Department of Energy Issues Final Rules to Ensure American Families Have Access to High-performance, Labor-Saving Clothes Washers, Dryers, and Showerheads

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued two Final Rules focused on quality-of-life improvements for the American people.  The first rule ensures that Americans can have access to high-performance, time-saving clothes washers and dryers. The second rule ensures access to showerheads that can provide enough water for quality showers.

“Today the Trump Administration affirmed its commitment to reducing regulatory burdens and safeguarding consumer choice,” said Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette. “With these rule changes, Americans can choose products that are best suited to meet their individual needs and the needs of their families.”

The department is concerned that cycle times for washers and dryers could become very long in the future—reducing the value of these critical time-saving devices. The final rule on washers and dryers allows manufacturers to offer new products that meet consumer demand for clothes washers and dryers that have shorter cycle times. The rule establishes separate product classes for residential clothes washers and clothes dryers with cycle times of less than 30 minutes (45 minutes for front-loading clothes washers).

DOE has used this authority in the past to create separate classes for products with specific features and configurations, including cycle time for dishwashers and top-loading clothes washers.

“Today’s final rulemakings allow consumers to choose products that can make their lives easier, more comfortable, and save them time,” said Deputy Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes. “That time and effort saved can be better spent on the more important things in life.”

In a separate rulemaking, DOE issued a final rule that aligns DOE’s definition of a “showerhead” with the consensus standards of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Congress has mandated a 2.5 gallon per minute limit on showerheads. DOE’s definition, now in line with the consensus standards from ASME, states that each showerhead can emit up to the statutory limit.  The prior definition, as interpreted by the Obama administration in 2013, stated that a device with multiple showerheads could only release 2.5 gallons per minute for the entire device. Today’s change will allow manufacturers to offer consumers new products that can provide more water and more comfort.

More information on the clothes washers and dryers final rule can be found HERE and on the showerheads final rule, HERE.

More information on DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and its programs can be found HERE.