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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 167 / Wednesday, September 1, 2021 / Proposed Rules
connection with a non-fixed temperature output that can be nominally set to 60 F for cold, 97.5 F
for warm, or 135 F for hot, for example; or 3 require connection to only the cold water supply, enabling testing of only the Cold/Cold wash/rinse temperature, and calculate the energy and water performance at other wash/
rinse temperatures formulaically from the Cold/Cold cycle data. As discussed in detail in the following paragraphs, DOE is proposing to adopt option 3 in this NOPR.
Regarding option 1, requiring the use of a Y-shaped hose would provide a simple and low-cost approach for testing of cold, warm, and hot wash/
rinse temperatures on single-inlet semiautomatic clothes washers. The Yshaped hose would mimic the functionality provided by most residential faucets, and thus would provide a representative installation setup. However, by connecting the cold and hot lines to each other, differences in water pressure 13 between the two sides can result in unequal and unrepeatable water flow rates through the cold and hot sides.
Regarding option 2, requiring a nonfixed temperature supply line that can be set to the specified cold, warm, or hot temperature, DOE tentatively concludes that such a requirement could present undue test burden on laboratories that do not currently implement variabletemperature supply water controls and instrumentation, given the relatively low number of single-inlet semiautomatic models on the market that would be tested each year. In addition, because temperature sensors are typically calibrated around the target temperature being measured, varying the temperature of the supply line between 60 F and 120 F could result in less accurate inlet water temperature measurements.
Regarding option 3, connecting to the cold water inlet only, testing only on the Cold/Cold cycle, and determining performance at other temperatures numerically, as discussed further in section III.D.8.b of this document, energy and water performance at temperatures other than Cold Wash/
Cold Rinse can be calculated numerically using test data from the Cold/Cold cycle because the measured characteristics 14 of a semi-automatic 13 Section 2.3 of Appendix J2 specifies maintaining water pressure of 35 pounds per square inch gauge psig 2.5 psig on both the cold and hot water supply lines. These tolerances could result in a pressure difference of up to 5 psig between the two lines.
14 Measured characteristics of a semi-automatic clothes washer cycle include total water
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clothes washer cycle do not depend on the inlet water temperature. Therefore, DOE tentatively concludes that representative test results can be obtained with a minimal number of test cycles using this approach, which DOE
proposes to incorporate into the proposed new Appendix J.
DOE is proposing in this NOPR to make this change only in the proposed new Appendix J because connecting to only the cold water inlet may differ from how such units are currently being tested by manufacturers and laboratories under Appendix J2. DOE seeks information about implementing this change to Appendix J2 as well, specifically regarding how single-inlet semi-automatic clothes washers are being tested and any potential impact on the measured energy use of these clothes washers on the market.
See section III.D.8 of this document for a full discussion of other proposed edits to testing provisions for semiautomatic clothes washers and a list of related issues on which DOE seeks comment.
For a single-inlet automatic clothes washer, DOE discussed in the May 2020
RFI the use of a Y-shaped hose to allow both cold and hot water supply lines to be connected to the single inlet on the unit. 85 FR 31065, 31070 emphasis added. DOE requested comments or information on how single-inlet automatic clothes washers are typically installed by consumers. Id.
AHAM commented that it is not aware of a Y-shaped hose connecter being used for typical installation of single-inlet automatic clothes washers.
AHAM, No. 5 at p. 7
As described previously, DOE
inadvertently attributed the use of a Yshaped hose to automatic, rather than semi-automatic, single-inlet clothes washers. DOE is not aware of any singleinlet automatic clothes washers that require the use of a Y-shaped hose connector because such clothes washers internally generate any hot water needed for the cycle. Based on a review of models currently certified in DOEs compliance certification database, DOE
is aware of three models of single-inlet automatic clothes washers currently available on the market.15 DOEs examination of user manuals for each of consumption, electrical energy consumption, cycle time, and bone-dry and cycle complete load weights. See section III.D.8.b of this document for more details.
15 DOEs certification compliance database is available at www.regulations.doe.gov/certificationdata/CCMS-4-Clothes_Washers.html. DOE
identified the following single-inlet automatic models: WFW3090J, WFW5090J, WFC8090G. Analysis conducted in March 2021.

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these single-inlet automatic clothes washers indicates that the instructions accompanying these products direct that they be connected to the cold water supply.
Therefore, DOE is proposing in this NOPR to specify that all single-inlet automatic clothes washers be installed to the cold water supply only. As discussed above, DOE is proposing to include this provision in the proposed new Appendix J only. The proposed edit would specify in section 2.10.1 of the proposed new Appendix J that if the clothes washer has only one water inlet, connect the inlet to the cold water supply in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.
DOE requests comment on its proposal to require all single-inlet clothes washers to be installed to the cold water supply only. DOE also requests comment on whether this requirement should be included in only the proposed new Appendix J, or whether, if adopted, it should be included as an amendment to Appendix J2.
3. Water Supply Temperatures a. Hot Water Supply Temperature Section 2.2 of Appendix J2 requires maintaining the hot water supply temperature between 130 F 54.4
degrees Celsius C and 135 F 57.2
C, using 135 F as the target temperature.
DOE has revised the hot water supply temperature requirements several times throughout the history of the clothes washer test procedures to remain representative of household water temperatures at the time of each analysis. When establishing the original clothes washer test procedure at Appendix J in 1977, DOE specified a hot water supply temperature of 140 F
5 F for clothes washers equipped with thermostatically controlled inlet water valves. 42 FR 49802, 49808. In the August 1997 Final Rule, DOE specified in Appendix J1 that for clothes washers in which electrical energy consumption or water energy consumption is affected by the inlet water temperatures,16 the hot water supply temperature cannot exceed 135 F 57.2 C; and for other clothes washers, the hot water supply temperature is to be maintained at 135 F 5 F 57.2 C 2.8 C. 62 FR
45484, 45497. DOE maintained these same requirements in the original version of Appendix J2. In the August 2015 Final Rule, DOE adjusted the allowable tolerance of the hot water 16 For example, water-heating clothes washers or clothes washers with thermostatically controlled water valves.

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