What are these on the side of a vacuum breaker?
 

I have this vacuum breaker on my sprinkler system. What are the 2
small valves on the side for? Can you hook up an air hose to it to
blow it out?
Also do I have to remove the guts during winter?


http://www.cjjstore.com/store/images...reakoutmed.gif

What are these on the side of a vacuum breaker?
 

On Nov 2, 9:58*am, Mikepier wrote:
I have this vacuum breaker on my sprinkler system. What are the 2
small valves on the side for? Can you hook up an air hose to it to
blow it out?
Also do I have to remove the guts during winter?

http://www.cjjstore.com/store/images...reakoutmed.gif

Mike-

I had a similar device, actually a Zurn backflow preventor, on my
house

(well that was before my caretaker failed to blow it out for the
winter & insulate it....the unit froze & the housing cracked)

I'm pretty sure those little bleed / air inlet valves are for field
testing the units operation.
I would suggest tracking down the mfr's installation guide & the maint
guide

I "suppose" you could use those ports to blow out the water but I'd be
concerned about damaging the guts.

Since you got the unit with unions how about just pulling it out for
the winter?

Or install a Tee in the supply line somewhere near the valve that
shuts off the supply water to the sprinkler system.
At the Tee place a ball valve with an air hose type quick disconnect
for future line purging.

That's what I did, instead of having to remove a cap or plug and
install a male q/d (& then reverse the process) every year....yeah, it
was a bit of work but now the blow out process takes a few minutes & I
have now connections to break and make.


Cheers
Bob

What are these on the side of a vacuum breaker?
 

those are the test ports used to make sure the valve does what it's supposed
to do.

s


"Mikepier" wrote in message
...
I have this vacuum breaker on my sprinkler system. What are the 2
small valves on the side for? Can you hook up an air hose to it to
blow it out?
Also do I have to remove the guts during winter?


http://www.cjjstore.com/store/images...reakoutmed.gif

What are these on the side of a vacuum breaker?
 

Backflow Preventer Test Kit - $489.00
http://www.backflowgage.com/catalog.0.html



"Mikepier" wrote in message
I have this vacuum breaker on my sprinkler system. What are the 2
small valves on the side for? Can you hook up an air hose to it to
blow it out?
Also do I have to remove the guts during winter?


http://www.cjjstore.com/store/images...reakoutmed.gif