water-less P-trap

[waltervan]

I remember see a post on the forum a while back about a crazy looking drain line on a trane RTU that ended up being a waterless or self priming P-trap. I think someone even posted a PDF on it. I have an account I would like to try it on due to helpers not priming traps.
If any one has any info or could post a link to the thread I am looking for would appreciate it.

[hvac wiz 79]

U mean cost guard? .. If so i mentioned this earlier heres a link. If not, well its crazy looking nonetheless upon first glimpse lol so hopefully guys will see this link before encountering one. its all i see these days mainly

http://www.trenttech.com/product_overview.html

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[waltervan]

Thats the same idea but someone posted a PDF on how to make one I think its as simple as it looks to make but would like to make sure before I try one.
Thanks for the help

[timebuilder]

U mean cost guard? .. If so i mentioned this earlier heres a link. If not, well its crazy looking nonetheless upon first glimpse lol so hopefully guys will see this link before encountering one. its all i see these days mainly

http://www.trenttech.com/product_overview.html

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Never saw one in use, and I don't expect to.

1) Units not designed to accept them/warranty issues

2) Non standard trap will be replaced after the first tech sees it who does not know how it works

3) National service providers will not be repairing them, so they will be replaced

I can probably find more reasons that they will be only used by a few places, in some misguided effort to be more "green."

[mason]

I've seen lots if these traps on walgreens in my area.

[nismo1]

Put a couple of these in a couple years back. P.I.T.A!!!!

[hvac wiz 79]

Never saw one in use, and I don't expect to.

1) Units not designed to accept them/warranty issues

2) Non standard trap will be replaced after the first tech sees it who does not know how it works

3) National service providers will not be repairing them, so they will be replaced

I can probably find more reasons that they will be only used by a few places, in some misguided effort to be more "green."

1. I've seen them on brand new stuff and I'm talking large 10+ unit stores. I'm dying to know if they are accepted

2. Maybe sometimes but not the account i see them at. They are there per corporate and every location with unit replacements has them. These people go to very long lengths to try and save a buck in the long term

3. All i do is national account work. I don't know what to make of them at this time but no approval would be given to a quote to remove these and I'm sure anyone who squeezed in a replacement with traps on an nte would have a bounced invoice with questions being asked.

The accounts i see them at have them in the 100s+ .. These accounts go to some great lengths to save on the long term. I wonder how the folks who design these sold them on this. I'm not consigning this product, just making guys aware they exist. Hell im still pissed at the guys gluing p-traps to fittings on rtus. These are all glued and irk me the same lol

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[timebuilder]

I wish I could agree.

Many national account outfits now use their own techs, and I'm using the word "tech" rather loosely. I'll leave it at that. If you want more info, do a search of this site for my post of several years ago, titled, "Merry Christmas, Joey."

When I say "accepted," I mean by the manufacturer. Most won't want a new hole drilled in their blower compartment, and will not want to be troubleshooting anything but a standard trap with the tech support guys over the phone after a new install.

One corporate site does not make a trend in the industry. It's great you have such a site, but out of the many, many sites I see, not ONE has these devices.

As far as cost, I can put a good, standard trap together for rooftop use that will never break, and as long as the client is willing to pay for a standard spring startup, there will never be an issue. My assembled trap will cost less than 1/20th of this device to make an install. Since the Nat Account people know us, they don't balk at a dollar or two. If they have a no repair policy during a pm, then that's their decision. I'll wait for the service call.

Are these neat? Sure.

Are they worth the extra cost of device and install?

I'd have to say no.

[benny42]

I've seen lots if these traps on walgreens in my area.

Walgreen uses the Cost Gard traps nation-wide. I wondered about them when they began installing them, but they work.
The fittings can clog up beyond able to be cleared, I replaced those with standard traps. I'm no shill for Trent, but the thing
works.

[mason]

Walgreen uses the Cost Gard traps nation-wide. I wondered about them when they began installing them, but they work.
The fittings can clog up beyond able to be cleared, I replaced those with standard traps. I'm no shill for Trent, but the thing
works.

BTW that was just an observation on my part, in fact the first time I went on the roof of one I had the exact response time builder eluded to, what the heck is that! I can only assume it's an attempt to save money, is it supposed to prevent clogs from things building up in the trap?

[dcx516]

walgreens has these installed in alot of their stores. I worked for their HVAC service company for two weeks and i was wondering wtf those things were.

[benny42]

They are less prone to clogs than a standard trap but they will clog up if neglected too long. Fewer leaks, less damaged product below.
That is the idea Walgreen is working with. If the installer didn't put them on, we retrofitted them. I worked for WAGs 14 years, til they
outsourced the department.

[timebuilder]

They are less prone to clogs than a standard trap but they will clog up if neglected too long. Fewer leaks, less damaged product below.
That is the idea Walgreen is working with. If the installer didn't put them on, we retrofitted them. I worked for WAGs 14 years, til they
outsourced the department.

Here's what I think:

Walgreen's is trying to make do with less maintenance. You don't need this device if you are willing to pay for a PROPER AC startup, using qualified people.

Clearly, this is an attempt to "get by with less."

[socotech]

I have seen these on Walgreens in my area too. They do work, but they can also let rain water in if not sealed properly.

[benny42]

Cost Guards don't hold any water in the off cycle. They are less likely to grow slime. Walgreens is very big on preventative maintenance, we had quarterly P.M's & filters on 30 or 60 days (they still do). The chain has enough identical stores we tested
them, with and without. With them, fewer clogs.

[timebuilder]

Cost Guards don't hold any water in the off cycle. They are less likely to grow slime. Walgreens is very big on preventative maintenance, we had quarterly P.M's & filters on 30 or 60 days (they still do). The chain has enough identical stores we tested
them, with and without. With them, fewer clogs.

Once again...

With PROPER maintenance, a water trap will have ZERO clogs.

[benny42]

Sure thing... but they DO clog up. Cost Guards DO work better than wet traps./

[timebuilder]

Sure thing... but they DO clog up. Cost Guards DO work better than wet traps./

No, my point is that properly maintained, water traps will NOT clog up.

The fact is that companies are too cheap to properly maintain their equipment, so now, they want a trap that does not need as much maintenance. Hence, they will miss other things that the tech would find during maintenance visits, costing more money in the long run. They THINK they save money, but they are unaware of the real cost that crops up in things they don't relate to maintenance visits, like a compressor replacement that is needed because some condition went unnoticed, because there was no tech there to see it....

[waltervan]

Once again...

With PROPER maintenance, a water trap will have ZERO clogs.

I agree but the problem I have is an account that once or twice a year someone doing maintenance forgets to prime a trap then I get a middle of the night call due to major water leak

[hvac wiz 79]

To many guys sadly fail to dump and prime traps on pms. Can't tell you how many things get over looked ... I shake my head over it.

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