How to Make a Venturi Primer

When you have to run a pump to keep your basement from flooding in an emergency situation, it is imperative to have a system that will start without hesitation. Created for use in heavy industry and fire services, a venturi primer can be adapted to a home setting to achieve the same result. The primer creates a vacuum to remove exhaust air, move more water, and hopefully avert significant water damage to the lowest level of your home.

Tubing
Tee connector
Hose clamps
Pan or dish
Small air compressor

Instructions

- 1
  Unplug the pump from the electrical source.
- 2
  Find the opening on the pump housing where air is expelled from the unit. Obtain tubing of the appropriate size to fit the hole and secure a piece by inserting it into the housing.
- 3
  Place the tube coming from the pump into the center opening of an appropriately sized tee connector. Use a hose clamp to attach the tube, if necessary.
- 4
  Connect the hose from a small household air compressor to one of the open ends of the tee.
- 5
  Connect a length of tubing to the final open end of the tee and run the tube into a small pan or dish to catch any excess moisture from the compressed air.
- 6
  Plug in and start the air compressor. Set the compressor to run at a very low PSI setting; you can gradually increase it as you observe the pump's function.
- 7
  Restart the pump after restoring electrical service. The venturi primer removes excess air and allows for continued operation.

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