Pentair Foleo unleashes power of IoT to domestic water softening
Internet connected softener brings remote monitoring, peace of mind and cost-efficiencies to home water treatment market
Europe’s leading water treatment manufacturer Pentair further enhances its range this Autumn with the addition of internet connectivity to its flagship softener, the Foleo. From 17 October, the addition of Wi-Fi to the best-in-class Foleo, and its integration with established native Pentair apps, will bring remote monitoring and peace of mind to owners while promising a step-change in maintenance and aftersales for service professionals.
Connectivity is the enabler for smarter, more efficient appliances
Although the Internet of Things (IoT) is relatively new to the water treatment market, Pentair has been quick to recognise the enormous benefits it can offer. The Pentair design team has been busy developing and producing hardware and software for its new softener range ever since. Foleo joins a growing portfolio of Pentair connected softeners, which already include IQsoft, Slimline and Softena, with more to be added.
On the new Foleo Smart Softener, connectivity is delivered through redesigned WI-FI chip and two native apps, the Pentair Home and Pentair Pro apps. For Foleo Smart Softener owners, the Pentair Home app can provide salt level alarms, predictive salt usage, daily peak flow and higher than normal water consumption, all from a phone or tablet anywhere in the world. Owners can also connect their Foleo to an ‘ecosystem’ of Pentair devices that enables homeowners to manage their water inside and out, and supports the Pentair vision to provide smarter, more energy efficient systems.
For dealers and service professionals, product connectivity is already streamlining the management of their installed softener estate and improving their aftersales service delivery. The Pentair Pro app allows permission-based remote monitoring of their customers’ appliances for routine maintenance or remote support where they can diagnose issues or fine tune settings from a remote PC.
IoT is a business enabler too
Björn Verschaeve, Sales Director of Pentair Residential Systems in Europe, sees IoT as a business enabler. “2022 has seen a consolidation of our water softener family into a coherent and comprehensive range of products for every application, capacity, and budget. A big focus in 2022 has been implementation of connectivity to that range and we are delighted to bring that to our premium softener Foleo. For our partner network, IoT brings them closer to their customers by providing tools for remote monitoring, diagnostics, and routine maintenance, through companion portals where they can remotely monitor their installed base. IoT opens doors to increase after-sales, improve customer loyalty and make efficiencies in their businesses.”
Foleo design pedigree
Pentair Foleo was initially launched in 2021 and widely acclaimed as ground-breaking for the domestic softener market. In development, Pentair engineers worked closely with multi-award-winning product designer Roberto Paoli to solve some of the inherent issues found in many current water softeners. The result is a stylish, streamlined, ultra-strong water softener brimming with technological and ergonomic innovation.
All Foleo models feature a large, lower-height salt bin with a one-finger-touch, flip-up lid. This frees both hands to make filling from heavy salt bags much easier, while a unique removable brine tank means routine cleaning and maintenance is a far simpler task. The valve controlling each Foleo is Pentair’s top performer, the Fleck 5800XTR, featuring an intuitive multi-touch screen. With variable brining, using intelligent regeneration, Foleo is shown to reduce salt and water consumption by up to 50% compared to similar products. Foleo is available in four capacities, that suit a range of needs from a single apartment up to a multiple-occupancy home.
About Pentair
Pentair inspires people to move, improve and enjoy life’s essential resources for happier, healthier lives. From residential to business water solutions Pentair delivers smart, sustainable solutions for life. From its European Centres of Excellence, Pentair water treatment systems are 100% designed, manufactured, assembled within this continent. For European customers that means a better security of supply, a guarantee of quality and compliance, and a growing local sales and support network that European businesses can rely upon.
