This has absolutely become one of the most valuable assets that I own. I rarely write reviews. But I’ll happily do one here.  I did a lot of research on sump pump monitoring systems, from aftermarket add-ons to built-in systems offered by sump pump manufacturers.  I couldn’t find anything that compares to this Impluvium device.  Other systems use a sensor that floats when water gets high enough. Or several sensors.  Some of the better ones monitor how often the pump draws electricity.  Some monitor your backup battery.

 

Impluvium is different. It tracks and monitors the water level - all the time.  To the millimeter. It sees the water level rising and falling, instantly.  That means it can measure how fast water is coming in, and how long the pump takes to pump it out.  And then it tracks that information, and graphs it, and lets you create alerts for your cell phone and email.  Here’s what it can give you with that information:

 

(1) Whether the water level is falling unusually slowly during pumping. That’s a warning the pump is failing and it’s time to think about arranging for a replacement.

(2) Whether water level is rising unusually quickly in between pumping cycles. That could be a warning about a foundation issue, or that heavy rains may be about to overwhelm your pump.

(3) Whether the water level in the sump is dangerously high and starting to approach overflowing.

(4) If room temperature is dangerously low (freezing) or high (pump overheating)

(5) Whether there has been a power failure (the Impluvium device has its own internal, rechargeable battery backup – if you have arranged for battery backup on your Wi-Fi system, the Impluvium device will be able to email you an alert about the power failure at the time when you need it most – when the power is still off.  Not when the power comes back on and the house is already flooded).

(6) If your sump pump has a battery backup, it will tell you about its charging status(I haven’t used this feature yet, so I can’t say any more about it).

 

I installed an Impluvium unit my cottage, where I previously just had a flood detector sitting on the floor.  It took me less than an hour to install and right away, I could see the water level in the sump using my phone, and how often the pumping cycles were occurring.  For the first time in years, I walked away with peace of mind. Instead of a flood detector that alerts me after a flood has occurred, I have a device that is more likely to give me an idea, maybe days ahead of time, that a problem is developing.

 

I know this review sounds like a sales pitch. But I don’t work for the company.  This thing has given me so much peace of mind that I’m very motivated to tell people about it – I’ve been showing my phone screen to everyone in my office, with it’s real-time readout of water level and how many cycles are being pumped per hour.  I’ve also shown the device itself to three plumbers, all of whom have been impressed and said things like “this is excellent, we’ve got to get some of our clients onto this.” Plus the customer service was excellent and personal. I can’t say enough.  And when I finally sell the property, potential purchasers (who are sometimes nervous about buying a home with a sump pump) are going to get copies of my Impluvium graphs, showing that they’re buying predictability, with a track record, not some uncertain risk.

 

My own motivation for technology like this comes from having been through a flood myself.  My cheapest expenses were a few thousand dollars in dumpster rentals and $6,500 in dehumidifying and air filtering equipment to combat mold after the flood. My most costly expense was rebuilding the basement - and enormous amounts of my time and time off work.  I am never, ever going through that again.  This Impluvium device was my first step in protecting myself.  It was a little more costly than some of the competitors but the features and protection are off the scale. The cost of the entire system was less than what I might have paid a flood cleanup crew for an hour. If you can crouch down and attach this to your sump and configure the app on your phone, get this.  If you’re older and have to get a plumber to go down to the basement to install this and setup your phone, get this.  It’s your best shot at saving yourself from what I went through when my basement flooded.  I’ve come to see it as some of the best money I have ever spent.