Basement flooding isn’t a worry
Wayne®, a Scott Fetzer Consumer Brand and leading maker of water management solutions, has developed and released its latest IoT intelligent product, the Wayne Basement Guardian HALO™ smart sump pump. It is the world’s first smart home, Alexa-compatible device to give homeowners real-time control of and information about the operation of their basement sump pump.
“The mantra for our Basement Guardian HALO is connect, monitor and trust,” said Eric Tinnemeyer, president of Scott Fetzer Consumer Brands. “A wet or flooded basement is how the other guys’ pumps tell you something’s wrong. The Basement Guardian HALO sends a text, email, and alert via our free iOS and Android mobile apps when it detects an anomaly in the pump’s operation that needs attention or could cause the pump to fail. With a HALO, homeowners never have to worry about their basement flooding again.”
An embedded IoT controller constantly monitors the pump’s electrical signature for issues and transmits the analysis wirelessly to a homeowner’s Basement Guardian HALO mobile app. The dashboard displays metrics on the sump pump’s frequency and duration of use and tracks its operating history. If there is ever an operating issue the app provides troubleshooting instructions. Using the electrical signature, HALO will give the homeowner advance warning to replace their pump before the pump stops working and a flood occurs.
According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, the average cost to remodel after a basement flood is approximately $40,000. After remodeling, homeowners typically buy a new sump pump, forget about it, and the pump eventually fails again and floods a basement. Or homeowners know the potential for flooding and spend more money than they have to – replacing their sump pump as often as every two years – in fear of the pump failing and their basement flooding.
“No sump pump lasts forever,” said Tinnemeyer. “We’re analyzing the power consumption of the pump to look for indications of when the device is breaking down and notifying the homeowner to replace it far in advance of failure.”
“The Basement Guardian HALO uses a patented Air Switch, instead of a mechanical flow switch, to sense the water level in the sump pump pit by detecting a pressure difference,” added Don Williams, vice president of engineering at Scott Fetzer Consumer Brands. “The Basement Guardian HALO then relays data to the IoT controller, which starts or stops the pump.”
“The consumer research we conducted with Wayne informed our IoT engineering design and gave us a laser-beam focus to design the function and layout of the mobile app,” said Adam Justice, chief executive officer of Grid Connect, Inc., which manufactures the IoT controller. “We built a system from the ground up by analyzing customers’ concerns and what would reassure them.”
Scott Fetzer Consumer Brands manufactures the Wayne Basement Guardian HALO with a corrosion-resistant, stainless-steel housing and cast-iron volute. Like most Wayne sump pumps, plumbers and even homeowners can easily install this pump in about 15 minutes. To purchase the Wayne Basement Guardian HALO, visit Amazon or www.basement-guardian.com.
About Wayne
With more than 70 years in the business, Wayne has become a dominant brand in the water pump industry. We continue to bring market leading innovation to homeowners who need worry-free water management solutions. Wayne offers a full line of basement protection systems, sump, multi-use, sewage, effluent, well, lawn, specialty pumps and systems, and accessories. Learn more at www.waynepumps.com
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