Coolant Caps with Vent Releases for Added Safety
Some vehicles are sold right from the factory with coolant caps that have the vent releases in the covers. These types of caps add a bit more safety to the cap and can be a real life saver should you ever have the need to open the cap under less than favorable conditions. Unfortunately, they are not standard on most vehicles, but you can buy replacement caps that will provide you with the ideal amount of pressure AND enhance your safety.
How Do They Work?
Most people know that they should never open their coolant caps when their engine is hot or when they just finished driving because it can result in very serious steam burns. The problem is that you never really know when you can safely open the cap. The vent type caps allow you to open the valve and immediately reduce the pressure in the radiator so that you do not have to “guess” when it is safe to open the cap. The vent flips up to allow the pressure to decrease so that you can safely open the cap. Of course, it is still a good idea to wait at least 10 minutes before taking the cap entirely off to ensure your safety.
Why Choose a Vented Cap?
There are two reasons why you want to choose a vented coolant cap as opposed to the standard cap:
1. Improves safety
2. Improves performance
The biggest reason you should consider switching out your standard cap for a vented cap is safety. Is there a better reason? You may also get improved performance with a vented cap as well.
