Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => Plumbing => Topic started by: schoppy on October 14, 2015, 09:02:15 PM

Title: Strainers?
Post by: schoppy on October 14, 2015, 09:02:15 PM

Just wondering how many of you guys use strainers on your loops out there. I installed them on each of my 2 loops just ahead of my pumps, which are in my buildings not behind the boiler, and after one season there was nothing in them. My loops are 1" pex and plenty long and am wondering about removing them to decrease head in the loop. Looking at the internals of the strainer (1" also) it looks like they would be adding to the resistance in the loop.         

Title: Re: Strainers?
Post by: mlappin on October 14, 2015, 09:40:54 PM

Really shouldn’t have them ahead of your pumps, unless they are of a very large mesh, they start to plug and you could shorten the life of your pump considerably if the pump is starved for water, put em after is preferable.

Title: Re: Strainers?
Post by: fireboss on October 15, 2015, 06:20:41 PM

I have mine just before my exchanger!

Title: Re: Strainers?
Post by: hoardac on October 18, 2015, 08:43:54 PM

I found a bunch of crap in mine once I have them before the pump. I can see where it could ruin a pump but too late to change it now.

Title: Re: Strainers?
Post by: mlappin on October 18, 2015, 09:31:09 PM

I understand your reasoning perfectly, we always used to place a strainer before the hydraulic driven pumps on our sprayers, reasoning being keep the junk out and it should last longer.

But just the opposite is true, we have electronic flow and pressure monitors on our field sprayers, but that suction side screen can get just plugged enough not to effect performance but allow some cavitation in the pump, start getting a little air around the seal and goodbye $800 spray pump.

Title: Re: Strainers?
Post by: tinfoilhat2020 on October 19, 2015, 05:43:27 AM

I have a Rusco how water filter on my return line after all the exchanges.....100 mesh, rated up to 200 degrees....seems to work GREAT.. I empty it every few weeks. not much in there but some sediment from time to time.