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

Resource efficiency requirements

18.—(1) Household washing machines and household washer-dryers must meet the following requirements.

Availability of spare parts

(2) Manufacturers, authorised representatives or importers of household washing machines and household washer-dryers must make available to professional repairers 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) motor and motor brushes;

(b) transmission between motor and drum;

(c) pumps;

(d) shock absorbers and springs;

(e) washing drum, drum spider and related ball bearings (separately or bundled);

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

(g) piping and related equipment including all hoses, valves, filters and aquastops (separately or bundled);

(h) printed circuit boards;

(i) electronic displays;

(j) pressure switches;

(k) thermostats and sensors;

(l) software and firmware including reset software.

(3) Manufacturers, authorised representatives and importers of household washing machines and household washer-dryers 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, door hinge and door seals;

(b) other seals;

(c) door locking assembly and plastic peripherals such as detergent dispensers.

(4) Manufacturers, authorised representatives and importers of household washing machines and household washer-dryers must ensure that the spare parts referred to in sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) can be replaced with the use of commonly available tools and without permanent damage to the machine.

(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) information 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 of spare parts

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

(8) In relation to products specified in sub-paragraph (2), sub-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 the following provisions.

(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 washing machines and washer-dryers, 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) 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.

(14) 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) the unequivocal household washing machine or household washer-dryer identification;

(b) a disassembly map or exploded view;

(c) technical manual of instructions for repair;

(d) list of necessary repair and test equipment;

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

(f) wiring and connection diagrams;

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

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

(i) information on how to access data records of reported failure incidents stored on the household washing machine or washer-dryer (where applicable).

Information requirements for refrigerant gases:

(15) Without prejudice to Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council, for household washing machines and household washer-dryers equipped with a heat pump, the chemical name of the refrigerant gas used, or 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 household washing machines or household washer-dryers, for example on the back panel, and for this purpose more than one reference can be used for the same chemical name.

Requirements for dismantling for material recovery and recycling

(16) Manufacturers, importers or authorised representatives must ensure that household washing machines and household washer-dryers 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.