BREATHER 1 · AUTOMATIC SVRS
Breather I automatic safety vacuum release system
SVRS-10, SVRS-11, SVRS-10ADJ and SVRS-11ADJ: automatic reset, Center or Offset port, for suction lift or submerged suction installations.
Where a single main drain goes wrong
On a pool or spa with a single main drain, the pump pulls its water through one suction outlet. If a body, a limb, hair or a loose strap covers that outlet, the pump keeps pulling and vacuum climbs in the suction line. The centrifugal pumps normally fitted to pools, spas and hot tubs create high vacuum at the pump inlet port the moment anything blocks the suction side, and that vacuum is what holds a swimmer against the drain.
Breather I answers it with a valve mounted on the pump itself. This is the automatic reset line: SVRS-10 with a Center port, SVRS-11 with an Offset port, and the adjustable SVRS-10ADJ (Center) and SVRS-11ADJ (Offset). Each is catalogued for suction lift or submerged suction installations, so it is not limited to suction lift plumbing the way Breather 2 is.
Vacless is plain about the limit. A Breather is a layer of certified protection and must be used with an approved anti-entrapment drain cover. Nothing replaces parental supervision.
Breather valve and vacuum gauge threaded into the drain port of a white pump housing
The seal disc lifts, the pump gasps, the valve resets
Inside is an orthogonal seal system: a rubber o-ring mounted on a moving disc, set to perform dual face and radial sealing. The face sealing blocks atmospheric air from entering the pump during normal operation. When an entrapment lifts the vacuum in the pump pot, the differential pressure across the seal lets atmospheric air push the disc, compressing a spring, until the o-ring crosses grooves that let air rapidly fill the pot.
The pump loses prime and the hold on the drain lets go. The whole travel of the seal takes place within milliseconds, and once the entrapment is freed the seal springs back to its normal operating position by itself, ready for the pump to re-prime. That is the difference from Breather 2, which stays open until someone pulls its release chain.
The ADJ models adjust themselves to an existing pool piping configuration and filtration system, giving suction relief for unusual applications, and are compliance tested up to 200 feet. The proprietary seal design compensates pneumatically for variations in the pool system on pumps from 0.5 to 10.0 horsepower. The same seal action works as a surge suppressor at every pump start-up.
Hand-threaded into the drain plug port
No tools required. Remove the existing drain plug on the suction side of the pump and hand screw the Breather valve in its place. Vacless puts the job at less than 5 minutes. Choose Center or Offset to suit the pump: SVRS-10 and SVRS-10ADJ are Center, SVRS-11 and SVRS-11ADJ are Offset.
Register the unit afterward. The warranty registration takes the installer's name, the customer's name, the commissioning date and the site address, and can be completed online, by fax to 818-701-6206, or by mail to 8469 Canoga Ave, Canoga Park, CA 91304. Every Breather I model carries a 3 year warranty.
For winter, the valve doubles as a drain winterization device: remove it until all of the water in the pump has fully drained, then thread it back in. Tech support at (818) 701-6204 can help match a model to a pump.
Every Breather I model meets the requirements of ANSI / ASME A112.19.17, is designed for 0.5 to 10.0 horsepower pumps and carries a 3 year warranty. Tech support (818) 701-6204, Canoga Park, CA.
Four Breather I models
SVRS-10, 11, 10ADJ and 11ADJ side by side
Automatic reset with a center or offset port, for the suction lift or submerged suction installations. Every version carries a 3 year warranty.
| Model | Type | Port | Reset | Install | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SVRS-10 | Automatic Standard | Center | Automatic | Suction lift or submerged suction | 3 year |
| SVRS-11 | Automatic Standard | Offset | Automatic | Suction lift or submerged suction | 3 year |
| SVRS-10ADJ | Automatic Adjustable | Center | Automatic | Suction lift or submerged suction | 3 year |
| SVRS-11ADJ | Automatic Adjustable | Offset | Automatic | Suction lift or submerged suction | 3 year |
- Breather I-ADJ manual (PDF)
- Needs the pump to shut off as well? Breather 3 electrical. Prefer a release chain that holds the valve open until someone checks the pool? Breather 2 manual.
- Compare all twelve versions in the full SVRS product catalog. Vacless sells wholesale to distributors and dealers only, so buyers go to the dealer locator.