The Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information Regulations 2021

Regulation 16

SCHEDULE 6 Ecodesign requirements for household dishwashers

Interpretation

1.  In this Schedule and Schedules 7 and 8—

“cleaning performance index” (“I_C”) means the ratio of the cleaning performance of a household dishwasher to the cleaning performance of a reference household dishwasher;

“cycle” means a complete cleaning, rinsing and drying process, as defined by the programme selected, consisting of a series of operations until all activity ceases;

“declared values” means the values provided by the manufacturer, importer or authorised representative for the stated, calculated or measured technical parameters in the technical documentation, in accordance with the conformity assessment procedure referred to in regulation 17;

“delay start” means a condition where the user has selected a specified delay to the beginning of the cycle of the selected programme;

“drying performance index” (“I_D”) means the ratio of the drying performance of a household dishwasher to the drying performance of a reference household dishwasher;

“eco” means the name of the programme of a household dishwasher declared by the manufacturer, importer or authorised representative as suitable to clean normally soiled tableware, and to which the ecodesign requirements on energy efficiency, cleaning and drying performance relate;

“eco programme energy consumption” (“EPEC”) means the energy consumption of a household dishwasher for the eco programme, expressed in kilowatt hour per cycle;

“eco programme water consumption” (“EPWC”) means the water consumption of a household dishwasher for the eco programme, expressed in litres per cycle;

“Energy Efficiency Index” (“EEI”) means the ratio of the eco programme energy consumption to the standard programme energy consumption;

“equivalent model” means a model which has the same technical characteristics in respect of the technical information to be provided, but which is placed on the market or put into service by the same manufacturer, importer or authorised representative as another model with a different model identifier;

“guarantee” means any undertaking by the retailer or a manufacturer to the consumer to—

(a)

reimburse the price paid for a household dishwasher; or

(b)

replace, repair or handle household dishwashers in any way;

if they do not meet the specifications set out in the guarantee statement or in the relevant advertising;

“model identifier” means the code, usually alphanumeric, which distinguishes a specific product model from other models with the same trade mark or the same manufacturer’s, importer’s or authorised representative’s name;

“network” means a communication infrastructure with a topology of links and an architecture that includes physical components, organisational principles, communication procedures and formats (protocols);

“networked standby” means a condition in which the household dishwasher is able to resume a function by way of a remotely initiated trigger from a network connection;

“off mode” means a condition in which the household dishwasher is connected to the mains and is not providing any function; the following must also be considered as off mode—

(a)

conditions providing only an indication of off mode;

(b)

conditions providing only functionalities intended to ensure electromagnetic compatibility in accordance with the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016(1);

“place setting” (“ps”) means a set of tableware for use by one person, not including serving pieces;

“professional repairer” means a person who provides services of repair and professional maintenance of household dishwashers;

“programme” means a series of operations that are pre-defined and are declared by the manufacturer, importer or authorised representative as suitable for specified levels of soil or types of load, or both;

“programme duration” (“T_t”) means the length of time beginning with the initiation of the programme selected, excluding any user programmed delay, until the end of the programme is indicated and the user has access to the load;

“rated capacity” means the maximum number of place settings together with the serving pieces, which can be cleaned, rinsed and dried in a household dishwasher in one cycle when loaded in accordance with the manufacturer’s, importer’s or authorised representative’s instructions;

“serving pieces” means items for the preparation and serving of food which can include pots, serving bowls, serving cutlery and platters;

“spare part” means a separate part that can replace a part with the same or similar function in a product;

“standard programme energy consumption” (“SPEC”) means the energy consumption of the programme taken as a reference as a function of the rated capacity, expressed in kilowatt hours per cycle;

“standby mode” means a condition where the household dishwasher is connected to the mains, and provides only one or more of the following functions, which may persist for an indefinite time—

(a)

reactivation function, or reactivation function and a mere indication of enabled reactivation function;

(b)

reactivation function through a connection to a network;

(c)

information or status display;

(d)

detection function for emergency measures.

Programme requirements

2.  Household dishwashers must provide an eco programme that meets the following requirements.

3.  The eco programme must be—

(a) named “eco” on the programme selection device of the dishwasher, on the dishwasher display, if any, and on the relevant network application, if any; and

(b) set as the default programme for dishwashers equipped with automatic programme selection or any function maintaining the selection of a programme, or, if there is no automatic programme selection, available for direct selection without the need for any other selection such as a specific temperature or load.

4.  The name “eco” must be used exclusively for this programme. No additional information may be combined with the term “eco” other than the temperature of the eco programme.

5.  The indications “normal”, “daily”, “regular” and “standard” must not be used in programme names for the dishwasher, either alone or in combination with other information.

Energy efficiency requirements

6.  The EEI of household dishwashers must be less than 63.

7.  From 1 March 2024, the EEI of household dishwashers with a rated capacity equal to or more than 10 place settings must be less than 56.

8.  The EEI of a dishwasher is calculated in accordance with Schedule 7.

Functional requirements

9.  The cleaning performance index (I_C) of household dishwashers must be greater than 1.12.

10.  The drying performance index (I_D) must be—

(a) greater than 1.06 for household dishwashers with a rated capacity of more than 7 place settings;

(b) greater than 0.86 for household dishwashers with a rated capacity equal to or less than 7 place settings.

11.  The I_C and the I_D are calculated in accordance with Schedule 7.

Low power modes

12.—(1) Household dishwashers must meet the following power requirements.

(2) Dishwashers must have—

(a) an off mode;

(b) a standby mode; or

(c) off and standby modes.

The power consumption of these modes must not exceed 0.50 W.

(3) Where the standby mode includes the display of information or status, the power consumption of this mode must not exceed 1.00 W.

(4) Where the standby mode provides for a connection to a network and provides networked standby, the power consumption of this mode must not exceed 2.00 W.

(5) The dishwasher must switch automatically to off mode or standby mode no later than 15 minutes after—

(a) the end of any programme and associated activities; or

(b) any interaction with the dishwasher, if no other mode, including emergency measures, is triggered.

(6) Where the dishwasher provides for a delay start, the power consumption in this condition, including any standby mode, must not exceed 4.00 W. The delay start must not be programmable by the user for more than 24 hours.

(7) Any dishwasher that can be connected to a network must provide the option to activate and deactivate the network connection. The network connection must be deactivated by default.

Resource efficiency requirements

13.—(1) Household dishwashers must meet the following requirements.

Availability of spare parts

(2) Manufacturers, authorised representatives or importers of household dishwashers must make available to professional repairers at least the following spare parts, for a minimum period of seven years after placing the last unit of the model on the market—

(a) circulation and drain pump;

(b) electronic displays;

(c) heaters and heating elements, including heat pumps (separately or bundled);

(d) motor;

(e) piping and related equipment including all hoses, valves, filters and aquastops;

(f) pressure switches;

(g) printed circuit boards;

(h) software and firmware including reset software;

(i) structural and interior parts related to door assemblies (separately or bundled);

(j) thermostats and sensors.

(3) Manufacturers, authorised representatives or importers of household dishwashers must make available to professional repairers and end-users at least the following spare parts, for a minimum period of 10 years after placing the last unit of the model on the market—

(a) door hinges and door seals;

(b) drain filters;

(c) interior racks and plastic peripherals such as baskets and lids;

(d) other seals;

(e) spray arms.

(4) Manufacturers, authorised representatives or importers of household dishwashers must ensure that the spare parts mentioned in sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) can be replaced with the use of commonly available tools and without permanent damage to the appliance.

(5) The manufacturer, authorised representative or importer must—

(a) no later than two years after the first unit of a model is placed on the market, publish for that product the list of spare parts referred to in sub-paragraph (2) and the procedure for ordering them on a website which is accessible to the public without charge; and

(b) ensure that the information referred to in paragraph (a) remains accessible throughout the period that the spare parts remain available.

(6) When the first unit of a model is placed on the market, the manufacturer, authorised representative or importer must—

(a) publish for that product—

(i) the list of spare parts referred to in sub-paragraph (3);

(ii) the procedure for ordering them; and

(iii) the repair instructions;

on a website which is accessible to the public without charge; and

(b) ensure that the information referred to in paragraph (a) remains accessible throughout the period that the spare parts remain available.

Maximum delivery time for spare parts

(7) Subject to sub-paragraph (8), during the period referred to in sub-paragraphs (2) or (3) (as applicable), the manufacturer, importer or authorised representative must ensure delivery of spare parts for dishwashers within 15 working days of receiving an order.

(8) In relation to products specified in sub-paragraph (2), paragraph (7) does not apply to repairers who have not registered with the manufacturer, importer or authorised representative in accordance with sub-paragraph (10).

Access to repair and maintenance information

(9) From no later than two years after the placing on the market of the first unit of a model or of an equivalent model until the end of the period referred to in sub-paragraph (2), the manufacturer, importer or authorised representative must provide access to appliance repair and maintenance information to professional repairers in accordance with sub-paragraphs (10) to (14).

(10) The manufacturer’s, importer’s or authorised representative’s website must set out the process for professional repairers to register for access to repair and maintenance information.

(11) Before granting access to the information, the manufacturer, authorised representative or importer may require the professional repairer to demonstrate that –

(a) the professional repairer has the technical competence to repair household dishwashers and complies with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989;

(b) the professional repairer is covered by insurance for liabilities resulting from its activities.

(12) The request for registration must be accepted or refused within 5 working days from the date of the request.

(13) Once registered, a professional repairer must be given access to requested repair and maintenance information within one working day of any request. The information may be provided for an equivalent model or model of the same family, if appropriate. The available repair and maintenance information must include—

(a) component and diagnosis information (such as minimum and maximum theoretical values for measurements);

(b) diagnostic fault and error codes (including manufacturer-specific codes, where applicable);

(c) a disassembly map or exploded view;

(d) information on how to access data records of reported failure incidents stored on the household dishwasher (where applicable);

(e) instructions for installation of relevant software and firmware including reset software;

(f) list of necessary repair and test equipment;

(g) the unequivocal appliance identification;

(h) wiring and connection diagrams.

(14) Manufacturers, authorised representatives or importers may charge reasonable and proportionate fees for access to the repair and maintenance information or for receiving regular updates. A fee is reasonable if it does not discourage access by failing to take into account the extent to which the professional repairer uses the information.

Information requirements for refrigerant gases

(15) Without prejudice to Regulation (EU) No 517/2014(2) of the European Parliament and of the Council, where a household dishwasher is equipped with a heat pump, the chemical name of the refrigerant gas used, or an equivalent reference such as a commonly used and understood symbol, label or logo, must be displayed permanently and in a visible and readable way on the exterior of the appliance, for example on the back panel, and for this purpose more than one reference may be used for the same chemical name.

Requirements for dismantling for material recovery and recycling

(16) Manufacturers, importers or authorised representatives must ensure that dishwashers are designed in such a way that the materials and components referred to in Annex 7 of the WEEE Directive can be removed with the use of commonly available tools.

Information requirements

14.—(1) Manufacturers, their authorised representatives or importers of household dishwashers must provide the information specified in sub-paragraph (3) in the form of instruction manuals for installers and end-users.

(2) The information referred to in sub-paragraph (1) must be made available on a website which is accessible to the public without charge.

(3) The information referred to in sub-paragraph (1) is—

(a) a statement that the eco programme is suitable to clean normally soiled tableware, and that for this use, it is the most efficient programme in terms of its combined energy and water consumption, and that it is used to assess compliance with ecodesign legislation;

(b) a statement that loading the household dishwasher up to the capacity indicated by the manufacturer will contribute to energy and water savings, together with information on the correct loading of tableware and main consequences of incorrect loading;

(c) a statement that manual pre-rinsing of tableware items leads to increased water and energy consumption, and is not recommended;

(d) a statement that washing tableware in a household dishwasher usually consumes less energy and water in the use phase than hand dishwashing when the household dishwasher is used according to the manufacturer’s instructions;

(e) values on the programme duration, energy and water consumption for all programmes that offer a cycle;

(f) a statement that the values given for programmes other than the eco programme are indicative only; and

(g) instruction on how to find the model information on a publicly accessible website.

(4) The user instructions must also include instructions on the performance of maintenance operations, including—

(a) correct installation (including level positioning, connection to mains, connection to water inlets, cold and/or hot if appropriate);

(b) use of correct detergent, salt and other additives, and main consequences of incorrect dosage;

(c) removal of foreign objects from the dishwasher;

(d) periodic cleaning, including procedure, limescale prevention, and optimal frequency;

(e) periodic checks of filters, including procedure and optimal frequency;

(f) identification and meaning of errors and action required to remedy errors, including identification of errors requiring professional assistance;

(g) how to access professional repair (internet webpages, addresses, contact details).

(h) any implications of self-repair or non-professional repair for the safety of the end-user and for the guarantee;

(i) the minimum period during which spare parts for the household dishwasher are available.

(5) The instruction manuals referred to in sub-paragraph (1) must be provided with the product when it is placed on the market.

Technical documentation requirements

15.—(1) The technical documentation file required for the conformity assessment of the product must comply with the following.

(2) Where the information in the technical documentation for a particular model has been obtained—

(a) from a model that has the same technical characteristics relevant for the technical information to be provided but is produced by a different manufacturer;

(b) by calculation on the basis of design or extrapolation from another model of the same or a different manufacturer; or

(c) by both paragraphs (a) and (b);

the technical documentation must include the details of any such calculation and the assessment undertaken by the manufacturer to verify the accuracy of the calculation, and, where appropriate, the declaration of identity between the models of different manufacturers.

(3) The technical documentation must include a list of all equivalent models, including the model identifiers.

(4) The technical documentation must include all the information specified in Annex 6 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2017 of 11 March 2019(3) supplementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to energy labelling of household dishwashers (the labelling regulation).

(5) The information referred to in paragraph (4) must be provided in the order and format set out in Annex 6 of the labelling regulation.

(1)

S.I. 2016/1091.

(2)

EUR 517/2014; relevant amending instrument is S.I. 2019/1583.

(3)

EUR 2019/2017; relevant amending instrument is S.I. 2020/1528.