Pumps Experts Advise to Prepare Your Home for Busy Hurricane Season

HARRISON, Ohio, June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- With the National Weather Service predicting an "active to extremely active" hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin which kicks off this month, are you ready to defend your home against rising water levels?  Based on what pump manufacturers and hardware retailers have seen lately, the answer is often "no."  

Pump experts at WAYNE Pumps say that preparedness is extremely important in protecting valuables and family heirlooms—even if you're not on the coast.  "The first line of defense in your basement is a high quality, reliable sump pump," said Joe Mauro, President.  "If your sump pump is more than ten years old, you should consider replacing it with better technology," Mauro added.

Mauro said the company also has several new safeguards to add even more layers of protection for your basement.  "Our new, reliable iSwitch technology ensures the pump's switch will kick on when needed, using a microprocessor to sense water levels," he said. "It lasts five times longer than traditional switches, which can corrode and wear out."  He also advises installing a  battery back up system, since power can often go out during a storm.  And, to guard against pump failure, WAYNE Pumps has introduced a wireless alarm that can be heard just about anywhere in the home.  

WAYNE Pumps distributor Cherie Steward and her husband Todd own Steward's Ace Hardware in Clinton, CT.  In March an unprecedented flash flood caused  residents to line up out the door to buy pumps.  She said many were literally caught with their "pants up" as they started bailing water at levels ranging from inches to feet—but then hurried into the store for help.

"They hadn't seen flood waters like this in more than a decade," said Steward.  "Many had sump pits but no pumps or they needed utility pumps to move the water out of their basements."  She said stacks of WAYNE sump pumps and Ace brands were filmed by the local TV news, as they literally flew out the door.  "We had to educate customers on the difference between sump pumps which permanently operate in a sump pit and utility pumps, which are portable and used to remove standing water."

Cherie said one young couple had just sold their home and stored all of their possessions in the husband's parents' basement as they were preparing to close on a new home in a week.  It just happened to be the week of the flood and most of their furniture was ruined.  "That was the saddest story, but really no one knows when disaster will strike."

With a 70% likelihood of the National Weather Center's NOAA division predicting 14 to 23 named storms, 8 – 14 hurricanes (with  3 – 7 being major), officials at WAYNE and Steward's Ace Hardware hope that homeowners will heed the warning and install a sump pump system ahead of time.  For more information about WAYNE Pumps, visit http://www.waynepumps.com.

SOURCE WAYNE Pumps