How does surface pressure increase with a leak in vacuum distillation apparatus?

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This is AAMC 3 BS #114 question.

If there is a leak in vacuum distillation apparatus, I thought some of the gases would escape which would decrease the pressure in the apparatus, so that the boiling point would decrease.

But the answer said that if there is a leak, the surface pressure increases which increases the boiling point.

Vacuum distillation apparatus doesn't build up significant pressure relative to the atmosphere. With a leak, you actually have a leak in (i.e., you now have atmospheric pressure pushing on the liquid in your system).

Originally Posted by loveoforganic

Vacuum distillation apparatus doesn't build up significant pressure relative to the atmosphere. With a leak, you actually have a leak in (i.e., you now have atmospheric pressure pushing on the liquid in your system).

a trenchant answer! thank you.

Exactly. Remember the purpose of using vacuum filtration. Vacuum filtration reduces the pressure inside of the apparatus to be below that of atmospheric pressure. In doing so, we are able to distill liquids with otherwise high boiling points at a significantly lower temperature because the internal pressure of the system has decreased. If there is a leak in the vacuum apparatus, then you are allowing atmospheric pressure to act on the gas vapors in the system. In doing so, the boiling point will rise.