


Trap primers are used in plumbing systems to prevent floor drain traps from losing their water seal by evaporation. Maintaining the water
seal will prevent the backflow of sewer gas into the buildings or rooms where the traps are installed.
A trap primer is a device that causes a small amount of water to drain to the trap via piping from the trap primer. For a water-supply-fed type trap primer, this happens automatically, based upon a water pressure drop when there is flow within the potable water piping system, such as using a sink faucet, flushing a toilet, etc.
Another type of trap primer can flow water from the potable water system to multiple floor drains/traps. This type of trap primer consists of an automatic timer, electric solenoid valve, vacuum breaker, and a piping manifold with valved outlets, which are each piped to a floor drain trap.
Plumbing codes require that trap primers be provided for “emergency” floor drains and other traps subject to evaporation. An example of an “emergency” floor drain is one in a toilet room. Trap primers must conform to ASSE 1018 or ASSE 1044 standards – ASSE stands for the American Society of Sanitary Engineering.
More recent plumbing codes have added a trap seal protection device as another method to protect the trap seal against evaporation. A barrier-type floor drain trap seal device can be installed in floor drains. It is an elastomeric type check valve/flapper that opens to allow water to flow and closes in a no-flow condition to prevent trap seal evaporation. This type of device must conform to ASSE 1072, and may be used in both new and existing floor drains.
If you have noticed a not-so-pleasant odor in spaces where there are floor drains, check to make sure you don’t have a dry trap and do have a functioning trap primer.
Types Of TRAP PRIMERS
AUTOMATIC TRAP PRIMER VALVES – 1/2″ INLET/OUTLET – PRESSURE DROP TYPE
System operating range is 20 psi minimum to 80 psi (138 to 552 kpa) maximum.
- FLUSH VALVE PRIMER
- WALKER CLOSET PRIMER
- TAIL PIECE TRAP PRIMER
- PRIME-PRO TRAP PRIMER
- MINI-PRIME™ ELECTRONIC TRAP PRIMER – 1/2” INLET – (USE WITH DISTRIBUTION UNITS, SOLD SEPARATELY)
- PRIME-TIME™ ELECTRONIC TRAP PRIMER SURFACE MOUNT – 3/4” FNPT INLET & 1/2” OR 5/8” COMP. OUTLET (NEMA TYPE 1 CABINET)
- PRIME-TIME™ ELECTRONIC TRAP PRIMER FLUSH MOUNT – 3/4” FNPT INLET & 1/2” OR 5/8” COMP. OUTLET
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SOLO-PRIME™/SMART-PRIME™ ELECTRONIC TRAP PRIMER – 1/2” NPT INLET
PRO-DRAIN™ TRAP SEAL INSERT