Safe Agua Colombia: Calientamigos

An Affordable Solution for Access to Clean Water

Calientamigos is comprised of three modular components: a portable electric water heater, a foot pump that pressurizes the warm water, and a multi-purpose faucet head. This design is flexible enough to work with any container found around the home. It heats water more quickly and at a lower cost than existing methods, making it more affordable and accessible than other market options. Calientamigos helps kids stay clean and healthy for school and frees their families from the time and energy spent inefficiently heating water.

The materials used in the production of Calientamigos include ABS, nylon tubing, and polyethylene. The production method focuses on minimizing costs and breakage. The Corazon pump, Gota faucet head, and Bomba submersible water heater are designed for manufacture with minimal tooling. The products are stripped down to the essentials, saving money on tooling and making repair easier. The Corazon pump and Gota faucet head are made of injection-molded ABS, while the Bomba's protective shell is made of four identical injection-molded pieces that lock together. The core where water passes through is made of rotational molded HDPE.

The dimensions of the Calientamigos system are as follows: Bomba - 6”x6”x7”, Corazon - 8”x4”x4”, Gota - 3.25”x3.25”x5”. The total weight of the system is approximately 2 lbs (without tubing).

An efficient way to heat and pressurize water, Calientamigos provides needed hygiene, comfort, and dignity for the nearly 2.5 billion people around the world living without adequate sanitation and hygiene. The business model allows for local assembly in conjunction with an NGO or licensing to a manufacturer for more efficient production with distribution by local entrepreneurs. The target market price for the entire system is $25, payable in low-cost increments for each module, making it accessible to families living on $4-10/day. Calientamigos supports healthy hygiene practices to reduce the incidence of illness.

The Calientamigos project started in August 2013 in Bogota, Colombia, and was completed in December of the same year in Pasadena, CA. It was developed from a 2-week co-creation field research trip in Colombia, focusing on design goals that would allow for the co-creation of affordable products and systems with Base of the Pyramid families. The design team placed emphasis on addressing specific problems and producing solutions at various scales.

Calientamigos faced social and technical challenges. The social challenge was to create a scalable and affordable solution to improve the lives of families in Altos del Pino and the millions of people who lack access to adequate sanitation and hygiene. The technical challenge was to create an affordable, safe, efficient, flexible, and durable way to heat and pressurize water.

Calientamigos allows impoverished families living without hot running water to heat and pressurize water for bathing, cooking, and cleaning. It is a versatile system that addresses the needs of families in underserved communities. The design team, consisting of Tianyi Sun, Della Tosin, and Kevin Chang, partnered with TECHO Colombia, Socialab, and Compartamos Con Colombia to bring this innovative solution to life.

Image Credits: Stephen Swintek

Awards and Accolades: Calientamigos was awarded the Silver A' Design Award in 2014. This award recognizes designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation, showcasing a remarkable level of excellence and introducing positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.