Engineers at Grid Connect Inc. have added the world’s first internet-connected, Alexa-compatible sump pump to their portfolio of legacy industrial equipment that have become IoT machines. The Wayne Basement Guardian HALO has been designed to predict failure in time for a customer to react before a basement flood occurs.
“Speed to market was why we called on Grid Connect to be our IoT development team and manufacturing partner,” said Eric Tinnemeyer, president of Scott Fetzer Consumer Brands, which owns Wayne. “We needed a partner who could work with us for a successful market-launch from idea to consumer research to store shelves in less than a year.”
Grid Connect App to Monitor Health of Sump Pump
Homeowners can keep tabs on their sump pump via a mobile app developed by the Grid Connect team.
A dashboard shows the pump’s operating history, activity, and conditions like the water level inside the sump pit and maintenance issues that could cause the pump to fail. Over time, every sump pump’s electrical insulation and seals break down, causing the pump to stop working. With the Grid Connect technology in the Basement Guardian HALO, homeowners see alerts in advance of trouble.
Predicting Problems Before They Happen
Since Grid Connect’s IoT controller constantly analyzes electrical signatures from the pump’s components and predicts problems, homeowners know to replace the pump before a problem happens.
“The combined project team was able to incorporate Grid Connect’s smart power-sensing technology to build intelligence around our patented Air Switch, detect leakage current, and monitor starting capacitor inrush current,” explained Don Williams, vice president of engineering at Scott Fetzer Consumer Brands. “All of this intelligent design enables homeowners to monitor our sump pumps, so they can avoid having a flooded basement.”
Research shows the Basement Guardian HALO appeals to customers who buy IoT-enabled sump pumps because they fear a basement flood, for smart-home technology enthusiasts, and for data-hungry customers.
“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. “We built a system from the ground up by analyzing customers’ concerns and what would reassure them.”
Homeowners can purchase the Wayne Basement Guardian HALO by visiting: Amazon or https://basement-guardian.com/products/halo1.
