a kit with several modules that is easy to install

When they are poorly given, it is time to tighten our belts. And we’re not just talking about everyone’s individual situation, but the environmental crises that are starting to arise without interruption. One of the biggest problems in Spain concerns persistent drought and risk of desertificationand that is why there are different initiatives to save water, especially in agriculture, with advances that range from the system that saves up to 70% of irrigation water to sensors that detect the humidity of the ground with very high precision.

For some time now, devices that provide great savings in homes and businesses have also been appearing on the Spanish market. One of the oldest and one of those that has invested the most in innovation is Waisense, a company from Malaga that holds patents for an invention designed to avoid wasting cold water which happens every time you want to use hot water.

This is an affordable modular kit, easy to install without work, which saves between 6 and 25 liters of water with each usewhich means reducing up to 52% of expenses on the water bill. Eduardo Dueñas, founder and CEO of the company, explains to EL ESPAÑOL – Omicrono that the only requirement is to have an individual water heater, of any type. “Waisense can route water from the water heater to the bathroom or kitchen and will notify you when it is available, so at that time they will turn on the tap and hot water will come out automatically. ”

Origin of the invention

It all started more than ten years ago, when Dueñas, an engineer by training at the University of Malaga, began to consider the possibility of founding a technology company that could have a positive and lasting impact on the environment. “I had already finished my studies and I was working in a nanotechnology company on R&D issues. I was much more focused on the technical part, which left me little room for creativity and the commercial or team management”.

So, with three other colleagues from the University of Malaga, he founded Métrica6, and they quickly found the goal they were looking for thanks to a question with no apparent answer: “How is it that, with the evolution energy efficiency, materials, solar panels, aerothermal energy… Plumbing installations remain virtually the same as 50 years ago?

As at that time there was no product that effectively solved the problem of wasting water when it takes a while to heat, Dueñas began working on what he initially called Ness: a modular system that allowed to warn the water heater to start working before opening the tap, to heat it instantly and without losing a drop of water along the way.

“We started marketing it ourselves, but from 2018 we did it through Presto Ibérica, a Spanish multinational faucet manufacturing company. That’s when bigger clients started coming in, including developers, real estate companies, etc. The pandemic was a hard setback, but Dueñas did not give up and took advantage of the break to continue improving technology, which It is now marketed under the name Waisense, with patents in Europe and several South American countries..

How it works

The first thing to understand about Waisense is that it does not heat the water, but it takes the cold water that usually goes down the drain while you wait for it to come out hot in the water system. water circulation. To do this, the kit has three fundamental elements: an activator, similar to a light switchthe bypass module, which is the one that allows the recirculation of the water, and the power module, which is the one that is installed next to the water heater and which is responsible for pumping the water through the pipes.

When you touch the activator, it wirelessly “informs” the system that it should start heating the water. After a few seconds, Its blue light turns red, which indicates that if you turn on the tap, hot water will come out. immediately.

“The user is the one who always decides when to use water, the system will never automatically start consumption“, explains Dueñas. “In addition, the system never cuts off the water and allows you to open the tap at any time. If you don’t wait for it to warn you, you will interrupt the cycle, but nothing happens, you will only speed up the process so that the hot water reaches you more quickly.”

The difference from other recirculation systems is that it is not necessary to carry out any work, it is enough to have basic knowledge of plumbing and electricity. “It is as simple or as difficult to install as changing a faucet. If you are a person used to doing this type of operation at home, it is something very simple, This can be done in less than an hour and with a wrench and screwdriver as the only tools“In addition, the company provides the customer with resources such as video tutorials or remote assistance in case of questions or problems.

However, the company can also take care of the process. “If you decide for any reason that we install it, We have a network of approved installers that we train“says Dueñas. “The advantage in this case is that in addition to the product warranty, we also offer the installation warranty.”

To make it even easier to operate, Waisense has worked in recent years on Connect devices via app, now available on Android and iOSwhich allows you to check “how your behavior influences water savings”. From the app, the user can start the cycle without having to press the activator and access information on water consumption and system operation at any time.

“You can ask the water to start heating from your cell phone and even Plan routines to, for example, start preparing for the shower five minutes before your alarm rings. The application has different tools, intended to generate responsible consumption trends.”

Being a modular solution, it can be adapted to different uses and configurations, but The basic kit for a house of around 90 square meters would cost around 600 euros, installation included. However, there is no limit on the size and number of devices. “For example, we are currently building a house with five bathrooms and three floors. There the budget can reach around 3,000 or 3,500 with the product installed.”

Finally, Dueñas does not exclude the use of Waisense in homes and buildings with community boilersalthough it indicates that the budget and manner of installing the product in these cases depends on each project and “it will most likely be necessary to add an installation project and partially modify the plumbing installation.”