What device helps keep the pump primed by preventing backflow in the suction line?

What device helps keep the pump primed by preventing backflow in the suction line?

• A. Ball valve
• B. Check valve
• C. Foot valve
• D. Gate valve

Answer: (C)

Keeping the suction line filled so the pump can start without re-priming is the key idea. A foot valve does this by acting as a check valve placed at the end of the suction line. It opens to allow water to be drawn into the line when the pump runs, and then closes when the pump stops to prevent water from flowing back down the line. That backflow prevention preserves the prime, so the next start is quick and smooth. Many foot valves include a screen to keep debris from entering the pump. Ball valves and gate valves are general on/off or isolation valves and aren’t specifically designed to maintain prime in the suction line. A generic check valve stops backflow but isn’t typically installed at the very end of the suction line in the way a foot valve is.

Keeping the suction line filled so the pump can start without re-priming is the key idea. A foot valve does this by acting as a check valve placed at the end of the suction line. It opens to allow water to be drawn into the line when the pump runs, and then closes when the pump stops to prevent water from flowing back down the line. That backflow prevention preserves the prime, so the next start is quick and smooth. Many foot valves include a screen to keep debris from entering the pump.

Ball valves and gate valves are general on/off or isolation valves and aren’t specifically designed to maintain prime in the suction line. A generic check valve stops backflow but isn’t typically installed at the very end of the suction line in the way a foot valve is.