Did you know your vacuum can affect the environment? Most people don’t, hence why regulations have recently been introduced in order to tackle unnecessary energy use which has a direct impact on the environment. The regulations mean that there will be a reduction in the vacuum cleaners input power, design and testing. However, the new rules only apply to dry corded vacuum cleaners. Wet, wet & dry and battery operated vacuum cleaners are not included.
Here are the key changes in the new regulations:
- The maximum input to be reduced to 900w, annual energy consumption should not be more than 43 kWh/year.
- Motor lifetime should be minimum of 500 hours.
- If the device has a hose, it should be durable. For example, it should still be usable after 40,000 strains (the movement of back and forth in a regular rhythm).
- The energy efficiency scale has been updated, it now goes A+++, A++, A+, B, C, D. The E, F and G classes no longer mean anything.
- The maximum noise can only be as high as 80dB.
- The minimum dust pick-up on a carpet is now 0.75, hard floors are 0.98.
- The maximum dust re-emission is 1%.
Ultimately, any vacuum higher than 900w is now banned. But are they better? As a matter of fact, no they are not. The amount of power does not mean it is better at cleaning than lower powered ones. The lower power ones often produce a lot less noise, meaning you will not be deafened every time you use the hoover or disturbing others in the workplace. Although the reduction in energy consumption won’t see a dramatic difference in your bills, the EU estimates that the energy saved is the equivalent to the residential electricity consumption of Belgium- that is a lot of energy.
The regulations will not only reduce energy use therefore helping the environment, it will also mean your hoover will last longer. This is more cost-effective as you will not need to repeatedly purchase a new vacuum, as mentioned above the hoover should have a lifespan of minimum 500 hours.
Here at WINNS Services, we provide several different cleaning services for companies based on your time and budget. We have been established for over two decades and have gained a great deal of knowledge and experience from this. Our staff are all carefully hand-picked by us to suit your company's needs.
For more information about WINNS cleaning services or to book our cleaning services please contact us on 01702 719100 or or email us at info@winnsservices.co.uk.