PUMP EXPRESS LOOKS AT A NEW GENERATION OF MOBILE APPS THAT PUT HYDRONIC POWER IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND
©Grundfos
At Pump Express we pride ourselves on expert sizing, stocking and express-shipping of top-of-the-line pumping equipment by manufacturers known for efficient, reliable and skillful design. The companies we represent are often at the forefront of pump industry trends and many have in recent years produced consumer-oriented pump apps that can be downloaded to a Smartphone or tablet. Some are even using mobile phone applications to improve lives in areas of the world where water is scarce.
Portable and pocket-sized, mobile apps can be a great resource for tech savvy installers, contractors and homeowners seeking quick solutions to pump-specific questions. Taco, Bell & Gossett, Berkeley, Grundfos and Wilo have produced mobile apps providing customers with a variety of features including unit converters, energy savings calculators and planning guides.
Grundfos has brought mobile technology into the realm of practical applications with the addition of SMS (self-managing system) modules that enable units like it’s LC/LCD level controllers to communicate directly with facilities managers via cell phone in alarm situations, minimizing the need for system spot-checks and speeding up response time in the event of an emergency.
Along the same lines, Liberty‘s ADC-1 Auto Dialers for Alarms and Control Panels will send an alert message to up to four separate telephone numbers.
But it’s the remote “roaming” zones of the world that stand to reap the biggest benefits from new synergies in the pump and mobile industries. The expansion of mobile phone networks in Africa, India and other developing countries has given rise to many communities where cell phones outnumber reliable water sources.
Responding to complaints about water mismanagement among the residents of a rural community in Musingini, Kenya, Grundfos began working with one of Africa’s leading telecommunications companies to implement a solar-powered, water vending program. The centerpiece of the resulting system was a solar-powered cell phone activated with a smart card permitting water to flow until either the card was removed or the user’s account ran out of credit. This arrangement made it possible for Grundfos to monitor how efficiently a solar well was operating, for a regulating body to gauge water use and for resource administrators to determine how much income was generated. Communities across Kenya have adopted the mobile banking/solar powered well model developed by Grundfos in Musingini.
In the future, rural communities in Africa, India and other countries where demand for potable water often exceeds supply may benefit from improved water access thanks to the application of mobile phone technology to hydronics by pump industry pioneers.
For more information on innovative products by Grundfos, Liberty or any of the other quality manufacturers we stock and sell call us at 1-800-298-4100 or visit us at www.pumpexpress.com
