About
ASAP

Last Updated: May 2010
See the federal standards main page to view current status

THE PRODUCT: Commercial clothes washers (CCWs) are defined in EPAct 2005 as soft-mount, front-loading or soft-mount, top-loading washers, and have a clothes container compartment that is not more than 3.5 cubic feet for horizontal-axis clothes washers and not more than 4.0 cubic feet for vertical-axis clothes washers. EPAct 2005 also defines CCWs as products designed for applications in which the occupants of more than one household will be using the clothes washer, such as multi-family housing common areas, coin laundries, or other commercial applications (DOE 2008c).

THE STANDARD: Standards for commercial soft-mount clothes washers, previously set by EPAct 2005, were amended with the issuing of a final rule on January 8, 2010. The new standards are set at 1.60 modified energy factor (MEF) / 8.5 water factor (WF) for top-loading washers and 2.00 MEF / 5.5 WF for front-loading washers. There is no federal or state standard for hard-mount clothes washers.

KEY FACTS: There are 2 to 3 million commercial washers in the United States, which are replaced at a rate of about 10% per year. The vast majority of new commercial washer sales are top-loading (~80%). Improving the efficiency of CCWs can be achieved by incorporating several different technologies, such as advanced agitation concepts, direct-drive motor, improved water extraction, low-standby-power electronic controls, and spray rinse technologies.

• Federal Documentation (DOE Web site)

Press Release
Efficiency Advocates Announce Landmark Agreement on Higher Energy and Water Efficiency Standards May 1, 2007