Strainers

Strainers are designed to remove solid particles from process media such as fuels, liquids, gases etc. A strainer catches foreign substances entrained in the flow and prevents them from contaminating the process, impeding heat transfer, restricting flow and creating build up on valves and seats, leading to failure of equipment and product loss.

There are many types, shapes and sizes available, with various materials of construction such as stainless Steel, Carbon Steel, Brass/Bronze Cast Iron Etc. They are all made to withstand various pressures, temperatures and environments. With the bodys being made from one material and the screen or mesh may be fabricated from another. The most common type of pipeline strainers would be the ‘Y’ Type and the Basket type. They are normally fitted with a screen or mesh of various perforation sizes, which should be suitably selected for the application to screen the unwanted contaminants from any flowing media, while also maintaining flow rate and minimising pressure drop.

This really depends upon the environment and the quality of the media that the strainer operates in. Correct selection is important as strainers are designed to protect other equipment, they are really a very important; line of defence. They can be selected just to keep large particles from passing, or be fitted with very fine mesh to really clean up the media. Depending on the requirement, a correctly selected and sized strainer should perform for many years, but needs regular checking for build up of contaminants and regular cleaning, in order to maintain expected efficiency. This will give the strainer the best opportunity to continuously protect your equipment and processes for many years. (For critical applications, Installing a pressure gauge upstream and downstream of the strainer will give indication of any blockage so the strainer can be cleaned as soon as possible.)

Assuming the pipe sizing is correct for the duty, you would normally select a strainer of the same nominal size as that of the piping to which it will be connected. Using a strainer of a smaller nominal size will increase the pressure drop across the strainer limiting the maximum operating potential of any process. Bigger is always better in this situation and is an ideal way to reduce pressure loss inside piping. For liquids it is recommended that you Install the ‘Y’ type strainer with the cap and drain plug down below the pipeline for ease of drainage and cleaning. The dirt accumulating in the lower portion of the strainer can be discharged to waste. When the fluid is steam, it is good practice to lay the strainer on its side in order to minimise the pooling of condensate. Strainers should always be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. In Particular always insure. Correct direction of flow. Always allow clear access for general maintenance and repairs. Strainers can have various end connections such as flanged or threaded so installation will need to take this into account also.

The Y type strainer is widely used for removing dirt and other impurities from pipelines. Such as steam, air, water, and oil systems preventing damage to process-plant, control valves and other equipment. The basket strainer is widely used for removing dirt and impurities from pipelines for liquids. Such as industrial water/fluids and combustion oil for boilers, other fuels etc.

This depends upon where you are based and the freight method chosen. If the express freight option is selected it is usually next day delivery to metropolitan areas in Australia for under 5kg. If free freight has been selected it will go by road freight which can be anywhere from 1 to 10 days depending upon your location. It usually averages 3 days.

All of our strainers come standard with a 12 month warranty. The good news is we have very strict quality controls and all steam traps that leave our warehouse are tested (full material and testing certificates are available) and inspected so there are rarely any issues.