- Check Test Methodology for Tumble Dryers Energy Label & Ecodesign - Guidelines and procedures on how to perform simplified check testing operations for tumble dryers Version 6.0 April 2015
Table of Contents A OBJECTIVES... 4 B REPORT REQUIREMENTS... 4 C FURTHER INFORMATION... 4 D TEST CONDITIONS... 4 1. GENERAL... 5 1.1. Brand... 5 1.2. Type... 5 1.3 Identification... 5 1.4 Energy Label information... 5 2 Check Test Methodology... 5 2.1 Step 1: Documentation check... 5 2.1.1 Product fiche... 5 2.1.2 Generic Ecodesign requirements... 6 2.2 Step 2: Technical measurements... 7 2.2.1 Determination of energy consumption, duration, condensation efficiency & left on mode power... 7 2.2.1.1 Test procedure:... 7 2.2.1.2 Calculations:... 8 Annex I: Report template... Error! Bookmark not defined.
A OBJECTIVES MarketWatch is looking to check test and evaluate the likelihood that a tumble dryer will fail full compliance testing with this simplified and cost effective check test methodology. The Project will be seeking advice on various performance and documentation aspects of the products. It is also envisaged that assistance may be required with queries that have relevance to the testing carried out and/or have a technical bias. B REPORT REQUIREMENTS The lab report should be in English and consist of 2 parts: Text part (incl. Summary): detailed description of the investigations and measurements; the enumeration of the paragraphs matches the numeration of the result table which corresponds to the numeration of the check test programme Table part with results and detailed comments tabulated in a Microsoft Excel file C FURTHER INFORMATION The Test Body should inform the Client of any faults with the samples or other unexpected problems that arise during testing as soon as is feasibly possible. D TEST CONDITIONS After delivery to the Testing Body the devices have to be unpacked and will be checked if they work properly. The laboratory measurements should be carried out in accordance to EN 61121:2013-12 Tumble dryers for household use Methods for measuring the performance. The test room must have stable conditions of 23 2 C ambient temperature and 55 5% humidity. The supply water must be 15 2 C with an intake pressure of 240 50 Pa and hardness of 2.5 0.1mmol/l. The conductivity of the supply water must be 75 15 ms/m at 20 C ambient.
1. GENERAL The information as set below needs to be recorded from the product, packaging and manuals before any measurements are taken. 1.1. Brand As identified on the sample. 1.2. Type Model name(s) as identified on the sample. 1.3 Identification Serial number as identified on the sample EAN number Country of origin Tumble Dryer Type (e.g. Air Vented, condenser or heat pump) Automatic or non-automatic (manual timer only) 1.4 Energy Label information Note whether an Energy Label is provided and review the Energy Label information; Energy Label class Weighted annual energy consumption (kwh/year) Cycle time corresponding to the standard cotton programme at full load in minute Energy Label noise (db) Rated capacity cotton full load (kg) Air vented or condenser or heat pump condenser Condensation efficiency class (for condenser tumble driers) Fuel used for heating (electricity or gas) 2 Check Test Methodology The check test methodology has two steps and needs to be performed in the same order as described below. 2.1 Step 1: Documentation check The formal compliance of each product should be checked and recorded before any technical measurements are taken. Manufacturers need to provide the following documentation according to EU 392/2012 (Energy Labelling); 2.1.1 Product fiche 1. The information in the product fiche of household tumble driers shall be given in the following order and shall be included in the product brochure or other literature provided with the product: (a) supplier s name or trade mark; (b) supplier s model identifier, which means the code, usually alphanumeric, which distinguishes a specific household tumble drier model from other models with the same trade mark or supplier s name; (c) rated capacity in kg of cotton laundry for the standard cotton programme at full load; (d) whether the household tumble drier is an air-vented, condenser or gas-fired household tumble drier; (e) energy efficiency class in accordance with point 1 of Annex VI; (f) for electric mains-operated household tumble drier: the weighted Annual Energy Consumption (AE c ) rounded up to one decimal place; it shall be described as: Energy consumption X kwh per year, based on 160 drying cycles of the standard cotton programme at full and partial load, and the consumption of the low-power modes. Actual energy consumption per cycle will depend on how the appliance is used. ; for household gas-fired tumble drier:
the weighted Annual Energy Consumption (AE C(Gas) ) rounded up to one decimal place; it shall be described as: Energy consumption X kwh-gas per year, based on 160 drying cycles of the standard cotton programme at full and partial load. Actual energy consumption per cycle will depend on how the appliance is used ; and the weighted Annual Energy Consumption (AE C(Gas)el ) rounded up to one decimal place; it shall be described as: Energy consumption X kwh per year, based on 160 drying cycles of the standard cotton programme at full and partial load, and the consumption of the low-power modes. Actual energy consumption per cycle will depend on how the appliance is used. ; (g) whether the household tumble drier is an automatic tumble drier or non-automatic tumble drier ; (h) the energy consumption (E dry, E dry½, Eg dry, Eg dry½, Eg dry,a, Eg dry½,a ) of the standard cotton programme at full and partial load; (i) the power consumption of the off-mode (P o ) and of the left-on mode (P l ) for the standard cotton programme at full load; (j) if the household tumble drier is equipped with a power management system, the duration of the left-on mode ; (k) indication that the standard cotton programme used at full and partial load is the standard drying programme to which the information in the label and the fiche relates, that this programme is suitable for drying normal wet cotton laundry and that it is the most efficient programme in terms of energy consumption for cotton; (l) the weighted programme time (T t ) of the standard cotton programme at full and partial load in minutes and rounded to the nearest minute as well as the programme time of the standard cotton programme at full load (T dry ) and the programme time of the standard cotton programme at partial load (T dry½ ) in minutes and rounded to the nearest minute; (m) if the household tumble drier is a condenser tumble drier, the condensation efficiency class in accordance with point 2 of Annex VI, expressed as condensation efficiency class X on a scale from G (least efficient) to A (most efficient) ; this may be expressed by other means provided it is clear that the scale is from G (least efficient) to A (most efficient); (n) if the household tumble drier is a condenser tumble drier, the average condensation efficiency C dry and C dry½ of the standard cotton programme at full load and partial load and the weighted condensation efficiency (C t ) for the standard cotton programme at full and partial load, as a percentage and rounded to the nearest whole percent; (o) the sound power level (weighted average value L WA ) expressed in db and rounded to the nearest integer for the standard cotton programme at full load; (p) if the household tumble drier is intended to be built-in, an indication to this effect. 2. The information contained in the fiche may be given in the form of a copy of the label, either in colour or in black and white. Where this is the case, the information listed in point 1 not already displayed on the label shall also be provided. 2.1.2 Generic Ecodesign requirements The presence of the standard cotton programme on the display needs to be checked as described in the Ecodesign requirements; 1. For the calculation of the energy consumption and other parameters for household tumble driers, the cycle which dries cotton laundry (with an initial moisture content of the load of 60 %) up to a remaining moisture content of the load of 0 % (hereinafter the standard cotton programme ) shall be used. That cycle shall be clearly identifiable on the programme selection device(s) of the household tumble drier or the household tumble drier display, if any, or both, and indicated as standard cotton programme or by a uniform symbol or an appropriate combination thereof, and shall be set as the default cycle for household tumble driers equipped with automatic programme selection or any function for automatically selecting a drying programme or maintaining the selection of a programme. If the tumble drier is automatic tumble drier the standard cotton programme shall be automatic. 2. The booklet of instructions provided by the manufacturer shall provide:
(a) information about the standard cotton programme and shall specify that it is suitable to dry normal wet cotton laundry and that it is the most efficient programme in terms of energy consumption for drying wet cotton laundry; (b) The power consumption of the off-mode and the left-on mode; (c) Indicative information on the programme time and energy consumption for the main drying programmes at both full, and, if applicable, partial load; Any variation should be recorded in the lab report. 2.2 Step 2: Technical measurements The following paragraphs describe the equipment required, the test procedure and the calculations needed for measuring energy consumption, programme duration, condensation efficiency, left on mode power and off mode power. Further detail if required can be found in EN 61121: 2013 Equipment required: Controlled environment test room (temperature at (23 ± 2) C and relative humidity at (55 ± 5) %). Stabilised power supply (voltage at (230 ± 1%)V and Total harmonic distortion < 2%) Power meter capable of measuring voltage, current, power (from 0.01 W to 3 kw), energy, total harmonic distortion and crest factor. Balance capable of weighing up to 30 kg to the nearest 0.001 kg. Washing machine for wetting the load. Water supply at (15 ± 2) C, (2.5 ± 0.2) mmol/l hardness, (75 ± 15) ms/m (@20 C) conductivity, ph 7.3 to 7.7, (3.35±0.15) mmol/l alkalinity for wetting the load Ductwork according to EN 61121 (for vented dryers only). Cotton test load according to EN 61121. 2.2.1 Determination of energy consumption, duration, condensation efficiency & left on mode power 2.2.1.1 Test procedure: Pre-condition the appliance by drying a load in it and leaving it to stand at (23±2) C and (55±5) % relative humidity for between 18 and 36 hours. Clean all user accessible filters on the appliance. Empty and weigh the condensate collector (if fitted). If the appliance is vented, install the vent as described in EN 61121 Prepare a test load and wet it to a moisture content of 60% as described in EN 61121. Note the mass of the condenser reservoir and the wetted test load and place in the appliance. Connect the appliance to a 230 volt power supply Select the Standard cotton programme or, if the appliance is non-automatic, select the timer setting recommended by the supplier. Start recording energy consumption and time and simultaneously start the appliance programme. Maintain temperature and humidity conditions as stated above throughout the test cycle. Continue recording energy consumption and time until the cycle ends. When the cycle ends, remove the load and weigh it. Weigh the condensate collector. Leave the appliance door open and keep it connected to the power supply. Continue measuring energy, adjusting the meter if necessary to a low power range. Check that the quality of the power supply meets the requirements given in EN 50564. 40 minutes after the end of the cycle, measure left on mode power over a further period of 10 minutes. (If left on mode duration is declared by the manufacturer as greater than 30 minutes, the delay before measurement shall be proportionately longer.) The measured value of power consumption P left-on mode of more than 1,00 W shall not be greater than the rated value as declared by the manufacturer by more
than 6 %. The measured value of power consumption P left-on mode of less than or equal to 1,00 W shall not be greater than the rated value as declared by the manufacturer by more than 0,10 W. Carry out the above procedure once with a full load and once with a half load. Low power measurements are not required at the end of the half load run. 2.2.1.2 Calculations: Final moisture content Calculate the final moisture content of the load from it s conditioned mass and it s mass at the end of the drying cycle. If the final moisture content is less than +3.00 % the test run is valid otherwise it is invalid and needs to be repeated, probably using a different programme setting (note though that for automatic tumble dryers, the same programme setting must be used for both full load and half load programmes. Only use data from valid test runs to calculate results for energy consumption, programme time and condensation efficiency. Energy consumption Correct the value measured over the whole cycle to allow for any small variations in load mass, initial moisture content and final moisture content. Note though that if the final moisture content is below -3%, no correction should be made. Combine the result for the half load test with the result for the full load test as follows: Weighted energy consumption = [ (3 x corrected energy consumption for the full load) + (4 x corrected energy consumption for the half load) ] / 7 The weighted energy consumption shall not be greater than the rated value by more than 6 %. Programme time Correct the value measured over the whole cycle to allow for any small variations in load mass, initial moisture content and final moisture content. Note though that if the final moisture content is below -3%, no correction should be made. Combine the result for the half load test with the result for the full load test as follows: Weighted programme time = [ (3 x corrected programme time for the full load) + 4 x corrected programme time for the half load) ] / 7 The weighted programme duration shall not be longer than the rated value by more than 6 %. Condensation efficiency Calculate the condensation efficiency from the initial moisture content, the final moisture content and the mass of water collected in the condensate collector. Combine the result for the half load test with the result for the full load test as follows: Weighted condensation efficiency = [ (3 x corrected condensation efficiency for the full load) + 4 x corrected condensation efficiency for the half load) ] / 7 Note the calculated and claimed condensation efficiency in the lab report and note any differences. In addition the calculated and claimed condensation efficiency class need to be noted in the lab report. The weighted condensation efficiency shall not be less than the rated value by more than 6 %. Left on mode power Calculate the average power over the 10 minute measurement period. Note the measured power consumption and compare it with the claimed power consumption.