Flask disaster

Every year I run a chem lab and when someone is doing a vacuum filtration, suddenly I ll hear a scream and a moan of anguish, as water backs up into someone s filtration system. Usually there s not much damage, since the filtrate in the suction flask is generally thrown out. For vacuum distillations, however, this suck-back is disaster. It happens whenever there s a pressure drop on the water line big enough to cause the flow to decrease so that there is a greater vacuum in the system than in the aspirator. Water, being water, flows into the system. Disaster. 

NEVER use cork rings to support round-bottom flasks, particularly if they contain liquids. You are inviting disaster to be a guest at your laboratory bench. 

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