ON TOUR: Governor Gina Raimondo, AquaMotion president Hans Kuster and Mayor Scott Avedisian enjoyed a tour through the AquaMotion facility on Jefferson Boulevard in Warwick on Tuesday afternoon.
Posted Tuesday, April 17, 2018 12:34 pm
By Ethan Hartley
Governor Gina Raimondo, along with Mayor Scott Avedisian and Ward 8 Councilman Joseph Gallucci, got a firsthand glimpse into award-winning engineering innovation on Tuesday afternoon as they paid a visit to AquaMotion on Jefferson Boulevard in Warwick.
AquaMotion specializes in manufacturing cutting-edge hot water pump systems that are energy efficient, recyclable and have a guaranteed life expectancy of 10 years, with many units lasting as long as 20 years.
The company recently won most innovative plumbing product at the most recent International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) for its newest pump, the Aqua-Flash Recirculation System, which was also just awarded an international patent.
For AquaMotion president Hans Kuster, the impetus to design the recirculation pump was a common problem that many can relate to.
“How long do you wait for hot water?” he asked Raimondo with a smile. “Thirty seconds, a minute, more?”
The question was hypothetical, but the point Kuster was driving towards was that, annually, a family of five can waste upwards of 15,000 gallons of water waiting for cold water to vacate from pipes before the heated water can cycle and come out of the faucets. Using the technology created and assembled right here in Warwick, users of Aqua-Flash get hot water almost instantly through a complex system of valves.
Additionally, the circulator can be installed in systems that don’t utilize a water tank, which Kuster estimated is now the case in about 50 percent of the country and about 95 percent of water-scarce states like California and Arizona.
The circulator can be installed in 10 minutes under the sink with nothing but a wrench. All of the working components are contained within an enclosed chassis that can be disassembled, cleaned and reinstalled if it becomes clogged up by hard water deposits, such as calcium.
The system also utilizes stainless steel and brass, so it has a much longer guaranteed lifespan than competitor products, many of which use plastic that can easily break or be cracked by cross-threading, leading to failures in the pump.
Perfecting the technology took three years, Kuster said, but all that time has resulted in creating a product that none of his competitors can replicate.
“So many people today put something together and then find out later it doesn’t really work,” Kuster said. “It looks so simple but so many little aspects that have to be done and tested to get this right. It took us different tries with different elements with different characteristics to get it right…I got the biggest guys chasing me on this one.”
Kuster previously built another similar company from the ground up, Sparco Inc., in 1983. He eventually sold that company to one of those aforementioned “big guys” Honeywell in 2000 following a health scare. Not finished, Kuster started AquaMotion in 2002 and opened the facility in Warwick in 2013.
As of today, according to their website, you can find a supplier of AquaMotion products as far north as Nunavut, Canada and in every U.S. state except Alabama, including Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This is all accomplished with about 15 to 20 employees, all of which Kuster has hired locally, to the delight of the mayor and the governor, who got total access to the entire facility – seeing each individual process of making the pumps, all the way through quality control and testing.
“It’s a great company,” Raimondo said. “It’s built on innovation and they’re hiring all local people; good manufacturing jobs. There’s a certain pride in your job if you spend your day making things. You can see it in talking to all the guys who are making the pumps.”
Raimondo said that her continuing goal is to remove certain regulations to make it easier for manufacturers to operate in the state and establish educational programs to supply small business manufacturers with a ready supply of work-ready talent. She said that some of those programs are already bearing fruit for manufacturers.
“They seem to be hiring as many as we produce,” she said.
Kuster shows no signs of slowing down the Warwick-based operation. He intends to continue growing the business, as was apparent by the warehouse portion of the facility being stocked to the ceiling with product.
It was also apparent there was no shortage of ideas or creative energy flowing through him at any given moment.
“When there’s a little down time around here, I paint,” he said, again with a big smile. At once, the large, artfully detailed paintings around the upstairs conference room and office area – some of scenic buffalo grazing, others of picturesque landscapes – took on a new life. “I painted all these.”
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Santa approves of AquaMotion pumps and here is the picture to prove it!
Private Labeling of our pumps at NO-CHARGE! We will Brand-Name orders of 6 or more pumps with Your Company’s logo and contact information.
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We have current promotions for wholesalers and contractors, please contact factory for details. CONTACT
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Our product line includes single speed, three speed PSC (Permanent Split Capacitor) and variable speed ECM (Electronically Commutated) pumps in cast iron and stainless steel and instant hot water recirculation systems.
Our product line is assembled and tested 100% in our Warwick, RI, USA plant and is covered by seven US patents and two Canadian. All pumps are UL, ULC, or ETL and NSF listed and covered by a 3-year limited warranty. AquaMotion products are sold through Heating and Plumbing Wholesalers Worldwide.
AquaMotion’s innovative design created a pump line with the lowest power consumption. This is based on actual amp draw comparisons with published Underwriters Laboratories data of comparable PSC motor or ECM pumps on the market. The PSC design features the only field replaceable and field flushable Green ECO-CARTRIDGE™. This cartridge is the heart of every circulator and contains all moving parts. The design allows for replacement of the cartridge or by pulling it apart and flushing it and reinstalling it. This is a tremendous advantage in areas of hard water. The design prevents black iron oxide and contaminants from entering into the cartridge. The flushable cartridge extends the life of the pumps and makes them a sustainable product that can double its operating life.
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AquaMotion was created with the vision of designing the most energy efficient, high performance, sustainable circulator line on the market with more benefits and features to meet and exceed customer demands and to compete with the world and US market leaders.
AquaMotion was incorporated in 2002 by Hans Kuster. The Company developed the revolutionary Green ECO-Cartridge™ design which is the heart of every circulator and contains all moving parts. It has the only field replaceable and field serviceable cartridge on the market. Competitive manufacturers have to replace their entire cartridge or pump, increasing the foot print on the environment and doubling the cost to the consumer. The cartridge design and long life bearings are patented. The design also prevents black iron oxide and contaminants from entering into the cartridge. This PSC pump line offers the lowest power consumption of any PSC motor and the lowest power consumption of any ECM pump.
How did we do it? With the help of the most experienced engineers in the water lubricated pump field. Benno Lebkuchner, formerly Senior VP of Engineering at the market leader in wet rotor circulators joined him at Sparco and then at AquaMotion. Benno and Hans, using their lifetime experience in the hydronic industry began designing the most reliable and energy efficient PSC circulator line.
Michael McNamara joined AquaMotion in 2013 as Director of Engineering. McNamara previously worked as Director of Engineering at Grundfos, Pentair and as VP of Engineering at Taco. McNamara brings experience from these top industry companies. At AquaMotion he designed many new products, ECM, electronically controlled motor circulators and hot water recirculation valves and systems which keep AquaMotion in front as technology leader in pumps and hot water recirculation systems, including the first outdoor hydronic pump system for tank-less heaters.
Hans Kuster previously was Senior VP at the US market leader in circulators for 21 years. He founded Sparco Inc. of Warwick RI, in 1983, Sparco developed 18 U.S and foreign patents for their products. Sparco became a leading manufacturer of hydronic heating and energy products. They included radiant manifolds, zone valves and the AquaMix proportional water mixing valves. Sparco brand-named his products for the world leader in radiant floor heating, Wirsbo/Uponor, Zurn, Kohler and Grundfos. Hans sold Sparco to Honeywell International in 2000.
Warwick Mayor Visits AquaMotion, Encourages Economic Development Opportunity
Read the article here: http://warwickonline.com/stories/mayor-in-the-flow-during-tour-of-aquamotion,107362
index.phpPlumbing Engineer Article on the History of the Wet Rotor Pump Design 
Read the Q&A with AquaMotion’s Hans Kuster in his PHC News article about AquaMotion’s new and future products.
Download the complete article here.
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A training and certification seminar for contractors focused around our Hot Water recirculation systems was held on June 17 at the NYLO hotel in Warwick, Rhode Island. The seminar included the benefits and features of the entire AquaMotion product line, pump sizing and selection, along with a step by step installation of the AquaMotion Hot recirculation systems. Graduates became certified AquaMotion installers. Future seminars will be advertised.
The AquaMotionHot On-Call™ recirculation system delivers user controlled hot water when you want it. The On-Call system allows homeowners to choose between a wireless control button, an air-powered button that meets code for through counter installation, and a motion sensor to deliver hot water to their point of use. These user controlled features allows homeowners to save up to 15,000 gallons a year in wasted water with operating costs as low as $2.00 – $3.00 annually.
AquaMotion Inc. announces the new AquaMotionSMART™ Einstein Series ECM circulators. Advanced variable speed technology adapts to system demand to maximize performance and efficiency. The Einstein offers high performance while maintaining the lowest power usage of any ECM on the market. Featuring easy single button speed control with LED speed and Watt display and unique automatic night-setback feature that saves money while you sleep. All models come with AquaMotion’s 4-bolt universal flange design to save on inventory. Einstein replaces competitive model E series, green/black plastic pumps imported from Italy with our superior all stainless internal design.
Perfectly good pumps that stop working because of calcium build up or dirt in the system end up in the land fill.
There is a better solution for this problem. AquaMotion invented a revolutionary Green ECO Cartridge™. The cartridge, which is the heart of the pump, can be pulled out of the stator, taken apart and flushed to remove calcium deposits or dirt. This cartridge can then be reinstalled to extend the life of the pump for many more years. This saves the contractor and homeowner substantial money and does not increase the footprint on the environment. A new stainless pump costs several hundred dollars. The cartridge costs the homeowner or service company $50-$60.
This is what we call sustainable. Instead of filling the land fill, we recycle.
Only AquaMotion PSC pumps have this patented invention built in. The strong, single piece, patented carbon infused bearings in the cartridge provide longer life and ultra-quiet service.
All AquaMotion Replacement Cartridges are interchangeable with Cast Iron and Stainless Steel Pumps.
CT03, for the AM3 circulator
CT56, for the AM5 and AM6 circulators
CT07, fits the AM7 circulator and the Taco 007 circulators. The CT07 replaces the Taco part RP007-042RP and 007-042 at 20-40% lower cost.
CT10, fits the AM10 3 speed circulator
CTR, fits the AMR 3 speed circulator
Better Prices, Better Quality
*Flanges have female threads except for FK75S-M* which has a male thread
Aqua-Max™ APB30 boosts domestic water pressure in residential homes by 30 psi to all fixtures and sprinkler heads. Use it where the city/ town/ well water delivers insufficient pressure. Automatically Starts when water is drawn & stops when demand ends, No Short Cycling increases pressure after water demands ends, Simple Installation plumbs into incoming water line & plugs into 115V wall fixture, Compact Design easy installation.
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How long do you wait for hot water when you turn on the faucet? 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 or 3 minutes, longer? While you wait, a home with 5 taps can waste up to 15,000 gallons of tempered water down the drain. You pay for this potable water, wasted energy and sewage fees.
Install a proven, awarded AquaMotion recirculation system. One system is available for every type of installation, hot water tanks or tankless.
Hot Water Comfort at Every Faucet
Save Time, No More Waiting For Hot Water
Save Hot Water, 12,000 – 15,000 Gallons a Year
Save Energy with Timer, Save on Utility and Sewer Bills
Save More with “ON DEMAND” Systems
Go Green, Help Conserve this Precious Water Resource
Meet local Plumbing Codes
To run the circulator with timer at $0.12 per kw is approx. $3.00, $8.00 for the large pump annually. Our hot water recirculation kits have an approx. one to three year payback depending on the size of the installation.
A pump at the tank or tankless heater, or installed under the sink, forces the lukewarm water from the hot supply line into the cold supply line. If a dedicated return line is used it returns the lukewarm water to the heater.
A sensor/switch (Aquastat) built into the pump or an Aqua-Flash® or ODR Superflow™ By-pass valve transfers the lukewarm water into the cold pipe. The valves maintain average 93° F (34° C) at the sink. The under sink pump starts when temperature drops to 85° F (30° C) and stops when it reaches 104° F (40° C). The pump runs about 3 times an hour for 2 minutes. A built-in 24-hour mechanical timer allows the user to set the time when he wants instant hot water. An ON DEMAND button/motion sensor or app can also activate the system
US Patents, RTM, 9,864,647, D834, 145, 8,083,500, 8,303, 184, 9,328,736, 10,612, 793, 5,501,838, 4,507,949. Canadian Patents 2,883,495 & 2,935,949
Aquamotion SMART™ Variable Speed ECM PumpsLowest Power Consumption
AquaMotionSMART systems operate at 10-33% less power consumption than the leading competitors. Lowest energy consumption means greater savings on energy costs. The Einstein’s unique Night Set Back feature automatically lowers its output at night to conserve energy.
These pumps represent the latest innovation in electronically commutated motors (ECM circulator technology). They use a permanent magnet motor design and variable speed technology to adapt automatically to system demand. Infinitely variable speeds means optimized system performance while drawing the least amount of energy possible.
Lower power consumption than competitor’s results in lower operating cost. The unique night set back feature automatically lowers its output at night to conserve more energy.
Easy single button speed control with LED speed and Watt draw display. Automatic night set back feature saves money while you sleep. Line cord with cord connector for boiler control included.
Replaceable cartridge extends the life of the pump for a fraction of the cost of a new pump. It promotes sustainability in a green environment.
AquaMotion stainless steel circulators are rugged wet motor cartridge circulators for open loop domestic, solar, hot water recirculation and potable water systems. The wet motor design allows super quiet, single stage, in-line, and maintenance-free performance.
Features
AquaMotion’s Stainless Steel Circulators has been designed for Residential and commercial systems such as:
All stainless PSC pumps are covered by 7 US and 2 Canadian Patents for their unique replaceable and flushable cartridge design and the patented long life bearing designs.
All pumps are available with a 10ft line cord. Add “L” to the end of the product number for the line cord version.
Cross Reference Chart
AquaMotion cast iron circulators are rugged wet motor cartridge type circulators designed for closed loop hydronic heating systems, radiant heating, and indirect water heating applications. The wet motor design allows super quiet, single stage, in-line, and maintenance-free performance.
Features
AquaMotion’s Cast Iron Circulators has been designed for Residential and commercial systems such as:
All cast iron and stainless PSC pumps are covered by 7 US and 2 Canadian Patents for their unique replaceable and flushable cartridge design and the patented long life bearing design.
All pumps are available with a line cord. Add “L” to the end of the product number for the line cord version.
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