Watts vacuum breaker leaking

[Hamiltonaudio]

I installed a 3/4” watts vacuum breaker after a 3/4” house supply line to feed my irrigation system. It is installed well more than 6” above the highest downstream piping or sprinkler heads, but is about 4” below where the water comes out of the side of the house. My problem is during a test I’ve got lots of water volume but it’s continuously spilling out of the hat of the breaker. It never stops spilling. Is this because the breaker needs to be higher than the supply pipe as well? Breaker was brand new in box.

 

[Breplum]

You'd be best off with a listing of the product number and perhaps a photo.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[John Gayewski]

A vacuum breaker is a 90 with a hole in it. When the supply pressure is higher than the outlet pressure there is a little ball (this can vary) that is pushed up over the hole and keeps water from coming out of it. If the pressure on the outlet side increases above that of the inlet that ball will fall down and cover the inlet which in turn means it cannot plug the hole which looks like a leak but it's doing its job.

Vacuum breakers are made in different ways and don't require a literal ball to cover the hole, but if the outlet pressure is higher than the inlet pressure they will run water and something is wrong. Of course there is also the possibly something is stuck and it just needs "reset" by exercising the mechanisms back and forth

 

[Terry]

The use of a vacuum breaker can be done with irrigation if it's at the "highest" point of the system. You mentioned that you placed it lower.
Any lower and it will leak out at the vacuum breaker once the pressure is off.

If you want to have something lower, then you would go with a reduced pressure backflow preventer.

Reduced Pressure Zone Backflow Preventer: Wilkins​

 

[Reach4]

I installed a 3/4” watts vacuum breaker after a 3/4” house supply line to feed my irrigation system. It is installed well more than 6” above the highest downstream piping or sprinkler heads, but is about 4” below where the water comes out of the side of the house. My problem is during a test I’ve got lots of water volume but it’s continuously spilling out of the hat of the breaker. It never stops spilling. Is this because the breaker needs to be higher than the supply pipe as well? Breaker was brand new in box.

If you have the vacuum breaker installed correctly, I think it is defective.
https://www.watts.com/products/plum...letConnectionSize",Values:["3/4 IN"]}]&Page=0 shows at least some Watts 3/4 inch vacuum breakers.

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Watts-0556031-3-4-LFN36M1-Lead-Free-Water-Service-Vacuum-Relief-Valve

Apparently they make a distinction between vacuum breakers and vacuum relief valves. I don't know why.

 

[Breplum]

The use of a vacuum breaker can be done with irrigation if it's at the "highest" point of the system. You mentioned that you placed it lower.
Any lower and it will leak out at the vacuum breaker once the pressure is off.

If you want to have something lower, then you would go with a reduced pressure backflow preventer.

It is ideal to refer to this with the actual name of "reduced pressure principle"
(RPP to us) backflow preventer so lesser schooled folks think this will actually "reduce" pressure.

 

[John Gayewski]

It is ideal to refer to this with the actual name of "reduced pressure principle"
(RPP to us) backflow preventer so lesser schooled folks think this will actually "reduce" pressure.

Rpz for us (reduced pressure zone)