Jim Norton and Chris Steves (Norton Engineering)

Diagnosing poor vacuum jet ejector performance can be tricky, but some things to look at while troubleshooting include:

•Look for leaks – even small pinhole leaks anywhere in the ejector, condenser, or diplegs can lead to severe vacuum problems. Consider helium testing to check for leaks, but also get as many eyes on the equipment as possible.

•Check condenser performance for problems in water flow.

•Check for pluggage in the diplegs that could be backing up liquid into the condensers.

•Check to ensure that the ejectors are not overwhelmed by cracked material from overfiring the vacuum heater.