Do you need a trap primer for your floor drain?
According to California Plumbing Code, Section 1007.0
“Floor drain or similar traps directly connected to the drainage system and subject to infrequent use shall be protected with a trap seal primer, except where not deemed necessary for safety or sanitation by the authority having jurisdiction. Trap scene primer shall be accessible for maintenance.”
Here the key phrase is “deemed necessary by the authority having jurisdiction.” Most of the plan checkers will insist on having a trap seal primer when the floor drain is inside a building and especially in a small space, but a floor drain by an outside chiller pad is a different story. Out in open, loss of the water trap through evaporation is not a big concern, and using a trap primer to constantly drip water into the trap is a waste of water.
