Meteorologists from across the state reported that “double or even triple the amounts necessary for catastrophic damage” were present. Nearly two inches—and more in some areas—of solid ice, the result of relentless freezing rain, was wreaking havoc across the southern United States. It was January of 2009, and one of the most prolific winter natural disasters in recent memory was underway—one that would ultimately inspire the creation of a backup well pump system designed to keep families safe and self-reliant when the power goes out.
Branches, power poles, and trees snapped as if under heavy fire from artillery shells. The noise was deafening and didn’t stop until there were no more branches to break. And then it was quiet and dark. There was no electricity as the power grid was in a tangled frozen heap of wires and wood splinters. Hope that the power would be restored in a matter of hours was gone. No, this was worse, far worse. Days passed for entire rural populations of states like Arkansas and Tennessee without power.
When the Power Fails, Water Becomes a Crisis
My family farm was caught up in the midst of the disaster. The farm relied upon a well for water, a well that relied on electricity to power its submersible pump. It’s not fun to endure lengthy periods of time without electricity, but it is manageable. Hearkening back to olden times was perhaps necessary to cook and maneuver around by candlelight. However, when access to water is threatened, circumstances can take a grave turn very quickly.
Two Weeks Without Power and No Access to Water
In the storm of 2009, not only did the ice render the power grid a total wasteland, but there were so many enormous trees and branches down that transportation by anything other than foot simply was not feasible. It took nearly 2 days to carve a path out to a county road from the house with a chainsaw. Meanwhile, the above ground pool offered the only solution for water to wash in or flush toilets. There was no potable water other than the limited supply in a holding tank by the well system, and that was dwindling rapidly.
The experience was eye-opening to say the least. Power wasn’t restored for over 2 solid weeks, and in that time, gallons of water from the store in town were the only option during the winter months. Creeks and ponds were frozen, and melting snow was incredibly inefficient. We knew there must be a solution so that we would never have to face that situation again.
The Birth of Flojak: A Better Backup Well Pump
It was from that storm and the ensuing disaster that Flojak was born. We knew that no family should have to face a world without access to water, especially when fresh water was so close in the form of a well. Without a way to get to it efficiently, though, it may as well have been on the other side of the world. Can one prepare for a day or two with water storage? Certainly. But what about a week? Or two? Or more? At some point in time, there simply isn’t a good storage solution. Renewable water must be accessed.
Water Access with a Simple, Affordable, and Reliable Manual Well Pump
The mechanism for Flojak is simple. Well pumps of this style have been around for a long time, but were mostly available either:
- in the form of a DIY system consisting of miscellaneous plumbing parts and crafty skills,
- or unaffordable systems that were cloaked behind a mystery of questions.
We set out to utilize a known mechanism and design a kit that could be installed by just about anyone, at a low cost, and placed into nearly any well. We wanted our backup well pump to be for everyone who needed some security when life threw a curveball.
Made of readily available high quality PVC, engineered valving systems, and stainless steel above-the-ground components, our system became the lowest cost commercially available backup hand well pump on the market. We launched in 2011 and began manufacturing everything in house and then packaging and shipping those kits directly to the homes of our customers. We decided that we wanted to remove barriers to entry so we made sure that customers could understand what system they needed, and then purchase it on our ecommerce website, 24 hours a day.
From One Family’s Crisis to Thousands of Prepared Homes
We also knew that service was important, and to a lot of our customers, their well is a little mysterious. We built a great team of trusted customer service members who could answer common questions and help ease the minds of our customers.
Today, we’ve grown to over several different systems and accessories, and are constantly innovating better versions and completely new products. We remember our days of being caught in the ice without water, and we allow those lessons to keep us centered around the needs of our customers. We allow the story of our origin to keep us committed to delivering peace of mind in a box, every time. Today, thousands of homes across the country have chosen to invest in a Flojak backup well pump system to provide water and peace of mind.