European Commision: Consumer will get better vacuum cleaners than ever before

[turbo500]

Vacuum cleaners will use less energy for the same performance - how much dust they pick up. This will help consumers to save money and make Europe as a whole use less energy.

On 1 September 2014, vacuum cleaners in the EU will have to abide by a new set of minimum requirements. They cover:

Power
Performance (ability to pick up dust)
Energy efficiency
Dust re-emission in the exhaust air (particularly important for people with asthma)
Noise level
Durability (no early failure of the hose or the motor)
So we look at power, but also at performance.

As regards power, the maximum allowed input power will be reduced: from 1600 Watt in 1 September 2014, to 900 Watt in September 2017. The current average on the market is about 1800 Watt.

But – contrary to what is written in some articles and comments –the amount of Watt does not automatically indicate how well a vacuum cleaner will clean. The amount of Watt indicates how much electrical power is used by the engine.

The important question is: How efficient is this electrical power translated into picking-up dust? Dust pick-up is also part of the new technical standard. New models put on the market must undergo a practical test, where the pick-up performance is measured and they have to achieve a certain pick-up factor.

As a result of the new EU ecodesign and labelling regulations, consumers will also get better vacuum cleaners. In the past there was no legislation on vacuum cleaners and companies could sell poorly performing vacuum cleaners. Now, vacuum cleaners that use a lot of energy, that pick up dust poorly, emit too much dust at the exhaust of the vacuum cleaner, are noisy or break down pre-maturely will not be allowed on the market anymore. This means a better cleaning experience and less time and money spent on vacuum cleaning.

The ecodesign regulation was adopted on 13 July 2013 with requirements coming into force 1/9/2014: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2013:192:0024:0034:EN:PDF

The energy label regulation was adopted on 3 May 2013 with labelling requirements by 1/9/2014: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2013:192:0001:0023:EN:PDF



http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/rebuttal/consumer-will-get-better-vacuum-cleaners-ever

 

[sebo_fan]

I already added this Chris, in the past post i created but it is good to know what the ratings are, properly and finally, so thanks for posting this.

However, whilst the requirements are good, nothing is mentioned about air flow. I suppose then brands will have to either double their efforts to ensure products have good airflow without leaks or will just keep producing the same old with a reduced motor. Durability as you know is, not the same as and airflow plays its part in efficiency, but it will be interesting if that is taken into account or not.

The other issue I have is pick up - how will it be measured on say an upright, with tools on board? Tests will have to be carried out both from the main motor brush roll performance to both performance with the tools and performance with the hose. It can't all come down to just "one pathway," unless you're testing an Oreck upright or others which have no tools on board.

Whilst I think that some of these tests will give brands double the work than they have been used to, I don't think the tests go far enough and some of the things are a bit far fetched...

For example, how, with the laws prevent from vacuums "that break prematurely."? How will that process be done? By average Joe who can't be bothered to clean standard filters on board and thus vacuum cleaner breaks down due to customer ignorance, or putting a black mark against even a premium brand if a tool breaks with early use? [this post was last edited: 1/23/2014-11:16]

 

[adamthemieleman]

This really is good news, finally the public will stand corrected on wattage equaling better suction.

I think it will produce better cleaners, as the label will be a tool for easy comparison, no one will ever want to by an inefficient vacuum which is poor at cleaning.

Hopefully it could teach tti a thing or two, and maybe bring back a few decent vacuums back to our product range.

 

[vintagerepairer]

Adam, I like all of what you say, apart from the notion of "teaching a lesson". In the face of the shake-up which Dyson caused in the vacuum-cleaner industry, the competitors had to do what they could in order to survive. Though of course we will never know this, I do believe that without the arrival of the Dyson cleaner, we would be seeing nothing but bagged cleaners of a quality not dissimilar to that of the early 1990s. By then, one could argue that manufacturers were building just the right amount of "planned obsolescence" into their cleaners, yet they performed well and there was a balance of price and quality.

We do of course have such a balance in the present day, on cleaners which sell for £30 or so and packed solid with £30 worth of value. However, it seems to be reliant on changing the cleaner every 6 months or so, rather than buying one for three times the price which lasts 10 times as long.

 

[sebo_fan]

The thing is, when all things are considered, energy labels on other appliances confuse the hell out of buyers and me included. They're not simple enough to consider actual usage based on capacity, usage etc. A lot of UK buyers get confused with the current energy labels on washing machines, freezers etc.

"Average" use is not the same as actual use.

 

[hooverkid]

I think...

I may have a link on vacuum land to the technology that they will implement to help with energy conservation. The name is New Vacuum Technology under the contemporary link.