An IoT-connected sump pump from Ohio-based Wayne tells homeowners its condition, so basement flooding isn’t a worry

Wayne, a Scott Fetzer consumer brand and maker of water management products, has developed and released its IoT intelligent product, the Wayne Basement Guardian Halo smart sump pump. It is said to be 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 Wayne. “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 remodelling, 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 analysing 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.”

Don Williams, vice president of engineering at Scott Fetzer Consumer Brands, added: “The 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. The Basement Guardian Halo then relays data to the IoT controller, which starts or stops the pump.”

Illinois-based Grid Connect makes the IoT controller.

“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. “We built a system from the ground up by analysing customers’ concerns and what would reassure them.”

The Halo has a corrosion-resistant, stainless-steel housing and cast-iron volute. Like most Wayne sump pumps, plumbers and even homeowners can install this pump in about 15 minutes.