FLOVAC VACUUM INTERFACE VALVE

Designed for a 50-year design life, independently certified for performance.

The Interface between Gravity and Vacuum

Every property connected to a Flovac vacuum sewer system relies on the Vacuum Interface Valve to make the connection work. A single valve and collection pit typically serves several connections, commonly up to four properties, rather than one valve per home. Positioned in the collection pit, the valve forms the interface between the gravity side of the network, where wastewater arrives from the connected properties, and the vacuum side, where it’s drawn into the vacuum main.

The valve is triggered by the Controller, which opens it pneumatically once the sensor pipe detects that around 40 litres (10 gallons) of wastewater has collected in the sump. The Controller normally sits directly on top of the valve, connected via a simple slip-key. No electrical power is required, the entire cycle runs on the vacuum already present in the system.

In flood-prone areas or locations with a high water table, the Controller can instead be mounted remotely, in a raised external pillar above ground level. This keeps it accessible and protected from inundation, while the valve itself remains below ground at the collection pit. It’s a configuration Flovac uses regularly on rural and flood-prone sites. Even though the vaclve and controller is desiogned to be located under water, operators can find it easier to access if remote.

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Independently Certified for Quality and Performance

Flovac’s Vacuum Interface Valve and Controller are engineered for a 50-year design life, equivalent to around 700,000 operating cycles for a typical connection. That performance is independently certified rather than simply claimed.
The valve and controller are certified to Australian Standard AS 4310-2024, EN 16932-2018, ITB AT-15-7652/2013 and EN 1091, covering the standards in use internationally. Certification includes:
● Endurance testing to 250,000 cycles as standard, with Flovac’s valve independently verified to 700,000 cycles, around 23 years of normal use before that threshold is reached.
● Submergence testing, confirming the valve continues to operate correctly when submerged in sewage or water.
● Resistance to Blockage testing, assessing how the valve handles solids and debris under real operating conditions.
Flovac’s production facility is certified by LRQA to ISO 9001:2015 (quality management, current to June 2028), ISO 14001:2015 (environmental management, current to August 2028) and ISO 45001:2018 (health and safety, current to August 2028). Certificates are available on request.

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Integrated Into a Monitoring System

The valve doesn’t operate in isolation. It interfaces directly with Flovac’s monitoring systems, which track valve performance across the network and can identify wear, malfunctions or unusual cycling patterns before they become operational problems. Where required, valves can also be operated remotely or on a programmed schedule.

For operators, that means visibility down to the individual connection, not just the pump station.

Learn More about Monitoring

Designed for Easy Long-Term Maintenance

Each valve is designed for straightforward access within the collection pit, with a 50-year design life and only a small number of parts requiring replacement roughly every ten years. No special equipment is needed for maintenance or rebuilds.

Flovac Valve Features & Benefits

Flovac Valve FeaturesKey design benefits
78mm (3.07”) Internal diameterColour co-ordinated tubing and connections for easier field connections.
Lower housing spigots with hose barbs to ensure tight correct fit of hosesStronger fusion welded insert ring reducing impact of water hammer.
Standard rebuild components compatible with a number of other competitor partsHighly visible in flooded conditions.
“Easy Clip” for holding controller firmly to valveEasy unscrewable thread for access to lower body.
Unique 3 bolt design on controller for uniform assembly tension and easy assemblySimplified one-way pins eliminating incorrect controller assembly

Adapted to Local Requirements

Vacuum sewer standards vary between markets, and older systems were often built to different valve sizing than what’s used today. Where a 3 inch (80mm) valve is now standard for municipal systems, many earlier installations used 2 inch (50mm) valves.

Rather than forcing operators of older networks into a full system change, Flovac developed a 2 inch (50mm) vacuum valve specifically for retrofitting these earlier systems, keeping them compatible with current components and support.

It’s a practical example of what global experience should deliver: components engineered to a standard, and adapted to fit the site.

Proven in the Field

Flovac valve and controller performance is documented across live systems, including Fisherman Bay, where long-term monitoring data validates cycle counts, reliability and system-wide vacuum performance against original design assumptions.

View the Fisherman Bay case study

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Vacuum Pump Station

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Collection Pit

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Monitoring

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