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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 167 / Wednesday, September 1, 2021 / Proposed Rules
b a test using the minimum test load size and with the WFCS set in the setting that will give the least energy intensive result;
b a test using the average test load size and with the WFCS set in the setting that will give the most energy intensive result; and b a test using the average test load size and with the WFCS set in the setting that will give the least energy intensive result.
DOE has received questions from a test laboratory regarding how to determine which setting is the most energy intensive for the purposes of this provision. Depending on the quantity and temperature of water under considerationas well as whether the term energy intensive is intended to include machine electrical energy, hot water heating energy, and/or drying energythe setting that uses the most or least amount of water may not correspond to the most or least amount of energy. While the amount of water used in a wash cycle can be readily determined, measuring and calculating the amount of energy consumption requires more time and effort, particularly if energy consumption includes a combination of machine electrical energy, hot water heating energy, and/or drying energy.
The provisions requiring testing the most and least energy intensive settings were initially proposed in response to an interim waiver granted to GEA for a clothes washer with user-adjustable adaptive WFCS. 61 FR 57794, 57795
Nov. 8, 1996; November 1996
NOPR, referencing interim waiver case no. CW004, 61 FR 18125 Apr. 24, 1996; April 1996 Interim Waiver.
These testing provisions were adopted in the August 1997 Final Rule 62 FR
45484, 45487.
At the time of the November 1996
NOPR, the applicable energy efficiency metric i.e., energy factor did not include the drying energy component, and the energy conservation standards at the time did not regulate the water efficiency of clothes washers. As evident throughout the discussions in the April 1996 Interim Waiver, November 1996 NOPR, and August 1997
Final Rule, absent the consideration of drying energy and water efficiency, DOE
used the terms most energy intensive and least energy intensive synonymously with discussing the water fill amounts.66 The terms most 66 For example, in the April 1996 Interim Waiver, DOE stated the following: However, the sensitivity or relative fill amounts of the automatic water fill mode can be reprogrammed in the secondary programming mode, thus resulting in
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energy intensive and least energy intensive were originally employed to provide direction of the water fill amounts required for testing of the adaptive WFCS. In no part of any of these three documents did DOE discuss the possibility that the highest or lowest water fill amount would not also correspond to the most or least energy intensive setting. In the context of the user-adjustable automatic WFCS
provisions, the test conditions are to provide instruction as to the required water fill level, and not require a determination of energy intensity.
As the test procedures and energy conservation standards have been amended, the measured energy use accounts for more than just that which correlates to the water fill level.
However, use of the energy intensity terminology remained in the useradjustable automatic WFCS provisions.
Given the evolution of clothes washer control systems and operation since the August 1997 Final Rule, more precise language is needed to avoid an unnecessary determination of whether the highest or lowest water fill amount on a user-adjustable automatic WFCS
corresponds to the most or least energy intensive setting. Therefore, DOE is proposing to change the wording of both section 3.2.6.2.2 of Appendix J2 and section 3.2.3.2.2 of the proposed new Appendix J, to update the phrase the setting that will give the most energy intensive result to the setting that uses the most water to reflect the original intent of this provision.
Similarly, DOE is proposing to update the phrase the setting that will give the least energy intensive result to the setting that uses the least water.
DOE requests comment on its proposal to update the wording of section 3.2.6.2.2 of Appendix J2 and section 3.2.3.2.2 of the proposed new Appendix J from the setting that will give the most energy intensive result to the setting that uses the most water;
and from the setting that will give the least energy intensive result to the setting that uses the least water.
4. Energy Test Cycle Flowcharts In the August 2015 Final Rule, DOE
implemented a series of flowcharts to determine the wash/rinse temperature selections required for testing in section 2.12 of Appendix J2. 80 FR 46730, 46744.
an increase in energy consumption above the manual mode result. 61 FR 18125, 18127.

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a. Clarification of Load Size To Be Used for Temperature Comparisons Figure 2.12.5 of Appendix J2, which is the flow chart used for the determination of the Extra-Hot Wash/
Cold Rinse temperature selection, asks if the wash/rinse temperature selection has a wash temperature greater than 135 F. DOE is aware that for some clothes washer on the market, the answer to that question could differ depending on what load size is used, i.e., the wash temperature may exceed 135 F only on certain load sizes, meaning that the determination of whether the temperature selection is classified as Hot Wash/Cold Rinse or Extra-Hot Wash/Cold Rinse would depend on the load size used for making the determination. More generally, all of the flowcharts in section 2.12 require comparing wash and rinse water temperatures across different temperature selections, without specifying a load size to be used for making these comparisons.
DOE is proposing to specify using the maximum load size to evaluate the flow chart for clothes washers tested to Appendix J2, and the large load size for the proposed new Appendix J.67 The maximum/large load size is the load size expected to use the most water compared to the other load sizes under each appendix, and in DOEs experience, larger quantities of water particularly hot water provide a more reliable determination of the relative differences in water temperature among the various temperature settings.
Therefore, the maximum/large load size is likely to provide the most repeatable and reproducible end result for each flowchart.
DOE notes that Figure 2.12.1 of Appendix J2, which is the flow chart used for the determination of the Cold Wash/Cold Rinse temperature selection, provides direction for cases where multiple wash temperature selections in the Normal cycle do not use any hot water for any of the water fill levels or test load sizes required for testing. For Appendix J2, DOE is proposing that the new clarifying language would not apply to the Cold Wash/Cold Rinse temperature settings in order to avoid the potential need for retesting under Appendix J2 if a clothes washer was tested in a manner inconsistent with this proposed change. For the proposed new Appendix J, DOE is proposing to delete from the Cold Wash/Cold Rinse flowchart Figure 2.12.1 the clause applying it to all tested load sizes, and 67 See section III.D.1.b of this document for a discussion of the definition of the new large test load size.

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