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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 167 / Wednesday, September 1, 2021 / Proposed Rules
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to instead require the use of the large size, consistent with all the other wash/
rinse temperature selection flowcharts.
DOE requests comment on its proposal to require that the energy test cycle flow charts be evaluated using the large load size for all wash/rinse temperature settings in the proposed new Appendix J. DOE also requests comment on its proposal to require that the energy test cycle flow charts be evaluated using the maximum load size, except for the Cold/Cold flow chart, in Appendix J2.
b. Clothes Washers That Generate All Hot Water Internally As described in section III.C.2 of this document, DOE is aware of single-inlet clothes washers on the market that intake only cold water and internally generate all hot water required for a cycle by means of an internal heating element. As observed on the market, these clothes washers offer Cold, Warm, Hot, and/or Extra Hot temperature selections. As part of determining the Cold Wash/Cold Rinse temperature selection, the instruction box in the flowchart in Figure 2.12.1 of Appendix J2 refers to . . . multiple wash temperature selections in the Normal cycle that do not use any hot water for any of the water fill levels or test load sizes required for testing . . . In the May 2020 RFI, DOE considered rephrasing the text in Figure 2.12.1 of Appendix J2 to say . . . use or internally generate any heated water . . . emphasis added so that the wording of the Cold Wash/Cold Rinse flowchart in Figure 2.12.1 of Appendix J2 explicitly addresses clothes washers that internally generate hot water. 85 FR
31065, 31074. This change would be consistent with DOEs interpretation of the current Cold Wash/Cold Rinse flowchart and subsequent flowcharts for the Warm Wash and Hot Wash temperature selections for this type of clothes washer. Id. DOE requested input on this rephrasing. Id.
UL supported changing the wording of Figure 2.12.1 of Appendix J2 to specifically address clothes washers that internally generate heated water. UL, No. 9 at p. 3
AHAM stated that it does not oppose rephrasing Figure 2.12.1 of Appendix J2
to specifically address clothes washers that internally generate all hot water used for a cycle by means of internal heating elements, and believes it would be a useful clarification. AHAM, No. 5
at p. 13
As suggested in the May 2020 RFI, DOE proposes rephrasing the text in Figure 2.12.1 of both Appendix J2 and the proposed new Appendix J to say
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. . . use or internally generate any heated water . . . emphasis added so that the wording of the Cold Wash/Cold Rinse flowchart in both appendices explicitly addresses clothes washers that internally generate hot water. 85 FR
31065, 31074. In this NOPR, DOE is further proposing to rephrase the description of Warm Wash/Warm Rinse in Figure 2.12.4 of both Appendix J2
and the proposed new Appendix J to state . . . rinse temperature selections that add or internally generate hot water . . . emphasis added, for the same reasons.
DOE requests comments on its proposal to update the flowcharts for Cold Wash/Cold Rinse and Warm Wash/
Warm Rinse in both Appendix J2 and the proposed new Appendix J to explicitly address clothes washers that internally generate hot water.
5. Wash Time Setting Section 3.2.5 of Appendix J2 defines how to select the wash time setting on a clothes washer. If no one wash time is prescribed for the wash cycle under test, the wash time setting is the higher of either the minimum or 70 percent of the maximum wash time available, regardless of the labeling of suggested dial locations. Hereafter in this document, DOE refers to this provision as the 70-percent test.
In the March 2012 Final Rule, DOE
added instructions to the wash time section of Appendix J1 and Appendix J2
that specified the direction of rotation of electromechanical dials, and that the 70percent test applies regardless of the labeling of suggested dial locations. 77
FR 13887, 13927. In the August 2015
Final Rule, DOE specified that, if 70percent of the maximum wash time is not available on a dial with a discrete number of wash time settings, the nexthighest setting greater than 70-percent must be chosen. 80 FR 46729, 46745.
a. Electronic vs. Electromechanical Dials DOE has observed on the market clothes washers that have an electronic cycle selection dial designed to visually simulate a conventional electromechanical dial.68 85 FR 31065, 31075. In particular, DOE has observed clothes washers with an electronic dial that offers multiple Normal cycle selections; for example, Normal-Light, 68 On most electromechanical dials, the rotational position of the dial corresponds to the desired wash time. The user rotates the dial from the initial off position to the desired wash time position, and after starting the wash cycle, the dial rotates throughout the progression of the wash cycle until it reaches the off position at the end of the cycle. In contrast, an electronic dial contains a fixed number of selectable positions, and the dial remains in the selected position for the duration of the wash cycle.

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Normal-Medium, and NormalHeavy, with the descriptor referring to the soil level of the clothing. On such clothes washers, the only difference between the three Normal cycles apparent to consumers when performing each cycle may be the wash time, although other less observable parameters may also differ. Although the electronic dial simulates the visual appearance of an electromechanical dial, the electronic dial is programmed with a preestablished set of wash cycle parameters, including wash time, for each of the discrete cycle selections presented on the machine. Id. For this type of cycle selection dial, each of the discrete cycle selection options represents a selectable wash cycle as referred to in section 3.2.5 of Appendix J2, and a wash time is prescribed for each available wash cycle. Therefore, for clothes washers with this type of electronic dial, the wash cycle selected for testing must correspond to the wash cycle that meets the definition of Normal cycle in section 1.25 of Appendix J2. The wash time setting thus would be the prescribed wash time for the selected wash cycle; i.e., the 70percent test would not apply to this type of dial. Id. In the May 2020 RFI, DOE
requested feedback on whether to further clarify section 3.2.5 of Appendix J2 regarding electronic cycle selection dials that visually simulate conventional electromechanical dials.
Id.
AHAM suggested that section 3.2.5 of Appendix J2 could be clarified by specifying that the instructions pertaining to electromechanical dials regarding resetting the dial and turning it to reach the appropriate setting also pertain to timers that control wash time.
AHAM, No. 5 at p. 14
DOE agrees with AHAMs suggestion and is proposing to amend section 3.2.5.3 of both Appendix J2 and the proposed new Appendix J by adding the words or timer after the words electromechanical dial in order to clarify the application of the instructions to electronic cycle selection dials.
DOE is further proposing to revise the wording of section 3.2.5 of Appendix J2
and section 3.2.2 of the proposed new Appendix J 69 by changing the first sentence of the section to read, If the cycle under test offers a range of wash time settings, the wash time setting shall be the higher of either the minimum 70
percent of the maximum wash time available for the wash cycle under test, 69 See section III.H.7 of this document for a discussion of the structure of section 3 of the proposed new Appendix J.

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