A peaceful morning turned into a nightmare for a Grand Rapids, Michigan couple when they woke up to the unwelcome surprise of a flooded basement. The culprit? A burst pipe made of blue polybutylene, a material once commonly used for water lines in West Michigan.
This story - reported in a Fox 17 News feature - and a surprising many other like it, illustrate the importance of being prepared for such emergencies. Let’s explore how you can avoid featuring in your own version of one of these stories and ending up on the wrong end of potentially thousands of dollars in damage.
A pump alarm could have likely helped avert this disaster. A pump alarm is a device designed to monitor water levels in areas prone to flooding, such as basements. Consisting of a sensor and an alarm unit, pump alarms alert homeowners of rising water levels, preventing potential flooding. The sensor is placed in the lowest point of the monitored area, where water is most likely to accumulate. When water reaches a certain predetermined level, the sensor triggers the alarm unit, emitting a loud sound or flashing lights to alert homeowners. Some pump alarms may also be able to send notifications to a smartphone, allowing homeowners the ability to monitor their area even when away from home.
A good home insurance policy can help in many ways, but even in these instances no one loves having to pay a likely deductible or experiencing a time-consuming stressor that leaves your home less inhabitable. Especially if these things could be avoided relatively cheaply and easily with a bit of preparation.
While we cannot always prevent emergencies from happening, we can take steps to minimize their impact and prevent them to the best of our ability. Investing in simple devices like pump alarms can provide peace of mind and potentially save thousands of dollars in damage.