Sentinel Performance Solutions: new water softeners and filters

Sentinel Performance Solutions at Interclima-Elec 2017: a wave of innovations for greater comfort and energy savings

Sentinel Performance Solutions is taking advantage of the Interclima-Elec 2017 trade show to unveil numerous innovations. On the programme: an innovative range of compact, high-performance water softeners that operate without electricity, as well as a new, particularly powerful and easy-to-install filter designed to further optimise the performance and longevity of heating circuits. Still focused on performance, Sentinel is also presenting a new formulation of its flagship system cleaner, X800, which is even faster and more effective, in the same spirit as the new Rapid-Dose solutions that the manufacturer is unveiling at Interclima-Elec 2017.

Sumo: compact water softeners that operate without electricity for comfort and savings
Sentinel, in partnership with Kinetico, has just launched its Sumo range on the French market: water softener solutions with particularly compact dimensions that cover all the needs of domestic installations, operate without electricity, and deliver comfort and savings.

In France, 85 % of our fellow citizens live in an area with so-called hard or even very hard water. Limescale-laden water causes problems on several levels: it scales up taps, heating elements and moving parts of household appliances, and also affects the pressure in pipes and equipment. It is also estimated that 1 mm of scale corresponds to 10 % of additional energy consumption for domestic hot water (DHW) production. Hard water also leads to increased use of cleaning products and detergents, and causes significant and more frequent costs for repairing and/or replacing household appliances.

Softened water, on the other hand, offers considerable benefits: softer skin after a shower, sparkling dishes without limescale film, and softer laundry. Softened water also protects pipework and household appliances while optimising their performance, saving energy and extending their service life. Indeed, as heating times are reduced, heating equipment, DHW production systems and household appliances will be more efficient and use less energy.

The Sentinel Sumo range of softeners is intended for all households that want to combine the benefits of softened water with space constraints and performance requirements. Being particularly compact, Sentinel Sumo softeners can easily be installed in the tightest spaces, such as under a sink. Supplied with all accessories, so with no additional costs to anticipate, Sumo softeners are designed for easy and quick installation, thanks to a 3/4'' M connection ensuring optimal connection and flow regardless of the pipe diameter.

Similarly, note that the Bypass ensures simple and intuitive use. Easy and quick to install, Sumo softeners require no programming and no power socket, since they operate without electricity. Indeed, Sentinel has chosen for its Sumo softeners the volumetric upflow counter-current technology. It softens water on demand, with much more precise regenerations, while consuming up to 75 % less salt and 25 % less water than 'timer-based' technology.

Sumo: softeners that generate savings
Sentinel also states that installing a Sumo softener will halve household product purchases (and eliminate them entirely for dishwasher salt), a yearly saving of up to 470 euros! And that is without counting the energy savings on domestic hot water production, which also shows savings of up to 30 % (source: British Water 2014)! These savings have no impact on performance or comfort, since Sentinel Sumo softeners ensure rapid regeneration (in only 11 minutes for Sumo 1), thereby avoiding the long and noisy night-time regenerations of timer-based technology. In its pursuit of optimal performance, Sentinel has designed and integrated a robust base plate on the Sumo softeners, combined with an anti-clogging function to prevent salt crust formation. Finally, in keeping with its commitment to quality and service, Sentinel provides free commissioning of Sumo softeners throughout France with the support of a dedicated team of experts.

Sumo: 4 innovations for performance
It should also be noted that Sentinel Sumo softeners stand out from conventional softener offerings through the combination of four major innovations, genuine guarantees of performance and efficiency. While the high-yield resin selected by Sentinel and Kinetico ensures even more effective water treatment, the intelligent control valve is optimised to promote high flow rates and provide precise control of all operating stages. Operating without electricity or electronics, Sumo softeners accurately measure household water consumption and trigger a regeneration cycle only when necessary, with the benefits of optimal use of the resin between cycles on the one hand and reduced water consumption on the other. Finally, the external hardness adjustment dial allows fine adjustment of water hardness, with the direct result that the resin's full capacity is used between regenerations.

Sumo: guaranteed softness with low running costs
Sentinel Sumo softeners boast particularly attractive running costs. For example, for a household of 4 people in an area with 30 °f TH water, the monthly cost will be less than 5 euros. The large capacity of the salt tank means refilling is needed only every 4 or 5 months (with estimated consumption of 25 kg of salt blocks or tablets per year for this household of 4 people). An investment quickly paid back through savings on repairs and after-sales service for household appliances...

The Eliminator filter range evolves and expands with a new model
With its range of revolutionary Eliminator filters launched in 2014 on the French market, Sentinel offered HVAC professionals high-performance solutions to remove all suspended debris (magnetic and non-magnetic) harmful to the proper operation of central heating systems.

Today Sentinel is staying the course on quality and performance with the announcement of the upcoming release of a new model: the Eliminator Vortex500 filter (on sale from November 2017). Sentinel's aim is to expand its filter range with solutions perfectly suited to medium-sized installations. Eliminator Vortex500 filters will therefore be supplied with 28mm or 1'' valves. This new generation of Sentinel filters, guaranteed for 10 years, installs in just a few minutes and cleans in a few seconds. Thanks to the 360° rotating T-connector, which fits perfectly on all pipework and is fitted with high-quality brass valves, in-line installation is very quick.

Indeed, Sentinel wanted to combine all the qualities that made the Eliminator filter a success with technology that supports the evolution of new high-efficiency boilers. Sentinel has therefore combined magnetic filtration with a unique, innovative concept, VortexCore, ensuring total capture/retention of debris for exceptional protection of the installation.

As with Sentinel Eliminator filters, the Eliminator Vortex500 acts on the speed of the circulating water. The exclusive VortexCore effect slows down the circulating water to improve the magnets' ability to capture magnetic debris in the central part of the tank. This technology makes it possible to adapt to larger installations and a wide range of flow rates, for optimal performance in all installations. Indeed, the Eliminator Vortex500 is designed for installations with a flow rate of up to 50 l/min.

Competitiveness is thus highlighted, together with optimal performance. The leak-proof design of Eliminator Vortex500 filters (500 ml tank capacity) features 9.000 Gauss magnets to filter harmful sludge with no risk of blockage, even when the tank is full.

On the maintenance side, Sentinel once again simplifies operations to the extreme: thanks to the removable ring, the professional can open the tank and view the captured debris, then rinse it with water, without any tools, to ensure optimal cleaning. Otherwise, it takes only a few seconds to remove the magnet and drain the tank via the secure drain valve. Finally, note that Sentinel has equipped the Eliminator Vortex500 with double seals, synonymous with total reliability and, again, easy and quick maintenance.

A new formulation of X800 for even faster and more effective cleaning
Keeping pace with technological developments in HVAC, Sentinel has just developed a new formulation of its flagship system cleaner, X800. Particularly recommended for high-efficiency (condensing) boilers and more sensitive modern installations to ensure exceptional performance, the new Rapid Cleaner X800 further improves the cleaning process. Fully environmentally friendly, as it is approved by the Ministry of Health, and faster, it targets sludge wherever it is found in the system to restore circulation, improve energy efficiency and performance while reducing breakdowns. In addition, its chemical technology provides protection against corrosion during cleaning. While its fast-acting, non-foaming formula is ideal for cleaning carried out with a JetFlush pump, X800 is optimised for hot or cold use. With its reducing and dispersing agents targeting polymers, X800 now claims a minimum circulation time of one hour (versus 2 hours for the previous formulation). Compatible with all synthetic materials, metals and alloys, X800 can be discharged directly into the sewer, as it has proven non-toxicity.

The new Rapid-Dose®: even more compact and fitted with a new applicator
Always a pioneer, Sentinel launched in 2016 a new rapid-injection range (only 30 seconds), promoting optimal efficiency on job sites: Rapid-Dose®. In 2017, still attentive to field feedback, Sentinel is further optimising the concept of these aerosols, which make dosing easier in pressurised systems without the need to drain them. Besides a significant time saving, skipping the draining step also limits all sources of hassle, such as potential mess.

Sentinel has thus made the available formats more compact (300 ml vs 400) and fitted the new Rapid-Dose® with a screw-on applicator (vs bayonet on previous versions). Unlike other offerings on the market, where the applicator and the aerosol must be connected together to the system with no possibility of connecting to the filling loop, this ingenious Sentinel system provides total accessibility, including in the tightest and hardest-to-reach places. Another strong differentiator appreciated by professionals for this Sentinel offering: visual confirmation of injection and self-activation, which lets them keep their hands free.