Protecting the UK's Water Assets

💧 Why motor load monitoring matters in the UK water sector

The UK water industry relies on thousands of pumps, blowers and motors running 24/7 to keep clean water flowing and wastewater safely treated. When a pump runs dry, becomes ragged, or operates continuously in overload, the result can be higher energy bills, unexpected downtime, costly repairs and even environmental incidents.

Unipower motor load monitors and transducers provide a simple, proven way to protect these critical assets by measuring true motor load rather than relying only on current or simple overload relays.

Traditional protection (such as basic thermal overloads) only reacts when a fault has already become serious. In the water and wastewater environment, problems often start long before a trip occurs. Typical issues include:

• Dry running when a pump loses its prime or a wet well runs empty.
• Ragging and blockage caused by wipes, rags and debris building up on the impeller.
• Overload and jamming on sludge pumps, macerators and screw conveyors.
• Underload conditions such as pipe bursts, leaks or air entrainment.
• Inefficient operation leading to excessive energy consumption and reduced asset life.

By monitoring the true power drawn by the motor shaft, Unipower devices detect these conditions early and give operators time to act before damage occurs.

⚙️ How Unipower motor load monitors work

Unipower load monitors, such as the HPL500 and HPL110, measure the real power drawn by the motor. This gives a far more accurate indication of mechanical load than current alone. The result is:

• Reliable trip levels that track actual shaft load, even when supply voltage fluctuates.
• Early warning of faults, including dry running, ragging and partial blockages.
• Protection across the full speed range, including VFD driven applications.

For systems that need an analogue signal, Unipower load transducers such as the APM10 convert motor load into a standard output for SCADA, PLC or data logging.

🏭 Typical water and wastewater applications

Unipower devices are used across the UK water industry wherever motors drive critical processes, including:

• Raw water and clean water pumps.
• Wastewater and sewage pumps in wet wells and lift stations.
• Sludge transfer and digester feed pumps.
• Blowers for aeration and odour control.
• Screw conveyors and screenings handling equipment.

In each of these applications, accurate motor load monitoring helps reduce unplanned downtime, cut energy use and extend asset life.

🌍 Reducing environmental risk and operational cost

Unplanned failures in the water and wastewater network can lead to:

• Increased risk of effluent discharge incidents.
• Higher maintenance costs and emergency call-outs.
• Lost compliance with tightening environmental and regulatory standards.

By continuously monitoring motor load, Unipower products provide early indication of developing problems. This helps operators plan maintenance, reduce the risk of pollution and maintain a more resilient network of assets.

🔌 Integrating Unipower with modern control systems

Unipower load monitors and transducers are easy to integrate into existing control panels and telemetry systems:

• Compact DIN rail mounting for simple retrofit into control panels.
• Relay outputs for alarm and trip functions.
• Analogue outputs (from transducer models) for SCADA and PLC integration.
• Modbus RTU communication on the HPL500MB for direct connection to PLC, HMI and SCADA systems.
• Suitable for use with both direct-on-line and VFD driven motors.

With the HPL500MB, engineers can read motor load and status directly over Modbus, reducing wiring, avoiding separate transducers and making Unipower a practical choice for both new plant designs and upgrade projects across the UK water industry.

🏢 Why specify Unipower from Charter Controls

Unipower (UK) Ltd, trading as Charter Controls, is the UK specialist for Unipower motor load monitoring solutions. Working closely with OEMs, panel builders and water companies, Charter Controls provides:

• Product selection support based on real application conditions.
• Panel-level advice for integrating monitors and transducers.
• Reliable stock and delivery across the UK.

To learn more about Unipower and the full range of motor load monitoring products, visit our Unipower brand page: Unipower at Charter Controls.

📞 Next steps

If you are responsible for pumps, blowers or other rotating equipment in the UK water and wastewater sector and would like to improve protection, reduce unexpected failures and cut energy use, our team can help you select the right Unipower solution.

Contact us today via the Charter Controls website: Contact Charter Controls.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How do Unipower load monitors protect water pumps?

Unipower load monitors measure the real power drawn by the motor shaft. By comparing this to preset limits, they can detect dry running, ragging, blockages and overload conditions early and trip or alarm before serious damage occurs.

What is the difference between a load monitor and a load transducer?

A load monitor provides relay outputs for alarm and trip functions based on motor load. A load transducer provides a proportional analogue output signal that can be fed into a PLC, SCADA or monitoring system for trending and advanced control.

Are Unipower products suitable for VFD driven motors?

Yes. Because Unipower devices measure true power rather than just current, they can protect motors driven by variable frequency drives across the full speed range.

Where are Unipower load monitors used in the UK water sector?

They are widely used on clean water and wastewater pumps, sludge pumps, aeration blowers, macerators, screw conveyors and other rotating equipment where early fault detection and asset protection are critical.

Who supplies Unipower products in the UK?

Unipower (UK) Ltd, trading as Charter Controls, supplies Unipower motor load monitors and transducers to OEMs, panel builders and water companies across the UK. For advice and availability, please contact Charter Controls.