DOE Seeks to Amend Clothes Washers Test Procedures

[joe_in_philly]

It seems that they are not changing any requirements, but rather just clarifying test procedures so results are more accurate.

As reported on ApplianceMagazine.com:
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to revise test procedures for residential clothes washers.

Proposed amendments would codify test procedure guidance that DOE has issued in response to questions, clarify additional provisions of the test procedures, better organize each section, and correct formatting errors in DOE's clothes washer test procedures.

Two proposed changes would clarify fill level instructions in the previous test procedure.

DOE guidance, published in 2010, clarifies what it means to manually fill a washer clothes container with water to the “uppermost edge,” which is part of capacity measurement. The proposed amendments would include this guidance in the rule.

The proposal further clarifies water fill levels for:
• front-loading horizontal-axis clothes washers with concave door shapes
• top-loading horizontal-axis clothes washers

Amendments would also clarify how to measure a front-load washer’s maximum allowable water fill level when clothes washer door geometry has complex curvatures without an easily discernible “uppermost edge” in contact with the door seal.

Some of the other proposed changes:
• Clarify capacity rounding used when determining test load sizes.
• Allow for the use of a plastic bag, as well as previously specified plastic sheet, when preparing the appliance for capacity measurement.
• Clarify alternative drum bracing methods for front-loading washers, on those washers that are not shipped with shipping bolts securing the drum.
• Establish a lower bound of 130 °F for the hot water supply and 55 °F for the cold water supply for clothes washers in which electrical energy or water energy consumption are affected by the inlet water temperature.

A public meeting on the proposed test procedure will be held, if one is requested, by May 12, 2014.

DOE will accept comments and data regarding this notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) until July 9, 2014. Final action is also expected in July.

http://https//www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/04/25/2014-08741/energy-conservation-program-test-procedures-for-residential-clothes-washers

 

[jeffg]

Our federal government is in de facto bankruptcy, and this kind of nonsense is precisely why.

Like 97% of all federal agencies, the DOE in its entirety could disappear tomorrow, and unless you were one of the public teetsuckers you wouldn't even notice. If you haven't seen it, look up the complete list of 1500+ federal agencies and start reading. IMO it's more than enough to explain why the only eventual fate of our current federal government is the same as the USSR's. Review the 1992 video footage of bankrupt Soviet officials being shelled from their offices by Russian tanks. If you believe it's unthinkable in the U.S. just wait.

 

[jerrod6]

Is this something good or bad? What is this lower bound of 130F for water supply related to inlet water temperature? What could this mean?

 

[joe_in_philly]

When filling with hot water, the hot water supply has to be between 130F and 135F. This will make sure that the supply of water used to test the machines is of a consistent temperature.

If the testing methods aren't clarified and equal for each machine, then how can you compare models?

This type of detailed specifications is necessary to help prevent a company from making inaccurate claims, and to ensure a product performs as advertised. What if you live in an arid region, and water conservation is important to you. If you buy a machine because the manufacturer claims it is more water efficient than another model, but it really isn't, then you have been mislead.

 

[henene4]

Hold on...

...H-Axis TLs? Are there any except this strange one with the unround tub?

 

[jerrod6]

I see. So in todays hot water tank market the heaters are delivered with a max setting of 120F so why use something the average consumer is not going to be delivering? In my houses configuration I doubt that the washer even gets water that is as hot as 115F.

I really wish the Energy star program would be done away with. Manufacturers are left to have their way with people and what every they want but NO, we consumers are left to suffer because we don't have lobbyists crawling all over Washington DC.

I'm feeling hate right about now.

 

[davetranter]

H-axis T/L machines

Henene4 (reply#4) asks whether such things exist... They certainly DID exist. My mother had a Zanussi for many years (I can't find the handbook with the model number, been looking for over an hour!!). Here's a 'thread' which lists a few types (but not the Zanussi)... Thread #41737 in the 'Deluxe' archive, dated 08/08/12. No idea how to post a 'link' to it.... :-(

All best

Dave T

 

[mrb627]

Cycle Testing

I hope this means we are not gonna see testing across all cycles and not just "Normal"...

Malcolm

 

[arbilab]

Little could be less relevant than DOE's estimation of laundry performance. See reply #5.

 

Now if the Fed came up with a DOL, department of laundry........ [rolleyes]

 

Geeesh, careful what you wish for.

 

[pulsator]

I will cry if they start testing all the cycles. That will be a most tragic day indeed...

 

[logixx]

Testing not just the Normal cycles

Seems that Samsung is sort of preparing for such a scenario, according to their manuals.

 

If you select normal & heavy duty cycles, those cycles are the regulation and UL cycles. Since new
washer must reduce the amount of energy usage as a first priority, customers will notice more cold
water entering the washers, but this is normal and not a problem.

In those regulation cycles, hot temperature is similar to acceptable adult bath-water temperature and
warm temperature is similar to comfortable swimming-pool water temperature.
If customers want to wash clothes in a specific water temperature, customers should choose a
different cycle at each temperature (Hot/Warm/Eco Warm) .

 

In case of Samsung, you must, I suppose, use either Deep Steam, Allergen or Sanitize to get a hot wash.

 

[jerrod6]

From reading the link that Joe has provided it does seem that other cycles such as the sanitize cycles are to be included as part of the test. I think they are still using the Energy test cycle, but somehow including data from other cycles into the final rating.

The new proposals also seem to indicate that they are going to delete testing requirements and results a for gas or oil fired water heaters(not sure I am reading that correctly so someone else should inspect that section of the link - Section 3 letter L). I have a tankless gas water heater, so electric consumed to heat water really doesn't matter too much to me. Although my washer does use electric to further heat it the water I bet I am still close to current energy star standards for electricity even with an old machine.

Every time I look at my old machine which lets me choose from cold to 190F for cycles I want to wrap my arms around it and give it a kiss. I wish manufacturers would just give consumers choice and let them purchase models that are not energy star rated. I know when to use hot water and when to use warm or cold so I can, and do control my energy use without any outside government help.

 

[henene4]

@ Reply #6, Dave...

... Yeah, of course, there are the EU TL's which, today, are 99% H-Axis washers, but I wondered about such things in the US. The only one I know of is the Staber one, but this one is pretty rare and known to fail a lot.

Here's their site:
http://www.staber.com/product/810044

And a YT-video:

 

[jerrod6]

Interesting that you can see the water in the bottom of the tub when the tumbling stops. Looks like more water in there than if it was a conventional front loader.