Sometimes it’s not about the hip and new, but the tried and true. For example, what garage doesn’t have a wet vac? Well, it should! My parents’ experience in this week’s New Hampshire floods is a case in point. Last weekend, I was visiting them in Southeastern New Hampshire as the New England deluge raged in full force. On Sunday morning we discovered the basement was taking in water. Fortunately we caught the leak before any significant accumulation could occur, but it was clear as the rains continued unabated that their 9-gallon Ridgid Wet/Dry Vacuum was going to be put to the test. Although not a new product, their Ridgid vac deserves special mention. After locating the crack in the basement wall where water was coming in, my parents started holding the vacuum hose up to the crack to collect the water before it hit the basement floor. That 3.5 horsepower motor did its thing for 36+ hours, sucking up nine gallons of water every nine minutes—without skipping a beat. Sometimes it’s the old favorites that save the day. For now, the rains in NH have let up, and my folks tell me the sun is shining. Their $55 Ridgid Wet/Dry Vac is back in its corner waiting to perform the next task. Granted, it doesn’t turn the lights on or off, steam milk, or alert you that the humidity is high, but it sure does work in a wet basement!
The Ridgid Reputation
