OSIST prEN 61121:2003/OprA1:2004

Overview

OSIST prEN 61121:2003/OprA1:2004 is a critical amendment to the international standard IEC 61121, focusing on tumble dryers for household use and specifically on the methods for measuring their performance. Issued under the supervision of the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CLC), this document revises key environmental and conditioning parameters used for standardized testing procedures. The amendment ensures uniform testing conditions, enhancing the reliability and comparability of performance results across manufacturers and testing bodies.

This standard targets manufacturers, testing laboratories, and regulatory agencies involved in the design, evaluation, and certification of household tumble dryers. It promotes consistency in test environments to reflect real-life usage more accurately and thus supports better product development and consumer information.

Key Topics

• Ambient Temperature Adjustment
  The amendment changes the required ambient temperature for testing tumble dryer performance from 20 ± 2 °C to 23 ± 2 °C. This increase aligns testing conditions more closely with typical household environments, ensuring that performance measurements are more representative of actual usage.

• Ambient Humidity Revision
  The standard revises the ambient humidity level from 65 ± 5 % to 55 ± 5 %. This adjustment affects moisture removal efficiency measurements and fabric conditioning, offering a more standardized climate condition that reflects current climate data and seasonal variations found in most European households.

• Textile Conditioning Methods
  Three alternative methods for textile conditioning before performance tests are defined:

  1. Weight Stabilization Method: Textiles are conditioned at 23 ± 2 °C and 55 ± 5 % humidity for at least 15 hours until the load weight stabilizes (less than 0.5% change over two weighings spaced two hours apart).
  2. Air Circulation Method: Textiles are hung individually in a controlled environment (23 ± 2 °C, 55 ± 5% humidity) for no less than 15 hours to allow free air circulation.
  3. Bone Dry Method: An alternative procedure where textiles are completely dried before the test, ensuring a known baseline moisture content.

These conditioning methods are essential for repeatable and consistent performance test outcomes.

Applications

• Product Certification and Compliance
  The standardized testing environment specified in OSIST prEN 61121:2003/OprA1:2004 ensures that tumble dryers meet minimum performance and safety criteria required for market approval and certification programs.

• Quality Assurance and R&D
  Manufacturers can benchmark new products against established performance criteria under consistent conditions, facilitating product improvements and innovation in energy efficiency and drying effectiveness.

• Consumer Information and Labeling
  Reliable performance data generated in accordance with these methods supports accurate consumer labels, enhancing informed purchasing decisions.

• Environmental Impact Assessment
  By standardizing humidity and temperature conditions, the effects of environmental factors on energy consumption and drying cycles can be better understood, encouraging the development of eco-friendly tumble dryers.

Related Standards

• IEC 61121 (Edition 3.0): The base standard which defines general performance measurement methods for household tumble dryers. OSIST prEN 61121:2003/OprA1:2004 serves as an amendment to this edition with refined conditions.
• CLC EN 60335-2-7: Safety standards applicable to household tumble dryers, complementary to performance testing standards.
• ISO 6330: Domestic washing and drying textile testing procedures, relevant for preconditioning textiles used in tumble dryer performance tests.
• Energy Labeling Regulations: European directives requiring adherence to performance measurement standards such as OSIST prEN 61121:2003/OprA1:2004 to determine energy consumption ratings.

By adhering to the amendments set forth in OSIST prEN 61121:2003/OprA1:2004, stakeholders ensure that tumble dryer performance testing is scientifically sound, reproducible, and reflective of actual household conditions. This drives product quality, regulatory compliance, and enhanced consumer trust globally.

Keywords: tumble dryer performance, household tumble dryers, EN 61121 amendment, ambient temperature, ambient humidity, textile conditioning, performance testing methods, IEC 61121, product certification, energy efficiency, quality assurance.