At the simple inputs level in the Home Energy Saver, users only indicate whether or not a clothes washer is present in their house. A default value for the clothes washer contribution to gallons of hot water per day is set for those houses with clothes washer.
For the detailed inputs level, the number of clothes washer loads is assumed to be 380 loads/year (US DOE 1990) and gallons of hot water per load depends on the temperature setting for the load (Lutz et al. 1996). The default distribution of clothes washer temperature settings was based on our judgment about typical usage patterns. Users can customize the number of loads washed and the temperature settings to match the usage patterns in their house.
Table 18. Default Values for Calculating Clothes Washer Water Use