What is a Vacuum Valve System?

Vacuum valve systems are physical monitoring devices installed into many new housings that monitor the pressure inside of a housing and indicate if the housing is sealed or not.

The system consists of a bulkhead, an electronics system, and a vacuum pump. Before diving, the air is drawn out of the housing through the vacuum bulkhead, and this change is sensed by the electronics system and relayed to the diver on the outside of the housing with a color-changing LED. On Nauticam housings, for example, Red means not sealed, yellow means changing pressure, and green is sealed and ready to dive.

These systems are great for preventing floods and general peace of mind. If used correctly, they allow you to identify housing issues BEFORE entering the water, not during or after.

If your housing has the option of a vacuum valve, and you’re wondering if it is worth it…YES! I never dive without them. You invested a lot of money into this system – knowing it is sealed and ready to dive is worth a little extra.

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Morgan Bennett-Smith

Morgan Bennett-Smith is a field research scientist and photographer. He completed his B.A. in marine science at Occidental College in Southern California, and his Master’s Degree in marine science at the Red Sea Research Center in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, where he studied coral reef symbiosis. Along the way, his photographs have won numerous international competitions and been featured by organizations such as Smithsonian, the Guardian, and Nature, and been commercially licensed over 3,000 times.

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