Red I know what you are saying visually it looked the same way to me as that is how I first setup my ladders. Man just watching that sap shoot up I was amazed. It wasnt until that thread came up I started experimenting. I couldnt argue my point then when I hadnt personally tested it and glad I didnt cause I was wrong anyways. Next spring time you releaser dumps experimenting with the amount of air you let in and then without letting any in. Only you can determine what or how you like it all I can say for me when I shut the valve off and watched what looked like sap slowly rising and I mean slow to the top of the ladder and then it looked like it didnt move at all I was amazed at watching the releaser almost double in the amount it was dumping. What suprised me even more was I was still holding vac levels at the end of the mainline. I wish I tested it in the begining of the season and not in the middle. That valve will never open again on mine.