WELS product coverage, testing and rating
Product class coverage
New Zealand WELS will require labelling of the following six classes of water-using products:
- Dishwasher defined as a ‘machine which cleans, rinses, and dries’ dishes and cutlery and is intended for household or similar use;
- Clothes washing machine defined as an ‘appliance that washes textiles in water and extracts water’ for household or similar use;
- Shower used solely for personal bathing, consisting of a shower head and any additional components supplied with it such as hoses and flow controller;
- Lavatory equipment consisting of a toilet pan, cistern, and/or flushing device;
- Urinal equipment consisting of a urinal and/or flushing mechanism;
- Tap equipment for use over a basin, ablution trough, kitchen sink, or laundry tub. Bath taps will not need to be labelled.
These product classes are defined in standards – mainly in AS/NZS 6400, with appliances defined in AS/NZS 2007 (dishwashers) and AS/NZS 2040 (washing machines).
New Zealand WELS will have the same coverage as Australian WELS, except that it will exclude flow controllers. These can be registered in Australia on a voluntary basis only.
Overview of testing and star ratings
All regulated products will have to be tested. There will be no option to declare a product as zero rated, and give it a label without testing it.
It is recommended that products be tested by either:
- A New Zealand laboratory that is accredited by International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ) for testing to the relevant product standard; or
- An overseas laboratory recognised by IANZ through an international agreement that covers the relevant standard.
Star ratings will be calculated using the same methods that are in AS/NZS 6400, and were given in the 2007 discussion document. They specify how the test data is used to calculated water consumption, rounded for display on the label, and the star rating. The regulations will allow lavatory equipment to be given any rating including zero – this is unique to New Zealand WELS because zero-rated lavatory equipment cannot legally be sold in Australia.
Testing and rating of appliances
Dishwashers will need to be tested to AS/NZS 2007 for:
- Capacity (the number of place settings);
- Washing index; and
- Water consumption.
The tested water consumption must meet the manufacturer’s claimed value.
Clothes washing machines will need to be tested to AS/NZS 2040 for:
- Soil removal;
- Water consumption;
- Severity of washing action; and
- Rinse performance.
Star ratings are as specified in AS/NZS 6400.
For both dishwashers and clothes washing machines, the testing that is already carried out for energy efficiency labelling will also cover the requirements for WELS.
Testing and rating of showers and taps
Showers will need to be tested to AS/NZS 3662 for:
- Flow rate;
- Mean spray spread angle;
- Temperature drop; and
- Flow controller endurance.
Showers can be rated as:
- Zero (flow rate of more than 16.0 litres/minute);
- One star (more than 12.0 and up to 16.0 litres/minute);
- Two stars (more than 9.0 and up to 12.0 litres/minute); or
- Three stars (up to 9.0 litres/minute).
Showers are the only product in WELS that will not have the full range of zero to six stars – three is the maximum. We are proposing this for consistency with Australian WELS. Higher ratings will only be accepted in Australia when new comfort tests for low-flow showers have been developed and incorporated in the standards.
When this happens, additional star ratings will be added. Likely requirements for the higher ratings are indicated in AS/NZS 6400 – these are:
- Four stars (flow rate of more than 6.0 and up to 7.5 litres/minute);
- Five stars (more than 4.5 and not more than 6.0 litres/minute); or
- Six stars (more than 4.5 and not more than 6.0 litres/minute, and with additional features such as an automatic shut-off).
A large proportion of showers on the New Zealand market now would qualify for at least three stars. It will be important from a New Zealand point of view that the higher ratings are made available as soon as possible.
Taps will need to be tested to AS/NZS 3718 for:
- Nominal flow rate;
- Water-tightness under pressure;
- Endurance; and
- Hydraulic strength.
Ratings will be as in AS/NZS 6400. They are based on the nominal (fully-open) flow and range from zero (over 16 litres/minute) to six stars with not more than 4.5 litres/minute. The rating is increased by one star if the tap has a qualifying automatic shut-off device.
Showers and taps intended for mains pressure use will be tested at 150, 250, and 350 kPa. Showers and taps intended for low-pressure and mixed-pressure (high cold, low hot) will be tested at a dynamic pressure of 35 kPa only.
For showers and taps intended for mains pressure use, the flow rate tests incorporate a requirement that the flow must not vary too much with the supply pressure. This will not apply to low-pressure testing.
Testing and rating of toilets and urinals
Lavatory equipment and urinal equipment will need to be tested to a number of procedures that are specified in the relevant product standards. These cover:
- Volume of water used for each flush;
- Various flushing performance tests that assess the ability to clear the bowl or surfaces; and
- Tests for leakage where it is likely to be persistent and result in significant water loss over the life of the product.
The standards also contain a number of other test procedures e.g. for durability and splashing. These will not be part of the New Zealand WELS regulations.
Ratings will be as in AS/NZS 6400. The ratings for lavatory equipment are based on the average flush volume, which is defined as:
- The actual flush volume for a single-flush toilet; or
- The average of one full flush and four reduced flushes for a dual-flush toilet.
The ratings go from zero (more than 5.5 litres average flush volume) to six stars (up to 2.5 litres). If water from a connected hand basin is used to help flush the toilet, the measured flush volume is reduced by 0.3 litres to determine the rating.
For urinal equipment, the rating is based on the flush volume for a single stall, or for the assumed equivalent (600 mm width) of continuous wall. To get a star rating, each stall or equivalent must be flushed individually. If two or more stalls flush together, the rating will be zero.
The benefits of demand driven activation of the flushing mechanism, or 'smart demand activation' (defined in AS/NZS 6400) are also reflected in the star ratings.
Last updated: 13 July 2009
