Heat trap

A heat trap assembly for a hot water heater, the assembly comprising:

• a one-piece insert adapted to be received in an associated pipe or nipple, the insert including a side wall, a seat and at least two fingers, wherein the side wall defines a fluid passage, and wherein the fingers extend from the side wall and are circumferentially spaced from one another;
• and
• a sealing member including an at least substantially spherical portion and a tail portion extending from the at least substantially spherical portion, the sealing member being disposed in the insert and movable between a first position where the sealing member rests against the seat and a second position where the sealing member is retained by the fingers such that fluid travels through the fluid passage and exits the insert around the sealing member via a space defined between the fingers and the associated pipe or nipple.

A heat trap assembly comprising:

• a sealing member;
• and
• an insert configured to be received in an associated pipe or nipple, the insert being a single molded piece comprising a seat and fingers extending away from the seat, the sealing member resting against the seat when no fluid is flowing through the insert and the sealing member being retained by the fingers when fluid travels through the insert, the insert being flexible to allow the sealing member to be inserted into the insert prior to the insert being received in the associated pipe or nipple, the associated pipe or nipple confining the movement of the insert when the insert is received by the associated pipe or nipple to retain the sealing member as water flows through the insert.