Summary: According to rural water supply instructor Andy Soccodato, successful burp drafting hinges on four key elements: water in the booster tank, throttling up to 150 PSI, flowing water somewhere in the system, and having an intake valve that allows control of water into the pump. Miss any one of these steps, and the tactic likely fails. This advice, featured in TFT’s Rural Water Supply series, highlights what Soccodato sees as the non-negotiables of this technique.
Burp drafting is a go-to workaround when your primer isn’t doing the job—but according to instructor Andy Soccodato, it’s only going to work if you set the stage right. In the Rural Water Supply series, Soccodato outlines four must-haves for this tactic to be effective. Miss one, and you're likely headed back to square one.
It may sound obvious, but it’s worth stating first: if your booster tank is dry, burp drafting won’t get off the ground. Soccodato stresses this as the foundational piece.
Next up, the pump needs the right pressure. Soccodato recommends throttling up to 150 PSI to give the system enough force to create the needed vacuum conditions.
For the tactic to work, there has to be water moving somewhere—whether it's being circulated internally or flowing through a discharge line. Stagnant systems don't help you build the conditions needed for successful drafting.
Finally, Soccodato emphasizes having an intake valve that allows you to modulate the flow into the pump. Without that control, the whole process becomes guesswork.
If you’re missing any of these four elements and your primer has failed, Soccodato says burp drafting will fall flat. At that point, you're either back to relying on the primer (if it’s functioning) or looking for another workaround altogether.