Tumble dryers: EN 61121:2013 and its amendment A12:2025 become harmonised standards for ecodesign and energy labelling — tests in the eco programme with full and partial load, a procedure for multi-drum dryers and a modified measurement of low power modes
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/2370, published in the Official Journal of the EU on 29 October 2026 and in force from the day of publication, publishes the references of EN 61121:2013 “Tumble dryers for household use – Methods for measuring the performance” and EN 61121:2013/A12:2025, drafted by CENELEC in support of Regulation (EU) 2023/2533 (ecodesign) and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2534 (energy labelling). From that day compliance with them confers a presumption of conformity with the corresponding requirements of both regulations; at the same time the reference of harmonised standard EN 60704-2-6:2012 on tumble dryer noise has been withdrawn from the Official Journal.
- Background: by an implementing decision of 1 December 2023 (C(2023) 8089) the Commission requested CENELEC to revise the harmonised standards in support of Regulations 2023/2533 and 2023/2534; CENELEC revised EN 61121:2013 by adopting amendment A12:2025, and the Commission found that both standards comply with the request and satisfy the requirements they aim to cover. The decision gives the complete list of harmonised standards for both regulations in a single act and entered into force on the day of publication, because the presumption of conformity applies from the date the reference is published in the Official Journal.
- Noise: the reference of EN 60704-2-6:2012 (determination of airborne acoustical noise from household tumble dryers) has been withdrawn from the Official Journal and Communication 2014/C 149/01, which published it, has been repealed — EN 61121 refers to that standard normatively, and such a reference may also point to a non-harmonised standard, so a separate publication is unnecessary. Amendment A12:2025 replaces the undated reference to EN 60704-2-6 with a dated one (EN 60704-2-6:2012 as amended by A11:2025), deletes the references to EN 60704-1 and EN 60704-3 and adds EN IEC 63474:2023 (measurement of networked standby power consumption).
- Changes to the tests according to the European foreword of A12:2025 (with respect to EN 61121:2013): the combined test series is run in the newly introduced eco programme — declared by the manufacturer, importer or authorised representative as able to dry cotton laundry from an initial moisture content of the load of 60 % to a final moisture content of 0 % — with full load and with partial load (half of the rated capacity), and the weighted average of the series uses specific weighting factors. A loading procedure, a calculation of the average final moisture content and an alternative ambient air climate for conditioning the test load are added; the validity of a test run and of a test series has been revised, and the method to calculate a pooled standard deviation has been deleted.
- In addition: the maximum time without pre-conditioning of the tumble dryer between two test runs is extended to 96 h, the requirement to adjust the pH of the water used is omitted, the method to pre-age items for a new test load is modified, a new Annex ZB defines the testing procedure for multi-drum tumble dryers (replacing the annex on tolerances and control procedures) and the procedure to measure low power modes is modified (Annex ZD). CENELEC approved A12:2025 on 20 January 2025; it supersedes A11:2019, and the date for publishing an identical national standard and withdrawing conflicting national standards is 28 February 2026.