Grundfos Pumps Unveils New Generation of Circulators, With Power-Consumption Savings of up to 80%
OLATHE, KANSAS ‘ Making its North American debut, ALPHA from Grundfos Pumps is an energy-optimized, 115-volt circulator featuring a permanent magnet motor design that will cut power consumption by a minimum of 50%, as compared
with other circulators in its class. Designed for hydronic heating
applications in residential and light commercial applications,
the compact ALPHA is equipped with the unique Grundfos
AUTOADAPT function that automatically modulates circulator
performance to match ever-changing system demands.
‘By continuously fine-tuning power consumption and flow rates to meet the dynamic needs of the system, ALPHA saves both energy and money,” says Bob Reinmund, senior product specialist for Grundfos.
‘In live field tests of the product, independent contractors have experienced power savings up to 80% over conventional circulators.”
Breakthrough motor design: First used by Grundfos in Europe earlier this decade, the electronically controlled motor features a magnetized rotor, thus avoiding motor-slippage problems common to induction-type motors. The result is a dramatically more efficient motor that generates less heat and energy waste, while delivering a starting torque four times higher than a standard induction motor ‘ a key feature should the pump experience long periods of idleness.
No more oversized retrofits: Identifying the specific, ever-changing needs of a home heating system can be a challenging task for installers, particularly in retrofit applications. As a consequence, contractors often find it difficult to select the right pump and then to program it with the correct settings. ‘If the installer is not familiar with piping layout or hasn’t done the proper calculations, he may decide the best way to avoid a callback is simply to oversize the pumps,” says Reinmund.
‘ALPHA creates an opportunity to address this oversizing tendency.”
With ALPHA, the installer now has the option of activating the AUTOADAPT function. ‘The circulator will automatically find the lowest possible operating-efficiency point to meet changing system demands,” continues Reinmund. ‘Then it will continuously adjust that setting to achieve optimal comfort at minimal power consumption ‘ all without direct human intervention. The pump can operate with an input as low as five watts, as compared with a minimum of 80 watts for a conventional circulator of comparable size.”
Compact design = easy installation: ALPHA is currently the most compact circulator offered by Grundfos. Rather than being attached to the circulator’s body, its sophisticated electronics are fully integrated within the motor. The resulting streamlined design simplifies installation in even the tightest of spaces.
The easy-to-read LED (light-emitting diode) display in the ALPHA offers a range of unique, userfriendly features for monitoring the system: