Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedures for Direct Heating Equipment and Pool Heaters

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is amending its test procedures for vented home heating equipment and pool heaters established under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. This rulemaking fulfills DOE's statutory obligation to review its test procedures for covered products at least once every seven years. The amendments add provisions for testing vented home heating equipment that utilizes condensing technology, and incorporate by reference six industry test standards to replace the outdated test standards referred to in the existing DOE test procedure. For pool heaters, the amendments incorporate by reference Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Standard 1160-2009, "Performance Rating of Heat Pump Pool Heaters," and ANSI/American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 146-2011, "Method of Testing and Rating Pool Heaters," to establish a test method for electric pool heaters (including heat pump pool heaters). The amendments also clarify the test procedure's applicability to oil-fired pool heaters.