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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 167 / Wednesday, September 1, 2021 / Proposed Rules from the Normal cycle as that term is defined in section 1.25 of Appendix J2
if the particular wash/rinse temperature combination is not offered on the Normal cycle but is offered on one of the other cycle selections on the clothes washer. DOE could consider amending the flowcharts to incorporate the availability of load sizes in conjunction with the availability of wash/rinse temperature selections, for example.
DOE could also consider other approaches that would maintain the use of the Normal cycle in such cases; for example, specifying the use of a modified load size if the maximum load size defined by the test procedure conflicts with the maximum load size intended or able to be washed on such a cycle.
DOE notes an important distinction between the requirements of EPCA and AHAMs comment regarding the purpose of the test procedure. As discussed, EPCA requires that test procedures produce test results that measure energy efficiency or energy use during a representative average use cycle or period of use among other considerations. 42 U.S.C. 6293b3;
42 U.S.C. 6314a2 AHAMs comment suggests that testing other cycles for models with certain characteristics is not necessary because, according to AHAM, the Normal cycle remains the most representative of customer use.
However, EPCA does not require that the results of the test procedure be representative of the average use of consumers across all models of clothes washers; rather, EPCA requires that the results of the test procedure be representative of the energy and water use of the particular model being tested.
Although the Normal cycle may be the most commonly used cycle across all clothes washers on the market, the representative average use cycle or period of use might differ for a model in which the maximum water fill level on the unit cannot be selected with all of the temperature selections required for testing.
As stated, DOE is not proposing any changes at this time to address the potential for the maximum load size required by the test procedure to conflict with the maximum load size intended or able to be washed using the cycle required for testing. To the extent that models with this characteristic were to be reintroduced the market, more research would be needed to address any potential concerns regarding representative use.
Finally, DOE notes that the amended load sizes proposed for new Appendix J in which the large load size is smaller than the maximum load size
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currently defined by Appendix J2
would obviate the need for any changes to the test procedure for the one RCW
model of concern.
DOE requests comment on whether it should amend the test procedure to accommodate potential future clothes washer models for which the maximum load size required by the test procedure conflicts with the maximum load size intended or able to be washed with the cycle required for testing. If so, DOE
seeks additional comment on the approaches it has considered, or on any other approaches that could be considered, that would address this issue in the test procedure.
3. Water Fill Control Systems a. Definitions Section 1.5 of Appendix J2 defines automatic water fill control system as a clothes washer WFCS that does not allow or require the user to determine or select the water fill level, and includes adaptive WFCS and fixed WFCS. Section 1.4 of Appendix J2
defines adaptive water fill control system as a clothes washer automatic WFCS that is capable of automatically adjusting the water fill level based on the size or weight of the clothes load placed in the clothes container. Section 1.14 of Appendix J2 defines fixed water fill control system as a clothes washer automatic WFCS that automatically terminates the fill when the water reaches an appropriate level in the clothes container. Section 3.2.6.2.2 of Appendix J2 provides testing instructions for a useradjustable automatic WFCS, which is described in that section as an automatic water fill control that affects the relative wash water levels.
In response to the May 2020 RFI, NEEA and the Joint Commenters recommended that DOE develop new definitions for WFCS to address the current variety and sophistication of clothes washer fill options and the range of possible consumer use. NEEA stated that the market has shifted away from the two main types of WFCS currently defined in Appendix J2, and that NEEA
has encountered many types of combined WFCS. NEEA, No. 12 at p.
21; Joint Commenters, No. 10 at pp. 3
4 To provide additional specificity to both Appendix J2 and the proposed new Appendix J, DOE is proposing revisions to some of the WFCS definitions, as follows.
DOE proposes to amend the definition of fixed water fill control system to mean a clothes washer automatic water fill control system that automatically
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terminates the fill when the water reaches a pre-defined level that is not based on the size or weight of the clothes load placed in the clothes container, without allowing or requiring the user to determine or select the water fill level. This proposed amendment to the definition would specify that the water fill level for this type of WFCS is pre-defined i.e., fixed and does not vary based on the size or weight of the load. The proposal would incorporate the same terminology used in the other WFCS definitions so as to more clearly articulate how a fixed WFCS relates to the other defined WFCS. This amended definition would be included in the proposed new Appendix J as well.
To provide greater specificity regarding user-adjustable automatic WFCS, DOE is proposing to add a definition of a user-adjustable automatic water fill control system to section 1 of both Appendix J2 and the proposed new Appendix J. DOE is proposing to define a user-adjustable automatic WFCS as an automatic clothes washer fill control system that allows the user to adjust the amount of water that the machine provides, which is based on the size or weight of the clothes load placed in the clothes container. Given DOEs proposal to create a definition of user-adjustable automatic WFCS, DOE proposes to simplify the wording of section 3.2.6.2.2
of Appendix J2 from conduct four tests on clothes washers with user adjustable automatic water fill controls that affect the relative wash water levels to conduct four tests on clothes washers with user-adjustable automatic water fill controls. For the proposed new Appendix J, section 3.2.3.2.2 would state For the large test load size, set the water fill selector to the setting that uses the most water. For the small test load size, set the water fill selector to the setting that uses the least water.
DOE requests comment on its proposed changes to the definition of fixed water fill control system and on its proposal to add a definition for user-adjustable automatic water fill control system.
b. Most Energy Intensive Wording for User-Adjustable Automatic Water Fill Control Systems As discussed, section 3.2.6.2.2 of Appendix J2 specifies how to test clothes washers with user-adjustable automatic WFCS. Four tests are required:
b A test using the maximum test load size and with the WFCS set in the setting that will give the most energy intensive result;

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