Pumps

Franklin Electric Co., Inc. is proud to be one of several manufacturers that recently teamed with the Military Makeover™ national television series to provide a military vet, retired Technical Sergeant Kevin Parke, and his family of seven with multiple water systems solutions for their home in Crestview, Florida, in recognition and gratitude for the sacrifices he made for our country. The season five series premier of Designing Spaces^® Military Makeover is initially airing on Lifetime^® Network at 7:00 a.m. ET/PT on February 18, 2016, and then re-airing at the same time and network on February 25, 2016. Episode three of the three-part series, also featuring Franklin Electric, can be seen on Lifetime Network at 7:00 a.m. ET/PT on March 17, 2016, and will re-air at the same time and network on March 24, 2016.

Kevin Parke is a recently retired Air Force veteran where he was an Explosive Ordinance Disposal Technician. During his second deployment in Afghanistan, he specialized in disarming IEDs (improvised explosive devices) to keep our soldiers safe when traveling through the country. In six months, Sergeant Parke and his team disarmed 87 IEDs before they exploded and analyzed another 50-plus IEDs post blast. During this same time, Sergeant Parke was also part of three missions where IED’s detonated underneath his military vehicle, causing multiple back, leg and brain injuries that he, and subsequently, his family, now endure every day. Sergeant Parke is a true hero that put his life in jeopardy to serve our country to the fullest of his abilities.

After learning about a partnership opportunity with Military Makeover, Franklin Electric was thrilled to work directly with the family to identify multiple water solutions inside and outside of the home that have improved their way of life. These solutions included the Inline 400 pressure boosting system to increase water pressure throughout the home when water is being used for multiple needs, a stunning Koi Pond featuring a Little Giant^® pump, skimmer, biological water filter and liner for the Parke’s relaxation pleasure, a Little Giant WRS Series sump pump system attached to a new sink in the garage to help the family clean up before entering the home, a VCMX-20 Series condensate pump to remove condensate created by the new ice maker in the garage, and a beautiful Little Giant Disappearing Fountain outside the front porch that produces the calming sound of flowing water.

“This was a win-win opportunity for Franklin Electric,” said DeLancey Davis, Franklin Electric’s President of its North America Water Systems division. “We had the opportunity to showcase our products, work with a terrific organization and serve a truly worthy family. It also provided our staff the chance to work with professional water systems contractors and get hands-on experience with how our entire offering of cleanwater, wastewater and outdoor living products benefit a local family. We thank Sergeant Parke for his service and wish his family the best with their remodeled home.”

The Lasting Injuries

In 2010, Sergeant Parke was hit by three IEDs in a six-month timeframe, including two that happened within a matter of days. The first two significantly jarred his body and brain, causing at least one concussion. The third explosion threw his 30,000-pound truck 14 feet and slammed his machine gun into the side of his face, causing significant brain damage that still impacts his daily life. Two back surgeries later, and he’s still trying to get his pain under control.

“For long periods of time, I’m just stuck in my room because of pain and sickness issues,” said retired Sergeant Parke. “The invisible injuries are the worst. The pressure from hitting the ceiling of the truck and my machine gun really damaged my brain and has crazy effects on my daily life. I have 17 dead spots on my brain, so my memory is rough. I’ve also had some issues with sickness that caused me to lose 35 pounds in just a couple of months. But, I’m working through it with the help of my family and especially my wife. She’s the true hero here, taking care of both me and our five kids.”

Sergeant Parke retired from the military in March 2015, and Franklin Electric is proud to be part of the team to enhance his life as a retired veteran. He is a recipient of two Purple Hearts, and earned three Air Force Commendation Medals, an Army Commendation Medal, an Air Force Combat Action Medal, an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, two Air Force Good Conduct Medals, one Afghanistan Campaign Medal, one Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border, one Air Force Longevity Service Award, one Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon and many more.

 

Pumping Solutions Improve Quality of Life

While nothing can truly repay retired Sergeant Parke for his service or eliminate his injuries, Franklin Electric’s pumping solutions will help make daily life more enjoyable for the Parke family. These solutions include:

• Inline 400 pressure boosting system: This water pump and motor, in one durable product housing, automatically provides a straight boost of water pressure to the home, when needed. Water can now be used for multiple applications, such as laundry, dishes, and showering, all at the same time without costing the person in the shower the water pressure they desire. During early discussions with the Parke family, it was obvious that water pressure was a problem due in part to their lawn irrigation system. “When the lawn sprinklers run, we get no water pressure in the house,” said Parke. “So, we just stopped running the sprinklers at night to accommodate our schedule.” The Parke’s no longer have to work around this scheduling hassle.
• Koi Pond water feature: Driven by a Little Giant brand pump, skimmer, biological water filter and liner, the installation of this feature was generated initially by Sergeant Parke’s love for Koi Ponds. “I’ve always found them to be incredibly relaxing,” said Parke. “A naval hospital in Maryland had one and I just sat there for hours. It was just awesome. Relaxation is often difficult for me, so I’m excited to sit by one whenever I want now.” Around the Koi Pond, Franklin teamed with Rene West and Executive Landscaping, from Pensacola, Florida, to provide a brick patio, numerous environment-enriching plants and other surrounding foliage that enhances the entire feature.
• Little Giant WRS Series compact water removal system: This system is attached to a new sink in the garage so the family can clean up before entering the house. The WRS system provides flexibility to homeowners to install sinks or other laundry machines in a garage, basement or any other location where gravity drainage is impractical or impossible.
• Little Giant VCMX-20 Series condensate pump: Another manufacturer donated an ice maker for the garage that creates condensate that must be removed. This pump was added to the back of the ice maker to pump away that condensate through existing plumbing.
• Little Giant Disappearing Fountain water feature: This feature provides an aesthetically pleasing feature to the front of the home so the family can sit on the front porch and enjoy the calming sound of water flowing through a stunningly beautiful bowl basin.

Franklin Electric is a manufacturer of complete water pumping systems for residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, and municipal applications. One of its leading brands, Little Giant, is celebrating its 75^th Anniversary as a leading pump manufacturer of plumbing, HVAC, dewatering, utility and other various pumps in 2016. For more information about: Franklin’s cleanwater offering, visit www.franklinwater.com; Franklin’s plumbing and HVAC offering, visit www.littlegiant.com or Franklin’s Outdoor Living offering, visit www.lg-outdoor.com. For more information about Executive Landscaping, visit http://landscapingthegulfcoast.com/. For more information about Designing Spaces’ Military Makeover, visit http://www.militarymakeover.tv/.

 

Offers Lower Current Draw, Higher Energy Efficiency & Improved Performance

Franklin Electric Co., Inc. (NASDAQ: FELE) offers the new Little Giant^® 6EC Series and 10EC Series pumps that provide lower current draw, higher energy efficiency, and improved performance in sump, dewatering, water transfer and light effluent applications. These new units feature cast iron covers and a polypropylene base that includes the stainless plate. Additional models are now available with a durable cast iron base providing increased intake area, reducing intake velocities and clogging potential. The 1/3 hp 6EC Series consumes only 5.0 amps while producing 53 gpm at 5 feet of head and reaching a maximum shut-off of 28 feet. The 1/2 hp 10EC Series touts a full-load rating of only 6.5 amps and produces 67 gpm at 5 feet of head with a maximum shut-off of 36 feet.

A replacement for the 6EN/10EN platform, the 6EC and 10EC Series pumps are designed for continuous duty, feature permanent split capacitor (PSC) motors with thermal overload protection, handle solids up to ½-inch (12.7 mm) in diameter, and have a 140-degrees Fahrenheit (60-degrees Celsius) liquid temperature rating. All 6EC and 10EC Series models include a 2-year warranty and are offered with the reliable Snap-Action Float Switch (SFS) featuring rugged stainless steel switch arms.

2016 marks Little Giant’s 75^th Anniversary as a leading pump manufacturer of plumbing, HVAC, dewatering, utility and other various pumps. For more information, visit www.littlegiant.com.

The Problem

When Chatham University began construction on their new, Eden Hall Campus in Pittsburgh—the first in the world built from the ground up for the study of sustainability—they were looking to minimize energy consumption throughout the campus. “Chatham wanted a design that would slash energy consumption for their ’zero energy‘ project and that would eventually produce more energy than it consumes,” says Larry Larkin, Fluid Handling Sales Manager, Combustion Services and Equipment company. “One large consumer was the pumps that serve the solar collectors, radiant floor heating, soil heating and main heating loop. Additional pumps were targeted for the management of storm and waste water on-site to complement the “zero energy” requirement. The University also wanted a pump system they could monitor for energy consumption, speed and emissions on an ongoing basis.”

The Solution

The suggested solution was Wilo Stratos pumps. Their electronic commutated motor (ECM) reduces energy consumption by up to 80 percent, and includes on-board diagnostic and data logger for monitoring, multiple control modules for integration with building management systems, non-volatile memory for data storage and three time higher starting torque than a standard circulator pump. “The beauty of the Wilo pump system is that the University has the opportunity to adjust the system for energy savings. Chatham can take a historical view of the pumps, not just for speed and consumption, but where energy can be saved and emissions reduced,” Larkin says.

Eden Hall Campus features a mix of energy generation methods that includes photovoltaic panels, solar collectors, low-velocity wind turbines, geothermal and micro-hydroelectric systems. According to Larkin, five new pumps are in operation — successfully serving the solar collectors, radiant floor heating, soil heating and the mail-heating loop.

Challenges

The primary challenge was to help slash energy consumption for this ‘zero energy” project. According to Chatham’s studies, regional buildings use an average of 168 kBTU/sf/yr, and Chatham is targeting 20 kBTU/sf/yr through better construction techniques, highly efficient lighting and the wise use of mechanical equipment, including pumps. Ultimately, the goal is to generate all energy requirements on site.

Initially, standard circulator pumps were in the specification as was purchasing auxiliary equipment like separate field mounted and wired; variable frequency drives. The variable speed drive, along with an advanced and flexible controller, comes standard with Wilo Stratos pumps to reduce the costs of installation.

“To meet the energy-saving challenge we asked: Why not put in pumps with EC motors that have integral on-board diagnostics and a data logger drive that could save cost and energy? We worked with the mechanical and electrical engineer/contractors to solve the problem with pumps that give the University a ’window‘ into the pump performance,” explains Larkin. “They can monitor and save energy, and lower emissions.” The Stratos pumps’ EC motor control eliminates noise pollution caused by excessive flow, is virtually maintenance free, and features a night setback mode when energy consumption is lowest. A 4-year warranty added to the value-added engineering.

In very low temperatures, a water/propylene glycol solution that circulates through the PEX tubing will become more viscous (thick and sticky). The Stratos EC motor delivers very high torque (even at start-up and very low speeds) to “push” the viscous fluid without overloading the motor.

Unlike conventional pumps, the Stratos doesn’t need a balancing valve, which saves energy while reducing installation time and costs.  Instead, it is far more efficient, and better for the pump to reduce the speed.  This is because the radial load on the pump bearings is reduced.  Throttling a balancing valve on the discharge of a pump is like driving your car with the brake and gas pedal both depressed simultaneously.  The Stratos enables you to release the brake and simply give it gas as needed.

Owner Feedback

Chatham University, an internationally recognized leader in sustainability, is more than pleased with the energy-saving performance and adjustability of their Wilo pumps.

The University expects to confront additional challenges throughout their 20-25 year master plan, and energy-efficient pumps will be part the solution. The Eden Hall Campus is the first in the world built from the ground up for the study of sustainable living, learning, and development and using the latest in environmentally responsible technology, design and innovation. Eden Hall continues to be self-sustaining in every way by producing zero carbon emissions and more energy than it consumes. It will one day serve more than 1,500 students and welcomed its first residential students in 2015.

Manufacturer/Model Name and Number

Five Wilo pumps were installed:

Stratos 1.25×3-30 – Heating Loop

Stratos 1.25×3-35 – Radiant Floor Heating

Stratos 1.25×3-35 – Soil Heating

Stratos 1.25×3-35 – Solar Collectors

Stratos 1.25×3-30 – Hot Water Tank System

 

Wilo Stratos Pumps with ECM technology, a powerful onboard variable speed drive and flexible controller, was chosen for Chatham’s new Falk School of Sustainability.

 

Radiant Floor Heating 2 – Wilo Stratos pump supplying hot water for the in-floor radiant heating system.

 

Red Button Operation – One easy to use red button is all that is needed to make all needed adjustments and settings.

 

Soil Heating – Wilo Stratos pump helps maintain the soil temperature so that plants may be grown through-out the year.

 

Solar Collectors – Two banks of solar collectors are used to heat water for the radiant and solar heating systems (shown with covers on).

 

Solar Photovoltaics – A large bank of solar photovoltaic collectors are used to provide power for lighting and pumps.  Electrical consumption reduced by 80% by using Wilo ECM pumps.

 

Wiring, generous connections are used for power and control wiring.