant regulatory action’’ under 

section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866, 

Regulatory Planning and Review, 58 FR 

51735 (October 4, 1993). Accordingly, 

this proposed action was not subject to 

review under the Executive Order by the 

Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs (OIRA) in the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB). 

B. Review Under the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act 

The Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 

U.S.C. 601 et seq.) requires preparation 

of an initial regulatory flexibility 

analysis for any rule that by law must 

be proposed for public comment, unless 

the agency certifies that the proposed 

rule, if promulgated, will not have a 

significant economic impact on a 

substantial number of small entities. As 

required by Executive Order 13272, 

‘‘Proper Consideration of Small Entities 

in Agency Rulemaking,’’ 67 FR 53461 

(August 16, 2002), DOE published 

procedures and policies on February 19, 

2003, to ensure that the potential 

impacts of its rules on small entities are 

properly considered during the 

rulemaking process. 68 FR 7990. DOE’s 

procedures and policies may be viewed 

on the Office of the General Counsel’s 

Web site (http://www.gc.doe.gov). 

DOE reviewed today’s proposed rule 

under the provisions of the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act and the procedures and 

policies published on February 19, 

2003. DOE has tentatively concluded 

that the proposed rule would not have 

a significant impact on a substantial 

number of small entities. The factual 

basis for this certification is as follows: 

The Small Business Administration 

(SBA) considers a business entity to be 

small business, if, together with its 

affiliates, it employs less than a 

threshold number of workers specified 

in 13 CFR part 121. These size standards 

and codes are established by the North 

American Industry Classification 

System (NAICS). The threshold number 

for NAICS classification code 335224, 

which applies to household laundry 

equipment manufacturers and includes 

clothes washer manufacturers, is 1,000 

employees. Searches of the SBA Web 

site 16 to identify clothes washer 

manufacturers within these NAICS 

codes identified, out of approximately 

17 manufacturers supplying clothes 

washers in the United States, only one 

small business. This small business 

manufactures laundry appliances, 

including clothes washers. The other 

manufacturers supplying clothes 

washers are large multinational 

corporations. 

The proposed rule would amend 

DOE’s test procedure by incorporating 

testing provisions to address active 

mode, standby mode, and off mode 

energy and water consumption that will 

be used to demonstrate compliance with 

energy conservation standards. The 

proposed test procedure amendments 

for standby, off, delay start and cycle 

finished modes involve measuring 

power input when the clothes washer is 

in these modes. These tests can be 

conducted in the same facilities used for 

the current energy testing of these 

products, so it is anticipated that 

manufacturers would not incur any 

additional facilities costs as a result of 

the proposed test procedure 

amendments. The power meter required 

for these tests might require greater 

accuracy than the power meter used for 

current energy testing, but the 

investment required for a possible 

instrumentation upgrade is a one-time 

cost, expected to be approximately a few 

thousand dollars. The duration of each 

test period is roughly 40 minutes 

(comprising a 30-minute stabilization 

period and 10-minute test period). This 

is comparable to approximately half the 

time required to conduct a single energy 

test cycle. Each clothes washer tested 

requires, on average, approximately 15 

test cycles for energy testing, which 

equates to about three days of testing. 

For clothes washers offering all relevant 

non-active washing modes—inactive, 

off, delay start, and cycle finished—DOE 

estimates roughly an 11-percent 

increase in total test period duration. 

DOE also estimates that it costs a 

manufacturer approximately $2,300 on 

average, including the cost of 

consumables, to conduct energy testing 

for a particular clothes washer. DOE 

further estimates that the cost of 

additional testing for non-active 

washing modes would average $200 per 

machine, a 9-percent increase over 

current test costs. DOE believes these 

additional requirements for equipment 

and time and additional cost to conduct 

the proposed non-active washing mode 

tests would not be expected to impose 

a significant economic burden on 

entities subject to the applicable testing 

requirements. Although the small 

business has significantly lower sales 

than other manufacturers over which to 

amortize these additional costs, it only 

produces a single platform which would 

be subject to the proposed non-active 

washing mode tests and thus the total 

additional cost for these tests would be 

on the order of $2,500. 

The proposed test procedure 

amendments for the active washing 

mode would increase test burden by 

imposing a requirement for conducting 

test cycles under two additional 

conditions, steam and self-clean, for 

those clothes washers equipped with 

such features. The testing conditions 


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and equipment for these cycles are the 

same as already required for the other 

energy test cycles, and manufacturers 

are already required to conduct 

measurements for multiple energy test 

cycles. Additionally, as discussed in 

section III.E.1, the additional time 

required for the testing steam and selfclean cycles would increase the test 

period by roughly 25 percent, from 

approximately three days to nearly four 

days total duration. DOE estimates that 

the average test cost increment per 

machine for these proposed active mode 

amendments would be approximately 

$600. Test burden could potentially also 

be increased by the proposed 

amendment to the water supply 

pressure requirement if a manufacturer 

were required to install additional 

equipment to maintain 35 psig under 

flow conditions. The cost of this 

equipment, as discussed in section 

III.E.1, would not be significant, on the 

order of hundreds of dollars. The 

proposed amendments for additional 

extractor tests for determining RMC 

coefficients also represent an increased 

burden for the limited number of 

entities that conduct such tests. 

However, these tests are limited to 

qualification of a new test cloth lot, and 

do not need to be performed by every 

manufacturer because the coefficients 

are made available to the public on 

DOE’s website. Therefore, DOE does not 

believe these proposed amendments 

would have a significant impact on a 

substantial number of small entities. 

Because the one small business only 

manufactures a single platform, it would 

be subject to total additional costs of 

approximately $1,000 associated with 

the proposed active washing mode 

amendments. 

For these reasons, DOE tentatively 

concludes and certifies that the 

proposed rule would not have a 

significant economic impact on a 

substantial number of small entities. 

Accordingly, DOE has not prepared a 

regulatory flexibility analysis for this 

rulemaking. DOE seeks comment on its 

certification and will transmit the 

certification and supporting statement 

of factual basis to the Chief Counsel for 

Advocacy of the SBA for review under 

5 U.S.C. 605(b). 

C. Review Under the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 

This NOPR contains a collection-ofinformation requirement subject to the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) which 

has been approved by OMB under 

control number 1910–1400. Public 

reporting burden for compliance 

reporting for energy and water 

conservation standards is estimated to 

average 30 hours per response, 

including the time for reviewing 

instructions, searching existing data 

sources, gathering and maintaining the 

data needed, and completing and 

reviewing the collection of information. 

Send comments regarding this burden 

estimate, or any other aspect of this data 

collection, including suggestions for 

reducing the burden, to DOE (see 

ADDRESSES) and by e-mail to 

Christine_J._Kymn@omb.eop.gov. 

Notwithstanding any other provision 

of the law, no person is required to 

respond to, nor shall any person be 

subject to a penalty for failure to comply 

with, a collection of information subject 

to the requirements of the PRA, unless 

that collection of information displays a 

currently valid OMB Control Number. 

D. Review Under the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

In this proposed rule, DOE proposes 

test procedure amendments that it 

expects will be used to develop and 

implement future energy conservation 

standards for clothes washers. DOE has 

determined that this rule falls into a 

class of actions that are categorically 

excluded from review under the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and DOE’s 

implementing regulations at 10 CFR part 

1021. Specifically, this rule amends an 

existing rule without changing its 

environmental effect and, therefore, is 

covered by the Categorical Exclusion in 

10 CFR part 1021, subpart D, paragraph 

A5. Accordingly, neither an 

environmental assessment nor an 

environmental impact statement is 

required. 

E. Review Under Executive Order 13132 

Executive Order 13132, ‘‘Federalism,’’ 

imposes certain requirements on 

agencies formulating and implementing 

policies or regulations that preempt 

State law or that have federalism 

implications. 64 FR 43255 (August 4, 

1999). The Executive Order requires 

agencies to examine the constitutional 

and statutory authority supporting any 

action that would limit the 

policymaking discretion of the States, 

and to carefully assess the necessity for 

such actions. The Executive Order also 

requires agencies to have an accountable 

process to ensure meaningful and timely 

input by State and local officials in the 

development of regulatory policies that 

have Federalism implications. On 

March 14, 2000, DOE published a 

statement of policy describing the 

intergovernmental consultation process 

that it will follow in developing such 

regulations. 65 FR 13735. DOE 

examined this proposed rule and 

determined that it would not preempt 

State law and would not have a 

substantial direct effect on the States, on 

the relationship between the national 

government and the States, or on the 

distribution of power and 

responsibilities among the various 

levels of government. EPCA governs and 

prescribes Federal preemption of State 

regulations as to energy conservation for 

the products that are the subject of 

today’s proposed rule. States can 

petition DOE for exemption from such 

preemption to the extent, and based on 

criteria, set forth in EPCA. (42 U.S.C. 

6297(d)) Therefore, Executive Order 

13132 requires no further action. 

F. Review Under Executive Order 12988 

Regarding the review of existing 

regulations and the promulgation of 

new regulations, section 3(a) of 

Executive Order 12988, ‘‘Civil Justice 

Reform,’’ 61 FR 4729 (February 7, 1996), 

imposes on Federal agencies the general 

duty to adhere to the following 

requirements: (1) Eliminate drafting 

errors and ambiguity, (2) write 

regulations to minimize litigation, (3) 

provide a clear legal standard for 

affected conduct rather than a general 

standard, and (4) promote simplification 

and burden reduction. Section 3(b) of 

Executive Order 12988 specifically 

requires that executive agencies make 

every reasonable effort to ensure that the 

regulation specifies the following: (1) 

The preemptive effect, if any; (2) any 

effect on existing Federal law or 

regulation; (3) a clear legal standard for 

affected conduct while promoting 

simplification and burden reduction; (4) 

the retroactive effect, if any; (5) 

definitions of key terms; and (6) other 

important issues affecting clarity and 

general draftsmanship under any 

guidelines issued by the Attorney 

General. Section 3(c) of Executive Order 

12988 requires Executive agencies to 

review regulations in light of applicable 

standards in sections 3(a) and 3(b) to 

determine whether they are met or 

whether it is unreasonable to meet one 

or more of them. DOE has completed the 

required review and determined that, to 

the extent permitted by law, this 

proposed rule meets the relevant 

standards of Executive Order 12988. 

G. Review Under the Unfunded 

Mandates Reform Act of 1995 

Title II of the Unfunded Mandates 

Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) (Pub. L. 

104–4; 2 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) requires 

each Federal agency to assess the effects 

of Federal regulatory actions on State, 

local, and Tribal governments and the 

private sector. For a proposed regulatory 

action likely to result in a rule that may 


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cause the expenditure by State, local, 

and Tribal governments, in the 

aggregate, or by the private sector, of 

$100 million or more in any one year 

(adjusted annually for inflation), section 

202 of UMRA requires a Federal agency 

to publish estimates of the resulting 

costs, benefits, and other effects on the 

national economy. (2 U.S.C. 1532(a),(b)) 

UMRA also requires a Federal agency to 

develop an effective process to permit 

timely input by elected officers of State, 

local, and Tribal governments on a 

proposed ‘‘significant intergovernmental 

mandate,’’ and requires an agency plan 

for giving notice and opportunity for 

timely input to potentially affected 

small governments before establishing 

any requirements that might 

significantly or uniquely affect such 

governments. On March 18, 1997, DOE 

published a statement of policy on its 

process for intergovernmental 

consultation under UMRA. 62 FR 

12820. (The policy is also available at 

http://www.gc.doe.gov). Today’s 

proposed rule contains neither an 

intergovernmental mandate nor a 

mandate that may result in an 

expenditure of $100 million or more in 

any year, so these requirements do not 

apply. 

H. Review Under the Treasury and 

General Government Appropriations 

Act, 1999 

Section 654 of the Treasury and 

General Government Appropriations 

Act, 1999 (Pub. L. 105–277) requires 

Federal agencies to issue a Family 

Policymaking Assessment for any rule 

that may affect family well-being. 

Today’s proposed rule would not have 

any impact on the autonomy or integrity 

of the family as an institution. 

Accordingly, DOE has concluded that it 

is not necessary to prepare a Family 

Policymaking Assessment. 

I. Review Under Executive Order 12630 

DOE has determined, under Executive 

Order 12630, ‘‘Governmental Actions 

and Interference with Constitutionally 

Protected Property Rights,’’ 53 FR 8859 

(March 18, 1988), that this proposed 

regulation would not result in any 

takings that might require compensation 

under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. 

Constitution. 

J. Review Under the Treasury and 

General Government Appropriations 

Act, 2001 

Section 515 of the Treasury and 

General Government Appropriations 

Act, 2001 (44 U.S.C. 3516 note) provides 

for agencies to review most 

disseminations of information to the 

public under guidelines established by 

each agency pursuant to general 

guidelines issued by OMB. OMB’s 

guidelines were published at 67 FR 

8452 (February 22, 2002), and DOE’s 

guidelines were published at 67 FR 

62446 (October 7, 2002). DOE has 

reviewed today’s notice under OMB and 

DOE guidelines and has concluded that 

it is consistent with applicable policies 

in those guidelines. 

K. Review Under Executive Order 13211 

Executive Order 13211, ‘‘Actions 

Concerning Regulations That 

Significantly Affect Energy Supply, 

Distribution, or Use,’’ 66 FR 28355 (May 

22, 2001), requires Federal agencies to 

prepare and submit to OIRA a Statement 

of Energy Effects for any proposed 

significant energy action. A ‘‘significant 

energy action’’ is defined as any action 

by an agency that promulgates or is 

expected to lead to promulgation of a 

final rule, and that (1) Is a significant 

regulatory action under Executive Order 

12866, or any successor order; and (2) 

is likely to have a significant adverse 

effect on the supply, distribution, or use 

of energy; or (3) is designated by the 

Administrator of OIRA as a significant 

energy action. For any proposed 

significant energy action, the agency 

must give a detailed statement of any 

adverse effects on energy supply, 

distribution, or use if the proposal is 

implemented, and of reasonable 

alternatives to the action and their 

expected benefits on energy supply, 

distribution, and use. Today’s proposed 

regulatory action, which proposes 

amendments to the test procedure for 

measuring the energy efficiency of 

residential clothes washers, is not a 

significant regulatory action under 

Executive Order 12866 or any successor 

order; would not have a significant 

adverse effect on the supply, 

distribution, or use of energy; and has 

not been designated by the 

Administrator of OIRA as a significant 

energy action. Therefore, it is not a 

significant energy action, and, 

accordingly, DOE has not prepared a 

Statement of Energy Effects. 

L. Review Under Section 32 of the 

Federal Energy Administration (FEA) 

Act of 1974 

Under section 301 of the DOE 

Organization Act (Pub. L. 95–91; 42 

U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), DOE must comply 

with section 32 of the Federal Energy 

Administration Act of 1974, as amended 

by the Federal Energy Administration 

Authorization Act of 1977 (FEAA). (15 

U.S.C. 788) Section 32 essentially 

provides that, where a proposed rule 

authorizes or requires use of commercial 

standards, the rulemaking must inform 

the public of the use and background of 

such standards. In addition, section 

32(c) requires DOE to consult with the 

Attorney General and the Chairman of 

the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) 

concerning the impact of the 

commercial or industry standards on 

competition. 

The proposed modifications to the 

test procedure addressed by this action 

incorporate testing methods contained 

in the commercial standard, IEC 

Standard 62301. DOE has evaluated this 

standard and is unable to conclude 

whether it fully complies with the 

requirements of section 32(b) of the 

FEAA (i.e., whether it was developed in 

a manner that fully provides for public 

participation, comment, and review.) 

DOE will consult with the Attorney 

General and the Chairman of the FTC 

about the impact on competition of 

using the methods contained in this 

standard, before prescribing a final rule. 

V. Public Participation 

A. Attendance at Public Meeting 

The time, date, and location of the 

public meeting are listed in the DATES

and ADDRESSES sections at the beginning 

of this NOPR. To attend the public 

meeting, please notify Ms. Brenda 

Edwards at (202) 586–2945. As 

explained in the ADDRESSES section, 

foreign nationals visiting DOE 

Headquarters are subject to advance 

security screening procedures. 

B. Procedure for Submitting Requests To 

Speak 

Any person who has an interest in 

today’s NOPR, or who is a 

representative of a group or class of 

persons that has an interest in these 

issues, may request an opportunity to 

make an oral presentation at the public 

meeting. Such persons may handdeliver requests to speak to the address 

shown in the ADDRESSES section at the 

beginning of this NOPR between 9 a.m. 

and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. Requests may 

also be sent by mail or e-mail to Ms. 

Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of 

Energy, Building Technologies Program, 

Mailstop EE–2J, 1000 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585– 

0121, or Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov. 

Persons who wish to speak should 

include in their request a computer 

diskette or CD in WordPerfect, Microsoft 

Word, PDF, or text (ASCII) file format 

that briefly describes the nature of their 

interest in this rulemaking and the 

topics they wish to discuss. Such 

persons should also provide a daytime 

telephone number where they can be 

reached. 


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DOE requests persons selected to 

make an oral presentation to submit an 

advance copy of their statements at least 

one week before the public meeting. 

DOE may permit persons who cannot 

supply an advance copy of their 

statement to participate, if those persons 

have made advance alternative 

arrangements with the Building 

Technologies Program. Requests to give 

an oral presentation should ask for such 

alternative arrangements. 

C. Conduct of Public Meeting 

DOE will designate a DOE official to 

preside at the public meeting and may 

also use a professional facilitator to aid 

discussion. The meeting will not be a 

judicial or evidentiary-type public 

hearing, but DOE will conduct it in 

accordance with section 336 of EPCA 

(42 U.S.C. 6306). A court reporter will 

be present to record the proceedings and 

prepare a transcript. DOE reserves the 

right to schedule the order of 

presentations and to establish the 

procedures governing the conduct of the 

public meeting. After the public 

meeting, interested parties may submit 

further comments on the proceedings as 

well as on any aspect of the rulemaking 

until the end of the comment period. 

The public meeting will be conducted 

in an informal, conference style. DOE 

will present summaries of comments 

received before the public meeting, 

allow time for presentations by 

participants, and encourage all 

interested parties to share their views on 

issues affecting this rulemaking. Each 

participant will be allowed to make a 

prepared general statement (within time 

limits determined by DOE), before the 

discussion of specific topics. DOE will 

permit other participants to comment 

briefly on any general statements. At the 

end of all prepared statements on each 

specific topic, DOE will permit 

participants to clarify their statements 

briefly and comment on statements 

made by others. 

Participants should be prepared to 

answer DOE’s and other participants’ 

questions. DOE representatives may also 

ask participants about other matters 

relevant to this rulemaking. The official 

conducting the public meeting will 

accept additional comments or 

questions from those attending, as time 

permits. The presiding official will 

announce any further procedural rules 

or modification of the above procedures 

that may be needed for the proper 

conduct of the public meeting. 

DOE will make the entire record of 

this proposed rulemaking, including the 

transcript from the public meeting, 

available for inspection at the U.S. 

Department of Energy, 6th Floor, 950 

L’Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 

20024, (202) 586–2945, between 9 a.m. 

and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. Copies of the 

transcript are available for purchase 

from the transcribing reporter and will 

also be made available on DOE’s Web 

site at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/ 

buildings/appliance_standards/ 

residential/clothes_washers.html. 

D. Submission of Comments 

DOE will accept comments, data, and 

information regarding the proposed rule 

before or after the public meeting, but 

no later than the date provided at the 

beginning of this notice. Comments, 

data, and information submitted to 

DOE’s e-mail address for this 

rulemaking should be provided in 

WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, PDF, or 

text (ASCII) file format. Interested 

parties should avoid the use of special 

characters or any form of encryption, 

and wherever possible comments 

should include the electronic signature 

of the author. Comments, data, and 

information submitted to DOE via mail 

or hand delivery/courier should include 

one signed original paper copy. No 

telefacsimiles (faxes) will be accepted. 

According to 10 CFR 1004.11, any 

person submitting information that he 

or she believes to be confidential and 

exempt by law from public disclosure 

should submit two copies: one copy of 

the document that includes all of the 

information believed to be confidential, 

and one copy of the document with that 

information deleted. DOE will 

determine the confidential status of the 

information and treat it accordingly. 

Factors of interest to DOE when 

evaluating requests to treat submitted 

information as confidential include (1) 

A description of the items, (2) whether 

and why such items are customarily 

treated as confidential within the 

industry, (3) whether the information is 

generally known by or available from 

other sources, (4) whether the 

information was previously made 

available to others without obligation 

concerning its confidentiality, (5) an 

explanation of the competitive injury to 

the submitting person that would result 

from public disclosure, (6) when such 

information might lose its confidential 

character due to the passage of time, and 

(7) why disclosure of the information 

would be contrary to the public interest. 

E. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment 

DOE is particularly interested in 

receiving comments and views of 

interested parties on the following 

issues: 

1. Incorporation of IEC Standard 

62301. DOE invites comment on the 

adequacy of IEC Standard 62301 to 

measure standby and off mode power 

consumption for clothes washers, and 

the suitability of incorporating into DOE 

regulations the specific provisions 

described in section III.C.1 of this 

notice; 

2. Clothes washer modes. DOE invites 

comment on the proposed establishment 

of inactive mode as the only standby 

mode for clothes washers and the 

determination that ‘‘delay start mode’’ 

and ‘‘cycle finished mode’’ and ‘‘selfclean mode’’ would be considered 

additional active modes. DOE further 

invites comment on the proposed mode 

definitions, including the definition of 

‘‘self-clean’’ mode, and on the question 

of whether there are any modes 

consistent with the ‘‘active mode,’’ 

‘‘standby mode,’’ or ‘‘off mode’’ 

definitions that have not been identified 

in this NOPR that represent significant 

energy use (see section III.C.2.); 

3. Default settings. DOE welcomes 

comment on the suitability of using the 

default settings in testing standby 

energy consumption, and on any 

methodologies that can account for 

consumer actions that might increase 

energy use and data on the repeatability 

of such testing procedures (see section 

III.C.3.); 

4. Delay start mode. DOE welcomes 

comment on the methodology proposed 

for measuring delay start mode (see 

section III.C.3); 

5. Test room ambient temperature. 

DOE seeks comment on the 

appropriateness of the proposed 

modified test room ambient temperature 

range, which would allow 

manufacturers to conduct standby and 

off mode testing separately from 

performance testing under the less 

stringent ambient conditions specified 

in the IEC Standard 62301 (73.4 ± 9 °F) 

(see section III.C.3.); 

6. Energy use calculation. DOE invites 

comment on the approach for 

calculating energy use for the various 

operating modes for clothes washers. 

DOE also invites comment on the 

allocation of annual hours and test 

burden, as well as the alternative 

methodology for allocation of annual 

hours (see section III.C.4.); 

7. New integrated measures of energy 

consumption and energy efficiency. 

DOE invites comment on the proposed 

plan to establish new integrated 

measures of energy consumption for 

clothes washers: ‘‘per-cycle standby, off, 

delay start, and cycle finished mode 

energy consumption’’ and ‘‘per-cycle 

self-clean mode energy consumption,’’ 

expressed in kWh, and a new integrated 

measure of energy efficiency for clothes 

washers: ‘‘integrated modified energy 


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factor’’ expressed in ft3 per kWh per 

cycle. (see section III.C.5); 

8. Annual energy cost calculation. 

DOE invites comment on the proposed 

decision to maintain the existing annual 

energy cost calculation set forth in 10 

CFR 430.23, which does not include 

self-clean, standby, off, delay start, or 

cycle finished mode energy 

consumption. One alternative way of 

incorporating self-clean, standby, off, 

delay start, and cycle finished mode 

energy consumption in the annual 

energy cost calculation would be to add 

per-cycle standby, off, delay start, and 

cycle finished mode energy 

consumption and per-cycle self-clean 

mode energy consumption to the total 

per-cycle energy consumption in the 

annual energy cost calculations in 10 

CFR 430.23(j)(1)(i) and (ii) (see section 

III.C.5); 

9. Steam wash cycles. DOE requests 

comment on the proposed inclusion of 

the energy and water consumption of a 

steam wash cycle to the clothes washer 

test procedure, including the associated 

use factor. DOE also requests any data 

available regarding consumer use of 

steam wash cycles (see section III.D.1.a); 

10. Self-clean cycles. DOE invites 

comment on self-clean cycles for clothes 

washers, including the proposed 

definition, inclusion of self-clean cycle 

energy and water use into the IMEF and 

IWF calculations, and on whether any 

relevant data is available regarding 

availability and consumer use of selfclean cycles (see section III.D.1.b); 

11. Adaptive control and demand 

response technologies. DOE requests 

comment on whether any clothes 

washers are currently available on the 

market offering soil-sensing adaptive 

controls or demand response features. 

DOE also requests information on load 

size and fabric content, the possible use 

of a soiled test load to determine energy 

and water use in the presence of soilsensing adaptive controls, appropriate 

methodologies for measuring energy 

consumption in a network mode, and 

data on the repeatability of such testing 

(see sections III.D.1.c and III.D.1.d); 

12. Representative number of annual 

cycles. DOE welcomes comment on the 

appropriateness of the proposed 295 

clothes washer cycles per year, and on 

the validity of using the 2005 

Residential Energy Consumption Survey 

(RECS) to establish this estimate. DOE 

also seeks any additional data available 

on this issue (see section III.D.2.a); 

13. Test load size specifications. DOE 

invites comment on the proposed test 

load sizes, and on whether the linear 

relationship between test load size and 

clothes washer container volume is 

representative of actual consumer use. 

DOE welcomes any relevant data on this 

topic (see section III.D.2.b); 

14. Use factors. DOE requests 

comment on the validity of the 

proposed use factors for temperature, 

load size, and dryer use, and of the data 

sources used to estimate these values. 

Additionally, DOE seeks comment on 

the proposed revision to the warm rinse 

measurements, including the validity of 

the proposed warm wash/warm rinse 

TUF of 0.27. DOE also welcomes 

comment regarding the proposed load 

adjustment factor to be used in the RMC 

calculation. Stakeholders may submit 

any additional relevant data regarding 

these use factors (see section III.D.2.c); 

15. Test cloth. DOE invites comment 

on and data regarding the proposed 

updated test cloth specifications and 

correlation procedure (see section 

III.D.3); 

16. Capacity measurement method. 

DOE welcomes comment on whether 

the proposed method for measuring 

clothes container capacity provides for 

a representative measurement of the 

volume that a dry clothes load could 

occupy within the clothes container 

during washer operation, and on 

whether any other valid measurement 

method is available (see section 

III.D.4.a); 

17. New integrated measure of water 

consumption. DOE invites comment on 

the proposal to establish a new 

integrated measure of water 

consumption for clothes washers, 

‘‘integrated water consumption factor’’ 

expressed in gallons per cubic foot. DOE 

requests comment on the validity of 

including water consumption from all 

test cycles, including self-clean cycles, 

into the proposed calculation of IWF. 

DOE also requests comment on whether 

the IWF calculation would result in a 

significant test burden (see section 

III.D.4.b); 

18. Energy test cycle definition. DOE 

welcomes comment on the proposed 

definition of the energy test cycle, and 

on how manufacturers currently address 

wash and rinse temperature selection 

under the current definition. DOE also 

requests comment on the selection 

cycles to be included in the energy test 

cycle under section 1.7(B) of the test 

procedure to definitively account for 

temperature options available only 

outside the normal cycle. (see section 

III.D.4.c); 

19. Detergent specifications. DOE 

welcomes comment on the proposed 

updated detergent formulation and 

associated dosage for test cloth 

preconditioning (see section III.D.4.d); 

20. Clothes washer for 

preconditioning. DOE requests comment 

on the proposed revisions to the 

specifications for the clothes washer 

used in test cloth preconditioning, 

including whether clothes washers 

currently meeting the specifications 

may be rendered obsolete by potential 

new residential clothes washer energy 

conservation standards (see section 

III.D.4.e); 

21. Water supply pressure. DOE seeks 

information about the conditions under 

which clothes washers are currently 

tested, and invites comment on the 

appropriate specification of the water 

supply pressure (see section III.D.4.f); 

and 

22. Impact on commercial clothes 

washers. DOE requests comment on 

how the proposed amendments in new 

appendix J2 of subpart B to 10 CFR part 

430 would impact the measured energy 

and water efficiencies of commercial 

clothes washers. DOE welcomes any 

relevant data on this topic (see section 

III.E.2). 

VI. Approval of the Office of the 

Secretary 

The Secretary of Energy has approved 

publication of today’s notice of 

proposed rulemaking. 

List of Subjects in 10 CFR Part 430 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Energy conservation, 

Household appliances. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on August 27, 

2010. 

Cathy Zoi, 

Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy. 

For the reasons stated in the 

preamble, DOE proposes amending part 

430 of chapter II of title 10, Code of 

Federal Regulations, to read as set forth 

below: 

PART 430—ENERGY CONSERVATION 

PROGRAM FOR CONSUMER 

PRODUCTS 

1. The authority citation for part 430 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6291–6309; 28 U.S.C. 

2461 note. 

2. Section 430.3 is amended by: 

a. Redesignating paragraphs (b) 

through (o) as (c) through (p); 

b. Adding new paragraph (b). 

The additions read as follows: 

§ 430.3 Materials incorporated by 

reference. 

* * * * * 

(b) AATCC. American Association of 

Textile Chemists and Colorists, P.O. Box 

1215, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, 

919–549–8141, or go to http:// 

www.aatcc.org. 


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(1) AATCC Test Method 79–2000, 

Absorbency of Bleached Textiles, 

(reaffirmed 2000), IBR approved for 

Appendix J1 to Subpart B. 

(2) AATCC Test Method 118–1997, 

Oil Repellency: Hydrocarbon Resistance 

Test, reaffirmed (1997), IBR approved 

for Appendix J1 to Subpart B. 

(3) AATCC Test Method 135–2004, 

Dimensional Changes of Fabrics after 

Home Laundering, reaffirmed (2004), 

IBR approved for Appendix J1 to 

Subpart B. 

* * * * * 

3. Section 430.23 is amended by 

revising paragraph (j) to read as follows: 

§ 430.23 Test procedures for the 

measurement of energy and water 

consumption. 

* * * * * 

(j) Clothes washers. (1) The estimated 

annual operating cost for automatic and 

semi-automatic clothes washers shall 

be— 

(i) When electrically heated water is 

used, the product of the following three 

factors: 

(A) The representative average-use of 

392 cycles per year, 

(B) The total per-cycle energy 

consumption when electrically heated 

water is used, determined according to 

4.1.7 of appendix J1 before appendix J2 

becomes mandatory and 4.1.7 of 

appendix J2 when appendix J2 becomes 

mandatory (see the note at the beginning 

of appendix J2), and 

(C) The representative average unit 

cost in dollars per kilowatt-hour as 

provided by the Secretary, the resulting 

product then being rounded off to the 

nearest dollar per year, and 

(ii) When gas-heated or oil-heated 

water is used, the product of: the 

representative average-use of 392 cycles 

per year and the sum of both: 

(A) The product of the per-cycle 

machine electrical energy consumption 

in kilowatt-hours per cycle, determined 

according to 4.1.6 of appendix J1 before 

appendix J2 becomes mandatory and 

4.1.6 of appendix J2 when appendix J2 

becomes mandatory, and the 

representative average unit cost in 

dollars per kilowatt-hours as provided 

by the Secretary, and 

(B) The product of the per-cycle water 

energy consumption for gas-heated or 

oil-heated water in Btu per cycle, 

determined according to 4.1.4 of 

appendix J1 before appendix J2 becomes 

mandatory and 4.1.4 of appendix J2 

when appendix J2 becomes mandatory, 

and the representative average unit cost 

in dollars per Btu for oil or gas, as 

appropriate, as provided by the 

Secretary, the resulting product then 

being rounded off to the nearest dollar 

per year. 

(2)(i) The modified energy factor for 

automatic and semi-automatic clothes 

washers is determined in accordance 

with 4.4 of appendix J1 before appendix 

J2 becomes mandatory and 4.6 of 

appendix J2 when appendix J2 becomes 

mandatory. The result shall be rounded 

off to the nearest 0.01 cubic foot per 

kilowatt-hours. 

(ii) The integrated modified energy 

factor for automatic and semi-automatic 

clothes washers is determined in 

accordance with 4.7 of appendix J2 

when appendix J2 becomes mandatory. 

The result shall be rounded off to the 

nearest 0.01 cubic foot per kilowatthours. 

(3) Other useful measures of energy 

consumption for automatic or semiautomatic clothes washers shall be those 

measures of energy consumption which 

the Secretary determines are likely to 

assist consumers in making purchasing 

decisions and which are derived from 

the application of appendix J1 before 

the date that appendix J2 becomes 

mandatory or appendix J2 upon the date 

that appendix J2 becomes mandatory. In 

addition, the annual water consumption 

of a clothes washer can be determined 

by the product of: 

(A) The representative average-use of 

392 cycles per year, and 

(B) The total weighted per-cycle water 

consumption for cold wash in gallons 

per cycle determined according to 4.2.2 

of appendix J1 before appendix J2 

becomes mandatory and 4.2.12 of 

appendix J2 when appendix J2 becomes 

mandatory. The water consumption 

factor can be determined in accordance 

with 4.2.3 of appendix J1 before 

appendix J2 becomes mandatory and 

4.2.15 of appendix J2 when appendix J2 

becomes mandatory. The integrated 

water consumption factor can be 

determined in accordance with 4.2.16 of 

appendix J2 when appendix J2 becomes 

mandatory. The remaining moisture 

content can be determined in 

accordance with 3.8 of appendix J1 

before appendix J2 becomes mandatory 

and 3.8 of appendix J2 when appendix 

J2 becomes mandatory. 

* * * * * 

Appendix J—[Removed] 

4. Appendix J to subpart B of part 430 

is removed. 

Appendix J1—[Amended] 

5. Appendix J1 to subpart B of part 

430 is amended by revising the 

introductory text after the heading; and 

section 4.1.4. to read as follows. 

Appendix J1 to Subpart B of Part 430— 

Uniform Test Method for Measuring the 

Energy Consumption of Automatic and 

Semi-Automatic Clothes Washers 

Appendix J1 is effective until the 

compliance date of any amended standards 

for residential clothes washers. After this 

date, all residential clothes washers shall be 

tested using the provisions of Appendix J2 of 

this appendix. 

* * * * * 

4. Calculation of Derived Results From Test 

Measurements. 

* * * * * 

4.1.4 Total per-cycle hot water energy 

consumption using gas-heated or oil-heated 

water. Calculate for the energy test cycle the 

per-cycle hot water consumption, HETG,

using gas-heated or oil-heated water, 

expressed in Btu per cycle (or megajoules per 

cycle) and defined as: 

HETG = HET × 1/e × 3412 Btu/kWh or HETG

= HET × 1/e × 3.6 MJ/kWh 

Where: 

e = Nominal gas or oil water heater efficiency 

= 0.75. 

HET = As defined in 4.1.3. 

* * * * * 

6. Add a new Appendix J2 to subpart 

B of part 430 to read as follows: 

Appendix J2 to Subpart B of Part 430— 

Uniform Test Method for Measuring the 

Energy Consumption of Automatic and 

Semi-Automatic Clothes Washers 

Appendix J1 is effective until the 

compliance date of any amended standards 

for residential clothes washers. After this 

date, all residential clothes washers shall be 

tested using the provisions of Appendix J2. 

1. Definitions and Symbols 

1.1 Active mode means a mode in which 

the clothes washer is connected to a main 

power source, has been activated, and is 

performing one or more of the main functions 

of washing, soaking, tumbling, agitating, 

rinsing, and/or removing water from the 

clothing, or is involved in functions 

necessary for these main functions, such as 

admitting water into the washer or pumping 

water out of the washer. Active mode also 

includes delay start, cycle finished, and selfclean modes. 

1.2 Active washing mode means a mode 

in which the clothes washer is performing 

any of the operations included in a complete 

cycle intended for washing a clothing load, 

including the main functions of washing, 

soaking, tumbling, agitating, rinsing, and/or 

removing water from the clothing. 

1.3 Adaptive control system means a 

clothes washer control system, other than an 

adaptive water fill control system, which is 

capable of automatically adjusting washer 

operation or washing conditions based on 

characteristics of the clothes load placed in 

the clothes container, without allowing or 

requiring consumer intervention or actions. 

The automatic adjustments may, for example, 

include automatic selection, modification, or 

control of any of the following: Wash water 

temperature, agitation or tumble cycle time, 


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number of rinse cycles, and spin speed. The 

characteristics of the clothes load, which 

could trigger such adjustments, could, for 

example, consist of or be indicated by the 

presence of either soil, soap, suds, or any 

other additive laundering substitute or 

complementary product. 

Note: Appendix J1 does not provide a 

means for determining the energy 

consumption of a clothes washer with an 

adaptive control system. Therefore, pursuant 

to 10 CFR 430.27, a waiver must be obtained 

to establish an acceptable test procedure for 

each such clothes washer. 

1.4 Adaptive water fill control system 

means a clothes washer water fill control 

system which is capable of automatically 

adjusting the water fill level based on the size 

or weight of the clothes load placed in the 

clothes container, without allowing or 

requiring consumer intervention or actions. 

1.5 Bone-dry means a condition of a load 

of test cloth which has been dried in a dryer 

at maximum temperature for a minimum of 

10 minutes, removed and weighed before 

cool down, and then dried again for 10 

minute periods until the final weight change 

of the load is 1 percent or less. 

1.6 Clothes container means the 

compartment within the clothes washer that 

holds the clothes during the operation of the 

machine. 

1.7 Cold rinse means the coldest rinse 

temperature available on the machine (and 

should be the same rinse temperature 

selection tested in 3.7 of this appendix). 

1.8 Compact means a clothes washer 

which has a clothes container capacity of less 

than 1.6 ft 3 (45 L). 

1.9 Cycle finished mode means an active 

mode which provides continuous status 

display following operation in active 

washing mode. 

1.10 Deep rinse cycle means a rinse cycle 

in which the clothes container is filled with 

water to a selected level and the clothes load 

is rinsed by agitating it or tumbling it through 

the water. 

1.11 Delay start mode means an active 

mode in which activation of active washing 

mode is facilitated by a timer. 

1.12 Energy test cycle for a basic model 

means (A) the cycle recommended by the 

manufacturer for washing cotton or linen 

clothes, and includes all wash/rinse 

temperature selections and water levels 

offered in that cycle, and (B) if the cycle 

described in (A) does not include all wash/ 

rinse temperature settings available on the 

clothes washer, and required for testing as 

described in this test procedure, the energy 

test cycle shall also include the portions of 

a cycle setting offering these wash/rinse 

temperature settings with agitation/tumble 

operation, spin speed(s), wash times, and 

rinse times that are largely comparable to 

those for the cycle recommended by the 

manufacturer for washing cotton or linen 

clothes. Any cycle under (A) or (B) shall 

include the default agitation/tumble 

operation, soil level, spin speed(s), wash 

times, and rinse times applicable to that 

cycle, including water heating time for water 

heating clothes washers. 

1.13 IEC 62301 means the test standard 

published by the International 

Electrotechnical Commission, entitled 

‘‘Household electrical appliances— 

Measurement of standby power,’’ Publication 

62301 First Edition 2005–06 (incorporated by 

reference; see § 430.3). 

1.14 Inactive mode means a standby 

mode that facilitates the activation of active 

mode by remote switch (including remote 

control), internal sensor, or timer, or that 

provides continuous status display. 

1.15 Integrated modified energy factor 

means the quotient of the cubic foot (or liter) 

capacity of the clothes container divided by 

the total clothes washer energy consumption 

per cycle, with such energy consumption 

expressed as the sum of: 

(a) The machine electrical energy 

consumption; 

(b) The hot water energy consumption; 

(c) The energy required for removal of the 

remaining moisture in the wash load; 

(d) The standby mode energy consumption; 

(e) The off mode energy consumption; 

(f) The delay start mode energy 

consumption; 

(g) The cycle finished mode energy 

consumption; and 

(h) The self-clean energy consumption, as 

applicable. 

1.16 Integrated water consumption factor 

means the quotient of the total clothes 

washer water consumption per cycle in 

gallons, with such water consumption 

expressed as the sum of the total weighted 

per-cycle water consumption and the percycle self-clean water consumption, divided 

by the cubic foot (or liter) capacity of the 

clothes washer. 

1.17 Load use factor means the 

percentage of the total number of wash loads 

that a user would wash a particular size 

(weight) load. 

1.18 Manual control system means a 

clothes washer control system which requires 

that the consumer make the choices that 

determine washer operation or washing 

conditions, such as, for example, wash/rinse 

temperature selections, and wash time before 

starting the cycle. 

1.19 Manual water fill control system 

means a clothes washer water fill control 

system which requires the consumer to 

determine or select the water fill level. 

1.20 Modified energy factor means the 

quotient of the cubic foot (or liter) capacity 

of the clothes container divided by the total 

clothes washer energy consumption per 

cycle, with such energy consumption 

expressed as the sum of the machine 

electrical energy consumption, the hot water 

energy consumption, and the energy required 

for removal of the remaining moisture in the 

wash load. 

1.21 Non-water-heating clothes washer 

means a clothes washer which does not have 

an internal water heating device to generate 

hot water. 

1.22 Off mode means a mode in which 

the clothes washer is connected to a mains 

power source and is not providing any active 

or standby mode function, and where the 

mode may persist for an indefinite time. An 

indicator that only shows the user that the 

product is in the off position is included 

within the classification of an off mode. 

1.23 Self-clean mode means an active 

clothes washer operating mode that is: 

(a) Dedicated to cleaning, deodorizing, or 

sanitizing the clothes washer by eliminating 

sources of odor, bacteria, mold, and mildew; 

(b) Recommended to be run intermittently 

by the manufacturer; and 

(c) Separate from clothes washing cycles. 

1.24 Spray rinse cycle means a rinse cycle 

in which water is sprayed onto the clothes 

for a period of time without maintaining any 

specific water level in the clothes container. 

1.25 Standard means a clothes washer 

which has a clothes container capacity of 1.6 

ft3 (45 L) or greater. 

1.26 Standby mode means any modes in 

which the clothes washer is connected to a 

mains power source and offers one or more 

of the following user oriented or protective 

functions that may persist for an indefinite 

time: 

(a) To facilitate the activation of other 

modes (including activation or deactivation 

of active mode) by remote switch (including 

remote control), internal sensor, or timer; 

(b) Continuous functions, including 

information or status displays (including 

clocks) or sensor-based functions. A timer is 

a continuous clock function (which may or 

may not be associated with a display) that 

provides regular scheduled tasks (e.g., 

switching) and that operates on a continuous 

basis. 

1.27 Steam cycle means a wash cycle in 

which steam is injected into the clothes 

container. 

1.28 Symbol usage. The following 

identity relationships are provided to help 

clarify the symbology used throughout this 

procedure. 

E—Electrical Energy Consumption 

H—Hot Water Consumption 

C—Cold Water Consumption 

R—Hot Water Consumed by Warm Rinse 

TUF—Temperature Use Factor 

HE—Hot Water Energy Consumption 

F—Load Usage Factor 

Q—Total Water Consumption 

ME—Machine Electrical Energy 

Consumption 

RMC—Remaining Moisture Content 

WI—Initial Weight of Dry Test Load 

WC—Weight of Test Load After Extraction 

P—Power 

S—Annual Hours 

s—Steam Wash 

m—Extra Hot Wash (maximum wash temp. 

> 135 °F (57.2 °C)) 

h—Hot Wash (maximum wash temp. ≤135 °F 

(57.2 °C)) 

w—Warm Wash 

c—Cold Wash (minimum wash temp.) 

r—Warm Rinse (hottest rinse temp.) 

sc—Self Clean 

x or max—Maximum Test Load 

a or avg—Average Test Load 

n or min—Minimum Test Load 

cf—Cycle Finished Mode 

ds—Delay Start Mode 

ia—Inactive Mode 

o—Off Mode 

oi—Combined Off and Inactive Modes 

so—Combined Standby and Off Modes 

The following examples are provided to 

show how the above symbols can be used to 

define variables: 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
57586 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

Emx = ‘‘Electrical Energy Consumption’’ for 

an Extra Hot Wash’’ and ‘‘Maximum Test 

Load’’ 

Ra = ‘‘Hot Water Consumed by Warm Rinse’’ 

for the ‘‘Average Test Load’’ 

TUFm = ‘‘Temperature Use Factor’’ for an 

‘‘Extra Hot Wash’’ 

HEmin = ‘‘Hot Water Energy Consumption’’ for 

the ‘‘Minimum Test Load’’ 

Qsc = ‘‘Total Water Consumption’’ for ‘‘Self 

Clean’’ 

Pds = ‘‘Power’’ in ‘‘Delay Start Mode’’ 

So = ‘‘Annual Hours’’ in ‘‘Off Mode’’ 

1.29 Temperature use factor means, for a 

particular wash/rinse temperature setting, the 

percentage of the total number of wash loads 

that an average user would wash with that 

setting. 

1.30 Thermostatically controlled water 

valves means clothes washer controls that 

have the ability to sense and adjust the hot 

and cold supply water. 

1.31 Uniformly distributed warm wash 

temperature selection(s) means (A) multiple 

warm wash selections for which the warm 

wash water temperatures have a linear 

relationship with all discrete warm wash 

selections when the water temperatures are 

plotted against equally spaced consecutive 

warm wash selections between the hottest 

warm wash and the coldest warm wash. If 

the warm wash has infinite selections, the 

warm wash water temperature has a linear 

relationship with the distance on the 

selection device (e.g. dial angle or slide 

movement) between the hottest warm wash 

and the coldest warm wash. The criteria for 

a linear relationship as specified above is that 

the difference between the actual water 

temperature at any warm wash selection and 

the point where that temperature is depicted 

on the temperature/selection line formed by 

connecting the warmest and the coldest 

warm selections is less than ± 5 percent. In 

all cases, the mean water temperature of the 

warmest and the coldest warm selections 

must coincide with the mean of the ‘‘hot 

wash’’ (maximum wash temperature ≤ 135 °F 

(57.2 °C)) and ‘‘cold wash’’ (minimum wash 

temperature) water temperatures within ± 3.8 

°F (± 2.1 °C); or (B) on a clothes washer with 

only one warm wash temperature selection, 

a warm wash temperature selection with a 

water temperature that coincides with the 

mean of the ‘‘hot wash’’ (maximum wash 

temperature ≤ 135 °F (57.2 °C)) and ‘‘cold 

wash’’ (minimum wash temperature) water 

temperatures within ± 3.8 °F (± 2.1 °C). 

1.32 Warm rinse means the hottest rinse 

temperature available on the machine. 

1.33 Warm wash means all wash 

temperature selections that are below the 

maximum wash temperature ≤ 135 °F (57.2 

°C) and above the minimum wash 

temperature. 

1.34 Water consumption factor means the 

quotient of the total weighted per-cycle water 

consumption divided by the cubic foot (or 

liter) capacity of the clothes washer. 

1.35 Water-heating clothes washer means 

a clothes washer where some or all of the hot 

water for clothes washing is generated by a 

water heating device internal to the clothes 

washer. 

2. Testing Conditions 

2.1 Installation. Install the clothes washer 

in accordance with manufacturer’s 

instructions. 

2.2 Electrical energy supply. 

2.2.1 Supply voltage and frequency. 

Maintain the electrical supply at the clothes 

washer terminal block within 2 percent of 

120, 120/240, or 120/208Y volts as applicable 

to the particular terminal block wiring 

system and within 2 percent of the nameplate 

frequency as specified by the manufacturer. 

If the clothes washer has a dual voltage 

conversion capability, conduct test at the 

highest voltage specified by the 

manufacturer. 

2.2.2 Supply voltage waveform. For the 

standby, off, delay start, and cycle finished 

mode testing, maintain the electrical supply 

voltage waveform indicated in section 4, 

paragraph 4.4 of IEC 62301 (incorporated by 

reference; see § 430.3). 

2.3 Supply Water. 

2.3.1 Clothes washers in which electrical 

energy consumption or water energy 

consumption are affected by the inlet water 

temperature. (For example, water heating 

clothes washers or clothes washers with 

thermostatically controlled water valves.). 

The temperature of the hot water supply at 

the water inlets shall not exceed 135 °F (57.2 

°C) and the cold water supply at the water 

inlets shall not exceed 60 °F (15.6 °C). A 

water meter shall be installed in both the hot 

and cold water lines to measure water 

consumption. 

2.3.2 Clothes washers in which electrical 

energy consumption and water energy 

consumption are not affected by the inlet 

water temperature. The temperature of the 

hot water supply shall be maintained at 135 

°F ± 5 °F (57.2 °C ± 2.8 °C) and the cold water 

supply shall be maintained at 60 °F ± 5 °F 

(15.6 °C ± 2.8 °C). A water meter shall be 

installed in both the hot and cold water lines 

to measure water consumption. 

2.4 Water pressure. The static water 

pressure at the hot and cold water inlet 

connection of the clothes washer shall be 

maintained at 35 pounds per square inch 

gauge (psig) ± 2.5 psig (241.3 kPa ± 17.2 kPa) 

when the water is flowing. The static water 

pressure for a single water inlet connection 

shall be maintained at 35 psig ± 2.5 psig 

(241.3 kPa ± 17.2 kPa) when the water is 

flowing. A water pressure gauge shall be 

installed in both the hot and cold water lines 

to measure water pressure. 

2.5 Instrumentation. Perform all test 

measurements using the following 

instruments as appropriate: 

2.5.1 Weighing scales. 

2.5.1.1 Weighing scale for test cloth. The 

scale shall have a resolution of no larger than 

0.2 oz (5.7 g) and a maximum error no greater 

than 0.3 percent of the measured value. 

2.5.1.2 Weighing scale for clothes 

container capacity measurement. The scale 

should have a resolution no larger than 0.50 

lbs (0.23 kg) and a maximum error no greater 

than 0.5 percent of the measured value. 

2.5.2 Watt-hour meter. The watt-hour 

meter shall have a resolution no larger than 

1 Wh (3.6 kJ) and a maximum error no greater 

than 2 percent of the measured value for any 

demand greater than 50 Wh (180.0 kJ). 

2.5.3 Watt meter. The watt meter used to 

measure standby, off, delay start, and cycle 

finished mode power consumption shall 

have the resolution specified in section 4, 

paragraph 4.5 of IEC 62301 (incorporated by 

reference, see § 430.3). The watt meter shall 

also be able to record a ‘‘true’’ average power 

as specified in section 5, paragraph 5.3.2(a) 

of IEC 62301. 

2.5.4 Temperature measuring device. The 

device shall have an error no greater than ± 

1 °F (± 0.6 °C) over the range being measured. 

2.5.5 Water meter. The water meter shall 

have a resolution no larger than 0.1 gallons 

(0.4 liters) and a maximum error no greater 

than 2 percent for the water flow rates being 

measured. 

2.5.6 Water pressure gauge. The water 

pressure gauge shall have a resolution of 1 

pound per square inch gauge (psig) (6.9 kPa) 

and shall have an error no greater than 5 

percent of any measured value. 

2.6 Test cloths. 

2.6.1 Energy Test Cloth. The energy test 

cloth shall be made from energy test cloth 

material, as specified in 2.6.4, that is 24 ± 1⁄2

inches by 36 ± 1⁄2 inches (61.0 ± 1.3 cm by 

91.4 ± 1.3 cm) and has been hemmed to 22 

± 1⁄2 inches by 34 ± 1⁄2 inches (55.9 ± 1.3 cm 

by 86.4 ± 1.3 cm) before washing. The energy 

test cloth shall be clean and shall not be used 

for more than 60 test runs (after 

preconditioning as specified in 2.6.3 of this 

appendix). All energy test cloth must be 

permanently marked identifying the lot 

number of the material. Mixed lots of 

material shall not be used for testing the 

clothes washers. 

2.6.2 Energy Stuffer Cloth. The energy 

stuffer cloth shall be made from energy test 

cloth material, as specified in 2.6.4, and shall 

consist of pieces of material that are 12 ± 1⁄4

inches by 12 ± 1⁄4 inches (30.5 ± 0.6 cm by 

30.5 ± 0.6 cm) and have been hemmed to 10 

± 1⁄4 inches by 10 ± 1⁄4 inches (25.4 ± 0.6 cm 

by 25.4 ± 0.6 cm) before washing. The energy 

stuffer cloth shall be clean and shall not be 

used for more than 60 test runs (after 

preconditioning as specified in 2.6.3 of this 

appendix). All energy stuffer cloth must be 

permanently marked identifying the lot 

number of the material. Mixed lots of 

material shall not be used for testing the 

clothes washers. 

2.6.3 Preconditioning of Test Cloths. The 

new test cloths, including energy test cloths 

and energy stuffer cloths, shall be preconditioned in a clothes washer in the 

following manner: 

2.6.3.1 Perform 5 complete normal washrinse-spin cycles, the first two with current 

AHAM Standard detergent Formula 3 and the 

last three without detergent. Place the test 

cloth in a clothes washer set at the maximum 

water level. Wash the load for ten minutes in 

soft water (17 ppm hardness or less) using 

27.0 grams + 4.0 grams per lb of cloth load 

of AHAM Standard detergent Formula 3. The 

wash temperature is to be controlled to 135 

°F ± 5 °F (57.2 °C ± 2.8 °C) and the rinse 

temperature is to be controlled to 60 °F ± 5 

°F (15.6 °C ± 2.8 °C). Repeat the cycle with 

detergent and then repeat the cycle three 

additional times without detergent, bone 

drying the load between cycles (total of five 

wash and rinse cycles). 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 57587 

2.6.4 Energy test cloth material. The energy 

test cloths and energy stuffer cloths shall be 

made from fabric meeting the following 

specifications. The material should come 

from a roll of material with a width of 

approximately 63 inches and approximately 

500 yards per roll. However, other sizes may 

be used if they fall within the specifications. 

2.6.4.1 Nominal fabric type. Pure finished 

bleached cloth made with a momie or granite 

weave, which is nominally 50 percent cotton 

and 50 percent polyester. 

2.6.4.2 The fabric weight specification 

shall be 5.60 ± 0.25 ounces per square yard 

(190.0 ± 8.4 g/m2). 

2.6.4.3 The thread count shall be 65 × 57 

per inch (warp × fill), ±2 percent. 

2.6.4.4 The warp yarn and filling yarn 

shall each have fiber content of 50 percent 

± 4 percent cotton, with the balance being 

polyester, and be open end spun, 15/1 ± 5 

percent cotton count blended yarn. 

2.6.4.5 Water repellent finishes, such as 

fluoropolymer stain resistant finishes shall 

not be applied to the test cloth. The absence 

of such finishes shall be verified by: 

2.6.4.5.1 American Association of Textile 

Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) Test 

Method 118–1997, Oil Repellency: 

Hydrocarbon Resistance Test (incorporated 

by reference; see § 430.3), of each new lot of 

test cloth (when purchased from the mill) to 

confirm the absence of ScotchguardTM or 

other water repellent finish (required scores 

of ‘‘D’’ across the board). 

2.6.4.5.2 American Association of Textile 

Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) Test 

Method 79–2000, Absorbency of Bleached 

Textiles (incorporated by reference; see 

§ 430.3), of each new lot of test cloth (when 

purchased from the mill) to confirm the 

absence of ScotchguardTM or other water 

repellent finish (time to absorb one drop 

should be on the order of 1 second). 

2.6.4.6 The moisture absorption and 

retention shall be evaluated for each new lot 

of test cloth by the Standard Extractor 

Remaining Moisture Content (RMC) Test 

specified in 2.6.5 of this appendix. 

2.6.4.6.1 Repeat the Standard Extractor 

RMC Test in 2.6.5 of this appendix three 

times. 

2.6.4.6.2 An RMC correction curve shall 

be calculated as specified in 2.6.6 of this 

appendix. 

2.6.4.7 The maximum shrinkage after 

preconditioning shall not be more than 5 

percent on the length and width. Measure per 

AATCC Test Method 135–2004, Dimensional 

Changes of Fabrics after Home Laundering 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3). 

2.6.5 Standard Extractor RMC Test 

Procedure. The following procedure is used 

to evaluate the moisture absorption and 

retention characteristics of a lot of test cloth 

by measuring the RMC in a standard 

extractor at a specified set of conditions. 

Table 2.6.5 of this appendix is the matrix of 

test conditions. When this matrix is repeated 

3 times, a total of 60 extractor RMC test runs 

are required. For the purpose of the extractor 

RMC test, the test cloths may be used for up 

to 60 test runs (after preconditioning as 

specified in 2.6.3 of this appendix). 

TABLE 2.6.5—MATRIX OF EXTRACTOR RMC TEST CONDITIONS

Warm soak Cold soak 

15 min. spin 4 min. spin 15 min. spin 4 min. spin 

100 ................................................................................................................... ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................

200 ................................................................................................................... ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................

350 ................................................................................................................... ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................

500 ................................................................................................................... ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................

650 ................................................................................................................... ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................

2.6.5.1 The standard extractor RMC tests 

shall be run in a North Star Engineered 

Products Inc. (formerly Bock) Model 215 

extractor (having a basket diameter of 19.5 

inches, length of 12 inches, and volume of 

2.1 ft3), with a variable speed drive (North 

Star Engineered Products, P.O. Box 5127, 

Toledo, OH 43611) or an equivalent extractor 

with same basket design (i.e. diameter, 

length, volume, and hole configuration) and 

variable speed drive. 

2.6.5.2 Test Load. Test cloths shall be 

preconditioned in accordance with 2.6.3 of 

this appendix. The load size shall be 8.4 lbs, 

consistent with 3.8.1 of this appendix. 

2.6.5.3 Procedure. 

2.6.5.3.1 Record the ‘‘bone-dry’’ weight of 

the test load (WI). 

2.6.5.3.2 Prepare the test load for soak by 

grouping four test cloths into loose bundles. 

Bundles are created by hanging four cloths 

vertically from one corner and loosely 

wrapping the test cloth onto itself to form the 

bundle. Bundles are then placed into the 

water for soak. Eight to nine bundles will be 

formed depending on the test load. The ninth 

bundle may not equal four cloths but can 

incorporate energy stuffer cloths to help 

offset the size difference. 

2.6.5.3.3 Soak the test load for 20 minutes 

in 10 gallons of soft (< 17 ppm) water. The 

entire test load shall be submerged. The 

water temperature shall be 100 ßF ± 5 °F (38 

°C ± 3 °C) 

2.6.5.3.4 Remove the test load and allow 

each of the test cloth bundles to drain over 

the water bath for a maximum of 5 seconds. 

2.6.5.3.5 Manually place the test cloth 

bundles in the basket of the extractor, 

distributing them evenly by eye. The 

draining and loading process should take less 

than 1 minute. Spin the load at a fixed speed 

corresponding to the intended centripetal 

acceleration level (measured in units of the 

acceleration of gravity, g) ± 1g for the 

intended time period ± 5 seconds. 

2.6.5.3.6 Record the weight of the test 

load immediately after the completion of the 

extractor spin cycle (WC). 

2.6.5.3.7 Calculate the RMC as (WC–WI)/ 

WI. 

2.6.5.3.8 It is not necessary to drain the 

soak tub if the water bath is corrected for 

water level and temperature before the next 

extraction. 

2.6.5.3.9 It is not necessary to dry the test 

load in between extraction runs. However, 

the bone dry weight shall be checked after 

every 12 extraction runs to make sure the 

bone dry weight is within tolerance (8.4 ± 0.1 

lb). 

2.6.5.3.10 The RMC of the test load shall 

be measured at five g levels: 100 g, 200 g, 350 

g, 500 g, and 650 g, using two different spin 

times at each g level: 4 minutes and 15 

minutes. 

2.6.5.4 Repeat 2.6.5.3 of this appendix 

using soft (< 17 ppm) water at 60 °F ± 5 °F. 

2.6.6 Calculation of RMC correction 

curve. 

2.6.6.1 Average the values of 3 test runs 

and fill in Table 2.6.5 of this appendix. 

Perform a linear least-squares fit to relate the 

standard RMC (RMCstandard) values (shown in 

Table 2.6.6.1 of this appendix) to the values 

measured in 2.6.5 of this appendix: 

(RMCcloth): RMCstandard ¥ A × RMCcloth + B 

Where A and B are coefficients of the linear 

least-squares fit. 

TABLE 2.6.6.1—STANDARD RMC VALUES (RMC STANDARD) 

‘‘g Force’’ 

RMC percentage 

Warm soak Cold soak 

15 min. spin 4 min. spin 15 min. spin 4 min. spin 

100 ................................................................................................................... 45.9 49.9 49.7 52.8 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
57588 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

TABLE 2.6.6.1—STANDARD RMC VALUES (RMC STANDARD)—Continued 

‘‘g Force’’ 

RMC percentage 

Warm soak Cold soak 

15 min. spin 4 min. spin 15 min. spin 4 min. spin 

200 ................................................................................................................... 35.7 40.4 37.9 43.1 

350 ................................................................................................................... 29.6 33.1 30.7 35.8 

500 ................................................................................................................... 24.2 28.7 25.5 30.0 

650 ................................................................................................................... 23.0 26.4 24.1 28.0 

2.6.6.2 Perform an analysis of variance 

test using two factors, spin speed and lot, to 

check the interaction of speed and lot. Use 

the values from Table 2.6.5 and Table 2.6.6.1 

in the calculation. The ‘‘P’’ value in the 

variance analysis shall be greater than or 

equal to 0.1. If the ‘‘P’’ value is less than 0.1, 

the test cloth is unacceptable. ‘‘P’’ is a 

theoretically based probability of interaction 

based on an analysis of variance. 

2.6.7 Application of the RMC correction 

curve. 

2.6.7.1 Using the coefficients A and B 

calculated in 2.6.6.1 of this appendix: 

RMCcorr = A × RMC + B 

2.6.7.2 Substitute RMCcorr values in 

calculations in 3.8 of this appendix. 

2.7 Test Load Sizes. Maximum, 

minimum, and, when required, average test 

load sizes shall be determined using Table 

5.1 of this appendix and the clothes 

container capacity as measured in 3.1.1 

through 3.1.5. Test loads shall consist of 

energy test cloths, except that adjustments to 

the test loads to achieve proper weight can 

be made by the use of energy stuffer cloths 

with no more than 5 stuffer cloths per load. 

2.8 Use of Test Loads. Table 2.8 defines 

the test load sizes and corresponding water 

fill settings which are to be used when 

measuring water and energy consumptions. 

Adaptive water fill control system and 

manual water fill control system are defined 

in section 1 of this appendix: 

TABLE 2.8—TEST LOAD SIZES AND WATER FILL SETTINGS REQUIRED

Manual water fill control system Adaptive water fill control system 

Test load size Water fill setting Test load size Water fill setting 

Max ................................................. Max ................................................. Max ................................................. As determined by the Clothes 

Washer. 

Min .................................................. Min .................................................. Avg .................................................

Min ..................................................

2.8.1 The test load sizes to be used to 

measure RMC are specified in section 3.8.1. 

2.8.2 Test loads for energy and water 

consumption measurements shall be bone 

dry prior to the first cycle of the test, and 

dried to a maximum of 104 percent of bone 

dry weight for subsequent testing. 

2.8.3 Load the energy test cloths by 

grasping them in the center, shaking them to 

hang loosely and then put them into the 

clothes container prior to activating the 

clothes washer. 

2.9 Pre-conditioning. 

2.9.1 Non-water-heating clothes washer. 

If the clothes washer has not been filled with 

water in the preceding 96 hours, precondition it by running it through a cold 

rinse cycle and then draining it to ensure that 

the hose, pump, and sump are filled with 

water. 

2.9.2 Water-heating clothes washer. If the 

clothes washer has not been filled with water 

in the preceding 96 hours, or if it has not 

been in the test room at the specified ambient 

conditions for 8 hours, pre-condition it by 

running it through a cold rinse cycle and 

then draining it to ensure that the hose, 

pump, and sump are filled with water. 

2.10 Wash time setting. If one wash time 

is prescribed in the energy test cycle, that 

shall be the wash time setting; otherwise, the 

wash time setting shall be the higher of either 

the minimum or 70 percent of the maximum 

wash time available in the energy test cycle. 

2.11 Test room temperature. 

2.11.1 Non-water-heating clothes washer. 

For standby, off, delay start, and cycle 

finished mode testing, maintain room 

ambient air temperature conditions as 

specified in section 4, paragraph 4.2 of IEC 

62301 (incorporated by reference; see 

§ 430.3). 

2.11.2 Water-heating clothes washer. 

Maintain the test room ambient air 

temperature at 75 °F ± 5 °F (23.9 °C ± 2.8 °C). 

For standby, off, delay start, and cycle 

finished mode testing, maintain room 

ambient air temperature conditions as 

specified in section 4, paragraph 4.2 of IEC 

62301 (incorporated by reference; see 

§ 430.3). 

2.12 Bone dryer temperature. The dryer 

used for bone drying must heat the test cloth 

and energy stuffer cloths above 210 °F (99 

°C). 

3. Test Measurements 

3.1 Clothes container capacity. Measure 

the entire volume which a dry clothes load 

could occupy within the clothes container 

during washer operation according to the 

following procedures: 

3.1.1 Place the clothes washer in such a 

position that the uppermost edge of the 

clothes container opening is leveled 

horizontally, so that the container will hold 

the maximum amount of water. 

3.1.2 Line the inside of the clothes 

container with 2 mil (0.051 mm) plastic 

sheet. All clothes washer components which 

occupy space within the clothes container 

and which are recommended for use with the 

energy test cycle shall be in place and shall 

be lined with 2 mil (0.051 mm) plastic sheet 

to prevent water from entering any void 

space. 

3.1.3 Record the total weight of the 

machine before adding water. 

3.1.4 Fill the clothes container manually 

with either 60 °F ± 5 °F (15.6 °C ± 2.8 °C) 

or 100 °F ± 10 °F (37.8 °C ± 5.5 °C) water, 

with the door open. For a top-loading, 

vertical-axis clothes washer, fill the clothes 

container to the uppermost edge of the 

rotating portion, including any balance ring. 

For a front-loading, horizontal-axis clothes 

washer, fill the clothes container to the 

uppermost edge that is in contact with the 

door seal. For all clothes washers, any 

volume which cannot be occupied by the 

clothing load during operation must be 

excluded from the measurement. Measure 

and record the weight of water, W, in 

pounds. 

3.1.5 The clothes container capacity is 

calculated as follows: 

C = W/d 

Where: 

C = Capacity in cubic feet (liters). 

W = Mass of water in pounds (kilograms). 

d = Density of water (62.0 lbs/ft3 for 100 °F 

(993 kg/m3 for 37.8 °C) or 62.3 lbs/ft3 for 

60 °F (998 kg/m3 for 15.6 °C)). 

3.2 Procedure for measuring water and 

energy consumption values on all automatic 

and semi-automatic washers. All energy 

consumption tests shall be performed under 

the energy test cycle(s), unless otherwise 

specified. Table 3.2 of this appendix defines 

the sections below which govern tests of 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 57589 

particular clothes washers, based on the 

number of wash/rinse temperature selections 

available on the model, and also, in some 

instances, method of water heating. The 

procedures prescribed are applicable 

regardless of a clothes washer’s washing 

capacity, loading port location, primary axis 

of rotation of the clothes container, and type 

of control system. 

3.2.1 Inlet water temperature and the 

wash/rinse temperature settings. 

3.2.1.1 For automatic clothes washers set 

the wash/rinse temperature selection control 

to obtain the wash water temperature 

selection control to obtain the wash water 

temperature desired (extra hot, hot, warm, or 

cold) and cold rinse, and open both the hot 

and cold water faucets. 

3.2.1.2 For semi-automatic washers: (1) 

For hot water temperature, open the hot 

water faucet completely and close the cold 

water faucet; (2) for warm inlet water 

temperature, open both hot and cold water 

faucets completely; (3) for cold water 

temperature, close the hot water faucet and 

open the cold water faucet completely. 

3.2.1.3 Determination of warm wash 

water temperature(s) to decide whether a 

clothes washer has uniformly distributed 

warm wash temperature selections. The wash 

water temperature, Tw, of each warm water 

wash selection shall be calculated or 

measured. 

For non-water heating clothes washers, 

calculate Tw as follows: 

Tw(°F) = ((Hw × 135 °F) + (Cw × 60 °F))/(Hw 

+ Cw) 

or 

Tw(°C) = ((Hw × 57.2 °C) + (Cw × 15.6 °C))/ 

(Hw + Cw) 

Where: 

Hw = Hot water consumption of a warm 

wash. 

Cw = Cold water consumption of a warm 

wash. 

For water-heating clothes washers, 

measure and record the temperature of each 

warm wash selection after fill. 

3.2.2 Total water consumption during the 

energy test cycle shall be measured, 

including hot and cold water consumption 

during wash, deep rinse, and spray rinse. 

3.2.3 Clothes washers with adaptive 

water fill/manual water fill control systems. 

3.2.3.1 Clothes washers with adaptive 

water fill control system and alternate 

manual water fill control systems. If a clothes 

washer with an adaptive water fill control 

system allows consumer selection of manual 

controls as an alternative, then both manual 

and adaptive modes shall be tested and, for 

each mode, the energy consumption (HET, 

MET, and DE) and water consumption (QT), 

values shall be calculated as set forth in 

section 4. Then the average of the two values 

(one from each mode, adaptive and manual) 

for each variable shall be used in section 4 

for the clothes washer. 

3.2.3.2 Clothes washers with adaptive 

water fill control system. 

3.2.3.2.1 Not user adjustable. The 

maximum, minimum, and average water 

levels as defined in the following sections 

shall be interpreted to mean that amount of 

water fill which is selected by the control 

system when the respective test loads are 

used, as defined in Table 2.8 of this 

appendix. The load usage factors which shall 

be used when calculating energy 

consumption values are defined in Table 

4.1.3 of this appendix. 

3.2.3.2.2 User adjustable. Four tests shall 

be conducted on clothes washers with user 

adjustable adaptive water fill controls which 

affect the relative wash water levels. The first 

test shall be conducted with the maximum 

test load and with the adaptive water fill 

control system set in the setting that will give 

the most energy intensive result. The second 

test shall be conducted with the minimum 

test load and with the adaptive water fill 

control system set in the setting that will give 

the least energy intensive result. The third 

test shall be conducted with the average test 

load and with the adaptive water fill control 

system set in the setting that will give the 

most energy intensive result for the given test 

load. The fourth test shall be conducted with 

the average test load and with the adaptive 

water fill control system set in the setting 

that will give the least energy intensive result 

for the given test load. The energy and water 

consumption for the average test load and 

water level shall be the average of the third 

and fourth tests. 

3.2.3.3 Clothes washers with manual 

water fill control system. In accordance with 

Table 2.8 of this appendix, the water fill 

selector shall be set to the maximum water 

level available on the clothes washer for the 

maximum test load size and set to the 

minimum water level for the minimum test 

load size. The load usage factors which shall 

be used when calculating energy 

consumption values are defined in Table 

4.1.3 of this appendix. 

TABLE 3.2—TEST SECTION REFERENCE

Max. Wash Temp. Available ............................................................................................ ≤ 135 °F (57.2 °C) **>135 °F (57.2 °C) 

Number of Wash Temp. Selections ................................................................................. 1 2 > 2 3 >3 

Test Sections Required to be Followed .......................................................................... ............ ............ ............ 3.3 3.3 

............ 3.4 3.4 .................... 3.4 

............ ............ 3.5 3.5 3.5 

3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 

............ ............ * 3.7 * 3.7 * 3.7 

3.8 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.8 

............ ............ ............ †3.9 †3.9 

* Only applicable to machines with warm rinse. 

** Only applicable to water heating clothes washers on which the maximum wash temperature available exceeds 135 °F (57.2 °C). 

† Only applicable to machines equipped with a steam cycle. 

3.3 ‘‘Extra Hot Wash’’ (Max Wash Temp 

>135 °F (57.2 °C)) for water heating clothes 

washers only. Water and electrical energy 

consumption shall be measured for each 

water fill level and/or test load size as 

specified in 3.3.1 through 3.3.3 for the hottest 

wash setting available. 

3.3.1 Maximum test load and water fill. 

Hot water consumption (Hmx), cold water 

consumption (Cmx), and electrical energy 

consumption (Emx) shall be measured for an 

extra hot wash/cold rinse energy test cycle, 

with the controls set for the maximum water 

fill level. The maximum test load size is to 

be used and shall be determined per Table 

5.1 of this appendix. 

3.3.2 Minimum test load and water fill. 

Hot water consumption (Hmn), cold water 

consumption (Cmn), and electrical energy 

consumption (Emn) shall be measured for an 

extra hot wash/cold rinse energy test cycle, 

with the controls set for the minimum water 

fill level. The minimum test load size is to 

be used and shall be determined per Table 

5.1 of this appendix. 

3.3.3 Average test load and water fill. For 

clothes washers with an adaptive water fill 

control system, measure the values for hot 

water consumption (Hma), cold water 

consumption (Cma), and electrical energy 

consumption (Ema) for an extra hot wash/ 

cold rinse energy test cycle, with an average 

test load size as determined per Table 5.1 of 

this appendix. 

3.4 ‘‘Hot Wash’’ (Max Wash Temp ≤135 °F 

(57.2 °C)). Water and electrical energy 

consumption shall be measured for each 

water fill level or test load size as specified 

in 3.4.1 through 3.4.3 for a 135 °F (57.2 °C) 

wash, if available, or for the hottest selection 

less than 135 °F (57.2 °C). 

3.4.1 Maximum test load and water fill. 

Hot water consumption (Hhx), cold water 

consumption (Chx), and electrical energy 

consumption (Ehx) shall be measured for a 

hot wash/cold rinse energy test cycle, with 

the controls set for the maximum water fill 

level. The maximum test load size is to be 

used and shall be determined per Table 5.1 

of this appendix. 

3.4.2 Minimum test load and water fill. 

Hot water consumption (Hhn), cold water 

consumption (Chn), and electrical energy 

consumption (Ehn) shall be measured for a 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
57590 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

hot wash/cold rinse energy test cycle, with 

the controls set for the minimum water fill 

level. The minimum test load size is to be 

used and shall be determined per Table 5.1 

of this appendix. 

3.4.3 Average test load and water fill. For 

clothes washers with an adaptive water fill 

control system, measure the values for hot 

water consumption (Hha), cold water 

consumption (Cha), and electrical energy 

consumption (Eha) for a hot wash/cold rinse 

energy test cycle, with an average test load 

size as determined per Table 5.1 of this 

appendix. 

3.5 ‘‘Warm Wash.’’ Water and electrical 

energy consumption shall be determined for 

each water fill level and/or test load size as 

specified in 3.5.1 through 3.5.2.3 for the 

applicable warm water wash temperature(s) 

with a cold rinse. 

3.5.1 Clothes washers with uniformly 

distributed warm wash temperature 

selection(s). The reportable values to be used 

for the warm water wash setting shall be the 

arithmetic average of the measurements for 

the hot and cold wash selections. This is a 

calculation only, no testing is required. 

3.5.2 Clothes washers that lack uniformly 

distributed warm wash temperature 

selections. For a clothes washer with fewer 

than four discrete warm wash selections, test 

all warm wash temperature selections. For a 

clothes washer that offers four or more warm 

wash selections, test at all discrete selections, 

or test at 25 percent, 50 percent, and 75 

percent positions of the temperature 

selection device between the hottest hot 

(≤135 °F (57.2 °C)) wash and the coldest cold 

wash. If a selection is not available at the 25, 

50 or 75 percent position, in place of each 

such unavailable selection use the next 

warmer setting. Each reportable value to be 

used for the warm water wash setting shall 

be the arithmetic average of all tests 

conducted pursuant to this section. 

3.5.2.1 Maximum test load and water fill. 

Hot water consumption (Hwx), cold water 

consumption (Cwx), and electrical energy 

consumption (Ewx) shall be measured with 

the controls set for the maximum water fill 

level. The maximum test load size is to be 

used and shall be determined per Table 5.1 

of this appendix. 

3.5.2.2 Minimum test load and water fill. 

Hot water consumption (Hwn), cold water 

consumption (Cwn), and electrical energy 

consumption (Ewn) shall be measured with 

the controls set for the minimum water fill 

level. The minimum test load size is to be 

used and shall be determined per Table 5.1 

of this appendix. 

3.5.2.3 Average test load and water fill. 

For clothes washers with an adaptive water 

fill control system, measure the values for hot 

water consumption (Hwa), cold water 

consumption (Cwa), and electrical energy 

consumption (Ewa) with an average test load 

size as determined per Table 5.1 of this 

appendix. 

3.6 ‘‘Cold Wash’’ (Minimum Wash 

Temperature Selection). Water and electrical 

energy consumption shall be measured for 

each water fill level or test load size as 

specified in 3.6.1 through 3.6.3 for the 

coldest wash temperature selection available. 

3.6.1 Maximum test load and water fill. 

Hot water consumption (Hcx), cold water 

consumption (Ccx), and electrical energy 

consumption (Ecx) shall be measured for a 

cold wash/cold rinse energy test cycle, with 

the controls set for the maximum water fill 

level. The maximum test load size is to be 

used and shall be determined per Table 5.1 

of this appendix. 

3.6.2 Minimum test load and water fill. 

Hot water consumption (Hcn), cold water 

consumption (Ccn), and electrical energy 

consumption (Ecn) shall be measured for a 

cold wash/cold rinse energy test cycle, with 

the controls set for the minimum water fill 

level. The minimum test load size is to be 

used and shall be determined per Table 5.1 

of this appendix. 

3.6.3 Average test load and water fill. For 

clothes washers with an adaptive water fill 

control system, measure the values for hot 

water consumption (Hca), cold water 

consumption (Cca), and electrical energy 

consumption (Eca) for a cold wash/cold rinse 

energy test cycle, with an average test load 

size as determined per Table 5.1 of this 

appendix. 

3.7 ‘‘Warm Wash/Warm Rinse.’’ Water 

and electrical energy consumption shall be 

determined for each water fill level and/or 

test load size as specified in 3.7.2.1 through 

3.7.2.3 for the applicable warm wash 

temperature selection as described in 3.7.1 or 

3.7.2 and the hottest available rinse 

temperature selection. 

3.7.1 Clothes washers with uniformly 

distributed warm wash temperature 

selection(s). Test the warm wash warm rinse 

cycle at the wash temperature selection with 

the temperature selection device at the 50 

percent position between the hottest hot 

(≤135 °F (57.2 °C)) wash and the coldest cold 

wash. 

3.7.2 Clothes washers that lack uniformly 

distributed warm wash temperature 

selections. For a clothes washer with fewer 

than four discrete warm wash selections, test 

all warm wash temperature selections. For a 

clothes washer that offers four or more warm 

wash selections, test at all discrete selections, 

or test at 25 percent, 50 percent, and 75 

percent positions of the temperature 

selection device between the hottest hot 

(≤135 °F (57.2 °C)) wash and the coldest cold 

wash. If a selection is not available at the 25, 

50, or 75 percent position, in place of each 

such unavailable selection use the next 

warmer setting. Each reportable value to be 

used for the warm water wash setting shall 

be the arithmetic average of all tests 

conducted pursuant to this section. 

3.7.2.1 Maximum test load and water fill. 

Hot water consumption (Hwwx), cold water 

consumption (Cwwx), and electrical energy 

consumption (Ewwx) shall be measured with 

the controls set for the maximum water fill 

level. The maximum test load size is to be 

used and shall be determine per Table 5.1 of 

this appendix. 

3.7.2.2 Minimum test load and water fill. 

Hot water consumption (Hwwn), cold water 

consumption (Cwwn), and electrical energy 

consumption (Ewwn) shall be measured with 

the controls set for the minimum water fill 

level. The minimum test load size is to be 

used and shall be determine per Table 5.1 of 

this appendix. 

3.7.2.3 Average test load and water fill. 

For clothes washers with an adaptive water 

fill control system, measure the values for hot 

water consumption (Hwwa), cold water 

consumption (Cwwa), and electrical energy 

consumption (Ewwa) with an average test 

load size as determined per Table 5.1 of this 

appendix. 

3.8 Remaining Moisture Content: 

3.8.1 The wash temperature will be the 

same as the rinse temperature for all testing. 

Use the maximum test load as defined in 

Table 5.1 of this appendix and section 3.1 for 

testing. 

3.8.2 For clothes washers with cold rinse 

only: 

3.8.2.1 Record the actual ‘‘bone dry’’ 

weight of the test load (WImax), then place the 

test load in the clothes washer. 

3.8.2.2 Set water level selector to 

maximum fill. 

3.8.2.3 Run the energy test cycle. 

3.8.2.4 Record the weight of the test load 

immediately after completion of the energy 

test cycle (WCmax). 

3.8.2.5 Calculate the remaining moisture 

content of the maximum test load, RMCmax, 

expressed as a percentage and defined as: 

RMCmax = ((WCmax–WImax)/WImax) × 100% 

3.8.3 For clothes washers with cold and 

warm rinse options: 

3.8.3.1 Complete steps 3.8.2.1 through 

3.8.2.4 for cold rinse. Calculate the remaining 

moisture content of the maximum test load 

for cold rinse, RMCCOLD, expressed as a 

percentage and defined as: 

RMCCOLD = ((WCmax–WImax)/WImax) × 100% 

3.8.3.2 Complete steps 3.8.2.1 through 

3.8.2.4 for warm rinse. Calculate the 

remaining moisture content of the maximum 

test load for warm rinse, RMCWARM, 

expressed as a percentage and defined as: 

RMCWARM = ((WCmax–WImax)/WImax) × 100% 

3.8.3.3 Calculate the remaining moisture 

content of the maximum test load, RMCmax, 

expressed as a percentage and defined as: 

RMCmax = RMC COLD × (1–TUFr) + RMCWARM

× (TUFr) 

Where: 

TUFr is the temperature use factor for warm 

rinse as defined in Table 4.1.1 of this 

appendix. 

3.8.4 Clothes washers that have options 

such as multiple selections of spin speeds or 

spin times that result in different RMC values 

and that are available in the energy test cycle, 

shall be tested at the maximum and 

minimum extremes of the available options, 

excluding any ‘‘no spin’’ (zero spin speed) 

settings, in accordance with requirements in 

3.8.2 or 3.8.3. The calculated RMCmax,max

extraction and RMCmax,min extraction at the 

maximum and minimum settings, 

respectively, shall be combined as follows 

and the final RMC to be used in section 4.3 

shall be: 

RMC = 0.75 × RMCmax,max extraction + 0.25 × 

RMCmax,min extraction

3.9 ‘‘Steam Wash’’ for clothes washers 

equipped with a steam cycle. Water and 

electrical energy consumption shall be 

measured for each water fill level and/or test 

load size as specified in 3.9.1 through 3.9.3 

for the hottest wash setting available with 

steam. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 57591 

3.9.1 Maximum test load and water fill. 

Hot water consumption (Hsx), cold water 

consumption (Csx), and electrical energy 

consumption (Esx) shall be measured for a 

steam energy test cycle, with the controls set 

for the maximum water fill level. The 

maximum test load size is to be used and 

shall be determined per Table 5.1 of this 

appendix. 

3.9.2 Minimum test load and water fill. 

Hot water consumption (Hsn), cold water 

consumption (Csn), and electrical energy 

consumption (Esn) shall be measured for a 

steam energy test cycle, with the controls set 

for the minimum water fill level. The 

minimum test load size is to be used and 

shall be determined per Table 5.1 of this 

appendix. 

3.9.3 Average test load and water fill. For 

clothes washers with an adaptive water fill 

control system, measure the values for hot 

water consumption (Hsa), cold water 

consumption (Csa), and electrical energy 

consumption (Esa) for a steam energy test 

cycle using an average test load size as 

determined per Table 5.1 of this appendix. 

3.10 Self-clean. Set the controls to obtain 

the self-clean cycle. Hot water consumption 

(Hsc), cold water consumption (Csc), and 

electric energy consumption (Esc) shall be 

measured for the self-clean cycle. Do not use 

a test load. 

3.11 Standby mode, off mode, delay start 

mode, and cycle finished mode power. 

Establish the testing conditions set forth in 

sections 2.2 and 2.11. For clothes washers 

that drop from a higher power state to a 

lower power state as discussed in section 5, 

paragraph 5.1, note 1 of IEC 62301, 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3), 

allow sufficient time for the clothes washer 

to reach the lower power state before 

proceeding with the test measurement. 

Follow the test procedure specified in section 

5, paragraph 5.3 of IEC 62301 for testing in 

each possible mode as described in 3.11.1 

through 3.11.4. For units in which power 

varies over a cycle, as described in section 5, 

paragraph 5.3.2 of IEC 62301, use the average 

power approach described in Paragraph 

5.3.2(a) of IEC 62301. 

3.11.1 If a clothes washer has a cycle 

finished mode as defined in section 1.9, 

measure and record its average cycle finished 

mode power, Pcf, in watts, allowing the 

product to stabilize for at least 30 minutes 

and using a measurement period in which 

the energy use is not less than 10 minutes. 

3.11.2 If a clothes washer has a delay start 

mode as defined in section 1.11, measure and 

record its average delay start mode power, 

Pds, in watts by setting it to a delay start time 

of 5 hours, allowing at least 5 minutes for the 

power input to stabilize. Then measure and 

record the average delay start mode power of 

the clothes washer, Pds, in watts, for the 

following 60 minutes. 

3.11.3 If a clothes washer has an inactive 

mode as defined in section 1.14, measure and 

record the average inactive mode power of 

the clothes washer, Pia, in watts, allowing the 

product to stabilize for at least 30 minutes 

and using a measurement period of not less 

than 10 minutes. 

3.11.4 If a clothes washer has an off mode 

as defined in section 1.22, measure and 

record its average off mode power, Po, in 

watts, allowing the product to stabilize for at 

least 30 minutes and using a measurement 

period of not less than 10 minutes. 

4. Calculation of Derived Results From Test 

Measurements 

4.1 Hot water and machine electrical 

energy consumption of clothes washers. 

4.1.1 Per-cycle temperature-weighted hot 

water consumption for maximum, average, 

and minimum water fill levels using each 

appropriate load size as defined in section 

2.8 and Table 5.1 of this appendix. Calculate 

for the cycle under test the per-cycle 

temperature weighted hot water consumption 

for the maximum water fill level, Vhx, the 

average water fill level, Vha, and the 

minimum water fill level, Vhn, expressed in 

gallons per cycle (or liters per cycle) and 

defined as: 

(a) Vhx = [Hsx × TUFs] + [Hmx × TUFm] + [Hhx

× TUFh] + [Hwx × TUFw] + [Hwwx × 

TUFww] + [Hcx × TUFc] 

(b) Vha = [Hsa × TUFs] + [Hma × TUFm] + [Hha

× TUFh] + [Hwa × TUFw] + [Hwwa × 

TUFww] + [Hca × TUFc] 

(c) Vhn = [Hsn × TUFs] + [Hmn × TUFm] + [Hhn

× TUFh] + [Hwn × TUFw] + [Hwwn × 

TUFww] + [Hcn × TUFc] 

Where: 

Hsx, Hsa, and Hsn, are reported hot water 

consumption values, in gallons per cycle 

(or liters per cycle), at maximum, 

average, and minimum water fill, 

respectively, for the steam cycle with the 

appropriate test loads as defined in 

section 2.8. 

Hmx, Hma, and Hmn, are reported hot water 

consumption values, in gallons per-cycle 

(or liters per cycle), at maximum, 

average, and minimum water fill, 

respectively, for the extra hot wash cycle 

with the appropriate test loads as 

defined in section 2.8. 

Hhx, Hha, and Hhn, are reported hot water 

consumption values, in gallons per-cycle 

(or liters per cycle), at maximum, 

average, and minimum water fill, 

respectively, for the hot wash cycle with 

the appropriate test loads as defined in 

section 2.8. 

Hwx, Hwa, and Hwn, are reported hot water 

consumption values, in gallons per-cycle 

(or liters per cycle), at maximum, 

average, and minimum water fill, 

respectively, for the warm wash cycle 

with the appropriate test loads as 

defined in section 2.8. 

Hwwx, Hwwa, and Hwwn, are reported hot 

water consumption values, in gallons 

per-cycle (or liters per cycle), at 

maximum, average, and minimum water 

fill, respectively, for the warm wash/ 

warm rinse cycle with the appropriate 

test loads as defined in section 2.8. 

Hcx, Hca, and Hcn, are reported hot water 

consumption values, in gallons per-cycle 

(or liters per cycle), at maximum, 

average, and minimum water fill, 

respectively, for the cold wash cycle 

with the appropriate test loads as 

defined in section 2.8. 

TUFs, TUFm, TUFh, TUFw, TUFww, and TUFc

are temperature use factors for steam 

wash, extra hot wash, hot wash, warm 

wash, warm wash/warm rinse, and cold 

wash temperature selections, 

respectively, and are as defined in Table 

4.1.1 of this appendix. 

TABLE 4.1.1—TEMPERATURE USE FACTORS

Max Wash Temp Available .................................... ≤135 °F 

(57.2 °C) 

≤135 °F 

(57.2 °C) 

≤135 °F 

(57.2 °C) 

>135 °F 

(57.2 °C) 

>135 °F 

(57.2 °C) 

Steam Steam 

No. Wash Temp Selections ................................... Single 2 Temps >2 Temps 3 Temps >3 Temps 3 Temps >3 Temps 

TUFs (steam) .......................................................... NA NA NA NA NA 0.02 0.02 

TUFm (extra hot) .................................................... NA NA NA 0.14 0.05 0.12 0.03 

TUFh (hot) .............................................................. NA 0.63 0.14 NA 0.09 NA 0.09 

TUFww (warm/warm) .............................................. NA NA 0.27* 0.27* 0.27* 0.27* 0.27*

TUFw (warm) .......................................................... NA NA 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.22 

TUFc (cold) ............................................................. 1.00 0.37 0.37 0.37 0.37 0.37 0.37 

*Only applicable to machines offering a warm/warm cycle. For machines with no warm/warm cycle, this value should be zero and TUFw

(warm) should be 0.49. 

4.1.2 Total per-cycle hot water energy 

consumption for all maximum, average, and 

minimum water fill levels tested. Calculate 

the total per-cycle hot water energy 

consumption for the maximum water fill 

level, HEmax, the minimum water fill level, 

HEmin, and the average water fill level, HEavg, 

expressed in kilowatt-hours per cycle and 

defined as: 

(a) HEmax = [Vhx × T × K] = Total energy when 

a maximum load is tested. 

(b) HEavg = [Vha × T × K] = Total energy when 

an average load is tested. 

(c) HEmin = [Vhn × T × K] = Total energy when 

a minimum load is tested. 

Where: 

T = Temperature rise = 75 °F (41.7 °C). 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
57592 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

K = Water specific heat in kilowatt-hours per 

gallon degree F = 0.00240 (0.00114 kWh/ 

L¥°C). 

Vhx, Vha, and Vhn are as defined in 4.1.1. 

4.1.3 Total weighted per-cycle hot water 

energy consumption. Calculate the total 

weighted per-cycle hot water energy 

consumption, HET, expressed in kilowatthours per cycle and defined as: 

HET = [HEmax × Fmax] + [HEavg × Favg] + [HEmin

× Fmin] 

Where: 

HEmax, HEavg, and HEmin are as defined in 

4.1.2. 

Fmax, Favg, and Fmin are the load usage factors 

for the maximum, average, and 

minimum test loads based on the size 

and type of the control system on the 

washer being tested. The values are as 

shown in Table 4.1.3 of this appendix. 

TABLE 4.1.3—LOAD USAGE FACTORS

Water fill control 

system Manual Adaptive 

Fmax = ....................... 10.72 20.12 

Favg = ........................ ................ 20.74 

Fmin = ........................ 10.28 20.14 

1 Reference 3.2.3.3. 

2 Reference 3.2.3.2. 

4.1.4 Total per-cycle hot water energy 

consumption using gas-heated or oil-heated 

water. Calculate for the energy test cycle the 

per-cycle hot water consumption, HETG,

using gas-heated or oil-heated water, 

expressed in Btu per cycle (or megajoules per 

cycle) and defined as: 

HETG = HET × 1/e × 3412 Btu/kWh or HETG

= HET × 1/e × 3.6 MJ/kWh 

Where: 

e = Nominal gas or oil water heater efficiency 

= 0.75. 

HET = As defined in 4.1.3. 

4.1.5 Per-cycle machine electrical energy 

consumption for all maximum, average, and 

minimum test load sizes. Calculate the total 

per-cycle machine electrical energy 

consumption for the maximum water fill 

level, MEmax, the average water fill level, 

MEavg, and the minimum water fill level, 

MEmin, expressed in kilowatt-hours per cycle 

and defined as: 

(a) 

MEmax = [Esx × TUFs] + [Emx × TUFm] + [Ehx

× TUFh] + [Ewx × TUFw] + [Ewwx × 

TUFww] + [Ecx × TUFc] 

(b) 

MEavg = [Esa × TUFs] + [Ema × TUFm] + [Eha

× TUFh] + [Ewa × TUFw] + [Ewwa × 

TUFww] + [Eca × TUFc] 

(c) 

MEmin = [Esn × TUFs] + [Emn × TUFm] + [Ehn

× TUFh] + [Ewn × TUFw] + [Ewwn × 

TUFww] + [Ecn × TUFc] 

Where: 

Esx, Esa, and Esn, are reported electrical 

energy consumption values, in kilowatthours per cycle, at maximum, average, 

and minimum test loads, respectively, 

for the steam cycle. 

Emx, Ema, and Emn, are reported electrical 

energy consumption values, in kilowatthours per cycle, at maximum, average, 

and minimum test loads, respectively, 

for the extra hot wash cycle. 

Ehx, Eha, and Ehn, are reported electrical 

energy consumption values, in kilowatthours per cycle, at maximum, average, 

and minimum test loads, respectively, 

for the hot wash cycle. 

Ewx, Ewa, and Ewn, are reported electrical 

energy consumption values, in kilowatthours per cycle, at maximum, average, 

and minimum test loads, respectively, 

for the warm wash cycle. 

Ewwx, Ewwa, and Ewwn, are reported 

electrical energy consumption values, in 

kilowatt-hours per cycle, at maximum, 

average, and minimum test loads, 

respectively, for the warm wash/warm 

rinse cycle. 

Ecx, Eca, and Ecn, are reported electrical 

energy consumption values, in kilowatthours per cycle, at maximum, average, 

and minimum test loads, respectively, 

for the cold wash cycle. 

TUFs, TUFm, TUFh, TUFw, TUFww, and TUFc

are as defined in Table 4.1.1 of this 

appendix. 

4.1.6 Total weighted per-cycle machine 

electrical energy consumption. Calculate the 

total per-cycle load size weighted energy 

consumption, MET, expressed in kilowatthours per cycle and defined as: 

MET = [MEmax × Fmax] + [MEavg × Favg] + 

[MEmin × Fmin] 

Where: 

MEmax, MEavg, and MEmin are as defined in 

4.1.5. 

Fmax, Favg, and Fmin are as defined in Table 

4.1.3 of this appendix. 

4.1.7 Total per-cycle energy consumption 

when electrically heated water is used. 

Calculate for the energy test cycle the total 

per-cycle energy consumption, ETE, using 

electrically heated water, expressed in 

kilowatt-hours per cycle and defined as: 

ETE = HET + MET

Where: 

MET = As defined in 4.1.6. 

HET = As defined in 4.1.3. 

4.1.8 Per-cycle self-clean hot water energy 

consumption. Calculate the per-cycle selfclean hot water energy consumption, HEsc, 

expressed in kilowatt-hours per cycle, and 

defined as: 

HEsc = [Hsc × T × K] 

Where: 

Hsc = reported hot water consumption value, 

in gallons per-cycle, for the self-clean 

cycle as defined in section 3.10. 

T = Temperature rise = 75 °F (41.7 °C). 

K = Water specific heat in kilowatt-hours per 

gallon degree F = 0.00240 (0.00114 kWh/ 

L¥°C). 

4.2 Water consumption of clothes 

washers. (The calculations in this Section 

need not be performed to determine 

compliance with the energy conservation 

standards for clothes washers manufactured 

before January 1, 2011.) 

4.2.1 Per-cycle water consumption for 

steam wash. Calculate the maximum, 

average, and minimum total water 

consumption, expressed in gallons per cycle 

(or liters per cycle), for the steam cycle and 

defined as: 

Qsmax = [Hsx + Csx] 

Qsavg = [Hsa + Csa] 

Qsmin = [Hsn + Csn] 

Where: 

Hsx, Csx, Hsa, Csa, Hsn, and Csn are defined 

in 3.9. 

4.2.2 Per-cycle water consumption for 

extra hot wash. Calculate the maximum, 

average, and minimum total water 

consumption, expressed in gallons per cycle 

(or liters per cycle), for the extra hot wash 

cycle and defined as: 

Qmmax = [Hmx + Cmx] 

Qmavg = [Hma + Cma] 

Qmmin = [Hmn + Cmn] 

Where: 

Hmx, Cmx, Hma, Cma, Hmn, and Cmn are 

defined in 3.3. 

4.2.3 Per-cycle water consumption for hot 

wash. Calculate the maximum, average, and 

minimum total water consumption, 

expressed in gallons per cycle (or liters per 

cycle), for the hot wash cycle and defined as: 

Qhmax = [Hhx + Chx] 

Qhavg = [Hha + Cha] 

Qhmin = [Hhn + Chn] 

Where: 

Hhx, Chx, Hha, Cha, Hhn, and Chn are defined 

in 3.4. 

4.2.4 Per-cycle water consumption for 

warm wash with cold rinse. Calculate the 

maximum, average, and minimum total water 

consumption, expressed in gallons per cycle 

(or liters per cycle), for the warm wash cold 

rinse cycle and defined as: 

Qwmax = [Hwx + Cwx] 

Qwavg = [Hwa + Cwa] 

Qwmin = [Hwn + Cwn] 

Where: 

Hwx, Cwx, Hwa, Cwa, Hwn, and Cwn are 

defined in 3.5. 

4.2.5 Per-cycle water consumption for 

warm wash with warm rinse. Calculate the 

maximum, average, and minimum total water 

consumption, expressed in gallons per cycle 

(or liters per cycle), for the warm wash/warm 

rinse cycle and defined as: 

Qwwmax = [Hwwx + Cwwx] 

Qwwavg = [Hwwa + Cwwa] 

Qwwmin = [Hwwn + Cwwn] 

Where: 

Hwwx, Cwwx, Hwwa, Cwwa, Hwwn, and 

Cwwn are defined in 3.7. 

4.2.6 Per-cycle water consumption for 

cold wash. Calculate the maximum, average, 

and minimum total water consumption, 

expressed in gallons per cycle (or liters per 

cycle), for the cold wash cycle and defined 

as: 

Qcmax = [Hcx + Ccx] 

Qcavg = [Hca + Cca] 

Qcmin = [Hcn + Ccn] 

Where: 

Hcx, Ccx, Hca, Cca, Hcn, and Ccn are defined 

in 3.6. 

4.2.7 Total weighted per-cycle water 

consumption for steam wash. Calculate the 

total weighted per cycle consumption, QsT, 

expressed in gallons per cycle (or liters per 

cycle) and defined as: 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 57593 

QsT = [Qsmax × Fmax] + [Qsavg × Favg] + [Qsmin

× Fmin] 

Where: 

Qsmax, Qsavg, Qsmin are defined in 4.2.1. 

Fmax, Favg, Fmin are defined in Table 4.1.3 of 

this appendix. 

4.2.8 Total weighted per-cycle water 

consumption for extra hot wash. Calculate 

the total weighted per cycle consumption, 

QmT, expressed in gallons per cycle (or liters 

per cycle) and defined as: 

QmT = [Qmmax × Fmax] + [Qmavg × Favg] + 

[Qmmin × Fmin] 

Where: 

Qmmax, Qmavg, Qmmin are defined in 4.2.2. 

Fmax, Favg, Fmin are defined in Table 4.1.3 of 

this appendix. 

4.2.9 Total weighted per-cycle water 

consumption for hot wash. Calculate the total 

weighted per cycle consumption, QhT, 

expressed in gallons per cycle (or liters per 

cycle) and defined as: 

QhT = [Qhmax × Fmax] + [Qhavg × Favg] + [Qhmin

× Fmin] 

Where: 

Qhmax, Qhavg, Qhmin are defined in 4.2.3. 

Fmax, Favg, Fmin are defined in Table 4.1.3 of 

this appendix. 

4.2.10 Total weighted per-cycle water 

consumption for warm wash with cold 

rinse. Calculate the total weighted per 

cycle consumption, QwT, expressed in 

gallons per cycle (or liters per cycle) and 

defined as: 

QwT = [Qwmax × Fmax] + [Qwavg × Favg] + 

[Qwmin × Fmin] 

Where: 

Qwmax, Qwavg, Qwmin are defined in 4.2.4. 

Fmax, Favg, Fmin are defined in Table 4.1.3 of 

this appendix. 

4.2.11 Total weighted per-cycle water 

consumption for warm wash with warm 

rinse. Calculate the total weighted per cycle 

consumption, QwT, expressed in gallons per 

cycle (or liters per cycle) and defined as: 

QwwT = [Qwwmax × Fmax] + [Qwwavg × Favg] 

+ [Qwwmin × Fmin] 

Where: 

Qwwmax, Qwwavg, Qwwmin are defined in 

4.2.5. 

Fmax, Favg, Fmin are defined in Table 4.1.3 of 

this appendix. 

4.2.12 Total weighted per-cycle water 

consumption for cold wash. Calculate the 

total weighted per cycle consumption, QcT, 

expressed in gallons per cycle (or liters per 

cycle) and defined as: 

QcT = [Qcmax × Fmax] + [Qcavg × Favg] + [Qcmin

× Fmin] 

Where: 

Qcmax, Qcavg, Qcmin are defined in 4.2.6. 

Fmax, Favg, Fmin are defined in Table 4.1.3 of 

this appendix. 

4.2.13 Total weighted per-cycle water 

consumption for all wash cycles. Calculate 

the total weighted per cycle consumption, 

QT, expressed in gallons per cycle (or liters 

per cycle) and defined as: 

QT = [QsT × TUFs] + [QmT × TUFm] + [QhT

× TUFh] + [QwT × TUFw] + [QwwT × 

TUFww] + [QcT × TUFc] 

Where: 

QsT, QmT, QhT, QwT, QwwT, and QcT are 

defined in 4.2.7 through 4.2.12. 

TUFs, TUFm, TUFh, TUFw, TUFww, and TUFc

are defined in Table 4.1.1 of this 

appendix. 

4.2.14 Per-cycle self-clean water 

consumption. Calculate the total per-cycle 

self-clean water consumption, Qsc, in gallons 

per cycle (or liters per cycle) and defined as: 

Qsc = [Hsc + Csc] 

Where: 

Hsc = As defined in 3.10. 

Csc = As defined in 3.10. 

4.2.15 Water consumption factor. 

Calculate the water consumption factor, 

WCF, expressed in gallons per cycle per 

cubic feet (or liter per cycle per liter), as: 

WCF = QcT/C 

Where: 

QcT = As defined in 4.2.12. 

C = As defined in 3.1.5. 

4.2.16 Integrated water consumption 

factor. Calculate the integrated water 

consumption factor, IWF, expressed in 

gallons per cycle per cubic feet (or liter per 

cycle per liter), as: 

IWF = [QT + Qsc]/C 

Where: 

QT = As defined in 4.2.13. 

Qsc = As defined in 4.2.14. 

C = As defined in 3.1.5. 

4.3 Per-cycle energy consumption for 

removal of moisture from test load. Calculate 

the per-cycle energy required to remove the 

moisture of the test load, DE, expressed in 

kilowatt-hours per cycle and defined as: 

DE = (LAF) × (Maximum test load weight) × 

(RMC–4%) × (DEF) × (DUF) 

Where: 

LAF = Load adjustment factor = 0.52. 

Test load weight=As required in 3.8.1, 

expressed in lbs/cycle. 

RMC = As defined in 3.8.2.5, 3.8.3.3, or 3.8.4. 

DEF = Nominal energy required for a clothes 

dryer to remove moisture from clothes = 

0.5 kWh/lb (1.1 kWh/kg). 

DUF = Dryer usage factor, percentage of 

washer loads dried in a clothes dryer = 

0.91. 

4.4 Per-cycle standby mode, off mode, 

delay start mode, and cycle finished mode 

energy consumption. Calculate the clothes 

washer combined standby mode, off mode, 

delay start mode, and cycle finished energy 

consumption per cycle, ETSO, expressed in 

kilowatt-hours per cycle and defined as: 

ETSO = [(Pcf × Scf) + (Pds × Sds) + (Pia × Sia) 

+ (Po × So)] × Kp/295 

Where: 

Pcf = Washer cycle finished mode power, in 

watts, as defined in 3.11.1 for clothes 

washers capable of operating in cycle 

finished mode; otherwise, Pcf = 0. 

Pds = Washer delay start mode power, in 

watts, as defined in 3.11.2 for clothes 

washers capable of operating in delay 

start mode; otherwise, Pds = 0. 

Pia = Washer inactive mode power, in watts, 

as defined in 3.11.3 for clothes washers 

capable of operating in inactive mode; 

otherwise, Pia = 0. 

Po = Washer off mode power, in watts, as 

defined in 3.11.4 for clothes washers 

capable of operating in off mode; 

otherwise, Po = 0. 

Scf = 15 annual hours in cycle finished mode 

for clothes washers capable of operating 

in inactive mode; otherwise, Scf = 0. 

Sds = 25 annual hours in delay start mode for 

clothes washers capable of operating in 

inactive mode; otherwise, Sds = 0. 

Sia = Annual hours in inactive mode as 

defined as Soi if no off mode is possible, 

[Soi/2] if both inactive mode and off 

mode are possible, and 0 if no inactive 

mode is possible, where Soi is the 

combined annual hours for off and 

inactive mode as defined in Table 4.4.1 

of this appendix. 

So = Annual hours in off mode as defined as 

Soi if no inactive mode is possible, 

[Soi/2] if both inactive mode and off 

mode are possible, and 0 if no off mode 

is possible, where Soi is the combined 

annual hours for off and inactive mode 

as defined in Table 4.4.1 of this 

appendix. 

Kp = Conversion factor of watt-hours to 

kilowatt-hours = 0.001. 

295 = Representative average number of 

clothes washer cycles in a year. 

TABLE 4.4.1—ANNUAL OFF AND INACTIVE MODE HOURS

All modes 

possible 

No delay 

start 

mode 

No cycle 

finished 

mode 

No delay 

start or 

cycle 

finished 

modes 

No Self-Clean Cycle: 

Soi .................................................................................................................................................... 8,425 8,450 8,440 8,465 

Self-Clean Cycle Possible: 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
57594 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

TABLE 4.4.1—ANNUAL OFF AND INACTIVE MODE HOURS—Continued 

All modes 

possible 

No delay 

start 

mode 

No cycle 

finished 

mode 

No delay 

start or 

cycle 

finished 

modes 

Soi ............................................................................................................................................. 8,409 8,434 8,424 8,449 

4.5 Per-cycle self-clean energy 

consumption. Calculate the clothes washer 

self-clean energy per cycle, ETSC, expressed 

in kilowatt-hours per cycle and defined as: 

ETSC = [HEsc + Esc] × 12/295 

Where: 

HEsc = As defined in 4.1.8. 

Esc = Reported electrical energy consumption 

value, in kilowatt hours per cycle, for the 

self-clean cycle as defined in 3.10. 

12 = Representative average number of 

clothes washer self-clean cycles in a 

year. 

295 = Representative average number of 

clothes washer cycles in a year. 

4.6 Modified energy factor. Calculate the 

modified energy factor, MEF, expressed in 

cubic feet per kilowatt-hour per cycle (or 

liters per kilowatt-hour per cycle) and 

defined as: 

MEF = C/(ETE + DE) 

Where: 

C = As defined in 3.1.5. 

ETE = As defined in 4.1.7. 

DE = As defined in 4.3. 

4.7 Integrated modified energy factor. 

Calculate the integrated modified energy 

factor, IMEF, expressed in cubic feet per 

kilowatt-hour per cycle (or liters per 

kilowatt-hour per cycle) and defined as: 

IMEF = C/(ETE + DE + ETSO + ETSC) 

Where: 

C = As defined in 3.1.5. 

ETE = As defined in 4.1.7. 

DE = As defined in 4.3. 

ETSO = As defined in 4.4. 

ETSC = As defined in 4.5. 

5. Test Loads 

TABLE 5.1—TEST LOAD SIZES

Container volume Minimum load Maximum load Average load 

cu. ft. liter 

lb kg lb kg lb kg 

< < 

0–0.8 0–22.7 3 1.36 3.00 1 .36 3 1 .36 

0.80–0.90 22.7–25.5 3 1.36 3.50 1 .59 3 .25 1 .47 

0.90–1.00 25.5–28.3 3 1.36 3.90 1 .77 3 .45 1 .56 

1.00–1.10 28.3–31.1 3 1.36 4.30 1 .95 3 .65 1 .66 

1.10–1.20 31.1–34.0 3 1.36 4.70 2 .13 3 .85 1 .75 

1.20–1.30 34.0–36.8 3 1.36 5.10 2 .31 4 .05 1 .84 

1.30–1.40 36.8–39.6 3 1.36 5.50 2 .49 4 .25 1 .93 

1.40–1.50 39.6–42.5 3 1.36 5.90 2 .68 4 .45 2 .02 

1.50–1.60 42.5–45.3 3 1.36 6.40 2 .9 4 .7 2 .13 

1.60–1.70 45.3–48.1 3 1.36 6.80 3 .08 4 .9 2 .22 

1.70–1.80 48.1–51.0 3 1.36 7.20 3 .27 5 .1 2 .31 

1.80–1.90 51.0–53.8 3 1.36 7.60 3 .45 5 .3 2 .4 

1.90–2.00 53.8–56.6 3 1.36 8.00 3 .63 5 .5 2 .49 

2.00–2.10 56.6–59.5 3 1.36 8.40 3 .81 5 .7 2 .59 

2.10–2.20 59.5–62.3 3 1.36 8.80 3 .99 5 .9 2 .68 

2.20–2.30 62.3–65.1 3 1.36 9.20 4 .17 6 .1 2 .77 

2.30–2.40 65.1–68.0 3 1.36 9.60 4 .35 6 .3 2 .86 

2.40–2.50 68.0–70.8 3 1.36 10.00 4 .54 6 .5 2 .95 

2.50–2.60 70.8–73.6 3 1.36 10.50 4 .76 6 .75 3 .06 

2.60–2.70 73.6–76.5 3 1.36 10.90 4 .94 6 .95 3 .15 

2.70–2.80 76.5–79.3 3 1.36 11.30 5 .13 7 .15 3 .24 

2.80–2.90 79.3–82.1 3 1.36 11.70 5 .31 7 .35 3 .33 

2.90–3.00 82.1–85.0 3 1.36 12.10 5 .49 7 .55 3 .42 

3.00–3.10 85.0–87.8 3 1.36 12.50 5 .67 7 .75 3 .52 

3.10–3.20 87.8–90.6 3 1.36 12.90 5 .85 7 .95 3 .61 

3.20–3.30 90.6–93.4 3 1.36 13.30 6 .03 8 .15 3 .7 

3.30–3.40 93.4–96.3 3 1.36 13.70 6 .21 8 .35 3 .79 

3.40–3.50 96.3–99.1 3 1.36 14.10 6 .4 8 .55 3 .88 

3.50–3.60 99.1–101.9 3 1.36 14.60 6 .62 8 .8 3 .99 

3.60–3.70 101.9–104.8 3 1.36 15.00 6 .8 9 4 .08 

3.70–3.80 104.8–107.6 3 1.36 15.40 6 .99 9 .2 4 .17 

3.80–3.90 107.6–110.4 3 1.36 15.80 7 .16 9 .4 4 .26 

3.90–4.00 110.4–113.3 3 1.36 16.20 7 .34 9 .6 4 .35 

4.00–4.10 113.3–116.1 3 1.36 16.60 7 .53 9 .8 4 .45 

4.10–4.20 116.1–118.9 3 1.36 17.00 7 .72 10 .0 4 .54 

4.20–4.30 118.9–121.8 3 1.36 17.40 7 .90 10 .2 4 .63 

4.30–4.40 121.8–124.6 3 1.36 17.80 8 .09 10 .4 4 .72 

4.40–4.50 124.6–127.4 3 1.36 18.20 8 .27 10 .6 4 .82 

4.50–4.60 127.4–130.3 3 1.36 18.70 8 .46 10 .8 4 .91 

4.60–4.70 130.3–133.1 3 1.36 19.10 8 .65 11 .0 5 .00 

4.70–4.80 133.1–135.9 3 1.36 19.50 8 .83 11 .2 5 .10 

4.80–4.90 135.9–138.8 3 1.36 19.90 9 .02 11 .4 5 .19 

4.90–5.00 138.8–141.6 3 1.36 20.30 9 .20 11 .6 5 .28 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 21, 2010 / Proposed Rules 57595 

TABLE 5.1—TEST LOAD SIZES—Continued 

Container volume Minimum load Maximum load Average load 

cu. ft. liter 

lb kg lb kg lb kg 

< < 

5.00–5.10 141.6–144.4 3 1.36 20.70 9 .39 11 .9 5 .38 

5.10–5.20 144.4–147.2 3 1.36 21.10 9 .58 12 .1 5 .47 

5.20–5.30 147.2–150.1 3 1.36 21.50 9 .76 12 .3 5 .56 

5.30–5.40 150.1–152.9 3 1.36 21.90 9 .95 12 .5 5 .65 

5.40–5.50 152.9–155.7 3 1.36 22.30 10 .13 12 .7 5 .75 

5.50–5.60 155.7–158.6 3 1.36 22.80 10 .32 12 .9 5 .84 

5.60–5.70 158.6–161.4 3 1.36 23.20 10 .51 13 .1 5 .93 

5.70–5.80 161.4–164.2 3 1.36 23.60 10 .69 13 .3 6 .03 

5.80–5.90 164.2–167.1 3 1.36 24.00 10 .88 13 .5 6 .12 

5.90–6.00 167.1–169.9 3 1.36 24.40 11 .06 13 .7 6 .21 

Notes: (1) All test load weights are bone dry weights. 

(2) Allowable tolerance on the test load weights are ±0.10 lbs (0.05 kg). 

6. Waivers and Field Testing 

6.1 Waivers and Field Testing for Nonconventional Clothes Washers. 

Manufacturers of nonconventional clothes 

washers, such as clothes washers with 

adaptive control systems, must submit a 

petition for waiver pursuant to 10 CFR 

430.27 to establish an acceptable test 

procedure for that clothes washer. For these 

and other clothes washers that have controls 

or systems such that the DOE test procedures 

yield results that are so unrepresentative of 

the clothes washer’s true energy 

consumption characteristics as to provide 

materially inaccurate comparative data, field 

testing may be appropriate for establishing an 

acceptable test procedure. The following are 

guidelines for field testing which may be 

used by manufacturers in support of petitions 

for waiver. These guidelines are not 

mandatory and the Department may 

determine that they do not apply to a 

particular model. Depending upon a 

manufacturer’s approach for conducting field 

testing, additional data may be required. 

Manufacturers are encouraged to 

communicate with the Department prior to 

the commencement of field tests which may 

be used to support a petition for waiver. 

Section 6.3 provides an example of field 

testing for a clothes washer with an adaptive 

water fill control system. Other features, such 

as the use of various spin speed selections, 

could be the subject of field tests. 

6.2 Nonconventional Wash System 

Energy Consumption Test. The field test may 

consist of a minimum of 10 of the 

nonconventional clothes washers (‘‘test 

clothes washers’’) and 10 clothes washers 

already being distributed in commerce (‘‘base 

clothes washers’’). The tests should include a 

minimum of 50 energy test cycles per clothes 

washer. The test clothes washers and base 

clothes washers should be identical in 

construction except for the controls or 

systems being tested. Equal numbers of both 

the test clothes washer and the base clothes 

washer should be tested simultaneously in 

comparable settings to minimize seasonal or 

consumer laundering conditions or 

variations. The clothes washers should be 

monitored in such a way as to accurately 

record the total energy consumption per 

cycle. At a minimum, the following should 

be measured and recorded throughout the 

test period for each clothes washer: Hot water 

usage in gallons (or liters), electrical energy 

usage in kilowatt-hours, and the cycles of 

usage. 

The field test results would be used to 

determine the best method to correlate the 

rating of the test clothes washer to the rating 

of the base clothes washer. If the base clothes 

washer is rated at A kWh per year, but field 

tests at B kWh per year, and the test clothes 

washer field tests at D kWh per year, the test 

unit would be rated as follows: 

A × (D/B) = G kWh per year 

6.3 Adaptive water fill control system 

field test. Section 3.2.3.1 defines the test 

method for measuring energy consumption 

for clothes washers which incorporate 

control systems having both adaptive and 

alternate cycle selections. Energy 

consumption calculated by the method 

defined in section 3.2.3.1 assumes the 

adaptive cycle will be used 50 percent of the 

time. This section can be used to develop 

field test data in support of a petition for 

waiver when it is believed that the adaptive 

cycle will be used more than 50 percent of 

the time. The field test sample size should be 

a minimum of 10 test clothes washers. The 

test clothes washers should be totally 

representative of the design, construction, 

and control system that will be placed in 

commerce. The duration of field testing in 

the user’s house should be a minimum of 50 

energy test cycles, for each unit. No special 

instructions as to cycle selection or product 

usage should be given to the field test 

participants, other than inclusion of the 

product literature pack which would be 

shipped with all units, and instructions 

regarding filling out data collection forms, 

use of data collection equipment, or basic 

procedural methods. Prior to the test clothes 

washers being installed in the field test 

locations, baseline data should be developed 

for all field test units by conducting 

laboratory tests as defined by section 1 

through section 5 of these test procedures to 

determine the energy consumption, water 

consumption, and remaining moisture 

content values. The following data should be 

measured and recorded for each wash load 

during the test period: wash cycle selected, 

the mode of the clothes washer (adaptive or 

manual), clothes load dry weight (measured 

after the clothes washer and clothes dryer 

cycles are completed) in pounds, and type of 

articles in the clothes load (e.g., cottons, 

linens, permanent press). The wash loads 

used in calculating the in-home percentage 

split between adaptive and manual cycle 

usage should be only those wash loads which 

conform to the definition of the energy test 

cycle. 

Calculate: 

T = The total number of energy test cycles 

run during the field test. 

Ta = The total number of adaptive control 

energy test cycles. 

Tm = The total number of manual control 

energy test cycles. 

The percentage weighting factors: 

Pa = (Ta/T) × 100 (the percentage weighting 

for adaptive control selection) 

Pm = (Tm/T) × 100 (the percentage weighting 

for manualcontrol selection) 

Energy consumption (HET, MET, and DE) 

and water consumption (QT), values 

calculated in section 4 for the manual and 

adaptive modes, should be combined using 

Pa and Pm as the weighting factors. 

[FR Doc. 2010–22225 Filed 9–20–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS2