Specification · 4 min read
Self-priming versus boost-only on 24 V RO
If the tank sits above the pump, boost-only will stall on first fill. If it sits below, you may be paying for a prime you never use.
Self-priming is not a premium badge. It is a hydraulic requirement. Countertop and some under-sink layouts put the raw-water tank above the head; the pump has to pull a dry line. Cabinet systems with pressurized feed often only need boost.
A simple check
- — Tank or unpressurized feed above the pump → specify self-priming 502
- — Municipal or booster-fed inlet with flooded suction → boost-only is enough
- — Tea-bar / coffee second loop → micro transfer (801/802/901 or 38M), not a second RO head
The 502 compact platform can do both jobs in one family so you do not retool the chassis when a SKU flips from tank to tankless. We still need you to say which duty you are shipping this quarter.
Next step
502 Compact Booster / Self-priming