SmartPlug Instant Hot Water Control from Taco Wins AHR Expo Award
WESTPORT, Conn. – Taco, Inc.’s SmartPlug Instant Hot Water Control was announced as the 2017 AHR Expo Innovation Award Product of the Year at this year’s Innovation Awards ceremony.
The product, which also secured a win in the Innovation Awards’ plumbing category, allows for easy installation onto existing domestic hot water recirculation pump systems, to more efficiently manage on-demand hot water delivery.
Taco’s 115 volt SmartPlug Instant Hot Water Control features technology to learn and record a homeowner’s hot water usage pattern, and employ the resulting data to operate a home’s hot water recirculation pump precisely when hot water is typically required. While hot water recirculation pumps typically run continuously or are controlled with an aquastat or timer, SmartPlug provides fully automatic and self-adjusting pump operation – only when hot water is desired. Usage patterns are monitored and recorded on a daily and weekly basis, with the SmartPlug system regularly refreshing data and adjusting any changes to hot water usage patterns. The result is a significant increase in water heater operational efficiency, promoting a simple yet notable way to save on residential energy costs.
All 2017 AHR Expo Innovation Award winners were selected by a panel of third-party ASHRAE member judges who evaluated each entry based on innovative design, creativity, application, value and market impact.
The complete list of 2017 AHR Expo Innovation Award winners includes:
Building Automation
Company: Danfoss (www.danfoss.us)
Innovation: Danfoss Enterprise Services
Cooling
Company: Daikin Applied (www.daikinapplied.com)
Innovation: Pathfinder® Air-cooled Screw Chillers with Variable Volume Ratio (VVR) Technology
Green Building
Company: Carrier (carrier.com/commercial)
Innovation: Dual Stage Relief Economizer (DSRE)
Heating
Company: Noritz America (www.noritz.com)
Innovation: Noritz CB Combi Boiler
Indoor Air Quality
Company: Nortec Humidity (www.humidity.com)
Innovation: Nortec GS Series – CS Model (Nortec GS CS) Humidifier
Plumbing
Company: Taco, Inc. (www.tacocomfort.com)
Innovation: SmartPlug Instant Hot Water Control
Refrigeration
Company: Danfoss (www.danfoss.us)
Innovation: Danfoss CTM (Electrical Controlled Transcritical Multi Ejector)
Software
Company: Nidec Motor Corporation/U.S. MOTORS (www.usmotors.com)
Innovation: Rescue Select Programming App
Tools & Instruments
Company: PEXOLOGY, Inc. (www.pexgun.com)
Innovation: PEXGUN
Ventilation
Company: Titus (www.titus-hvac.com)
Innovation: Helios Digital Diffuser
All AHR Expo exhibitors are eligible to submit for the annual Innovation Awards competition. Submission guidelines are sent to exhibiting companies approximately six months preceding each show. Products, systems and technologies submitted must be new (launched following the close of the previous year’s show) and planned for display at the upcoming year’s show. In addition to a nominal entry fee, submitting exhibitors are asked to provide a brief (75-word maximum) description of how their product, system or technology excels in the areas of application, innovation, value and market impact.
For more info, visit: ahrexpo.com.
