Plumbers - Questions about 'inline strainers'

[Cordless Crazy]

A question about inline strainers (ignoring the use of a Boilerbuddy o

Magnaclean or letting the system get dirty in the first place due t poor maintenance/inhibitor or alike)

So....Answer me this....

Due to the configuration of these items, they are supposed to be fitte in a certain direction. I'm installing one to stop debris runnin through my new UFH pipe and collecting at awkward points, therefore am limited to its location.

So when I install it on the return pipe going up a wall, every time th flow in the pipe stops, doesnt the crap collected in the filter jus drop down the pipe in the direction it has just come prior to hittin the gauze? i.e. to the lowest point which in my case a sweeping bend

I wouldnt be able to physically collect the crap as always drops awa from the filter when the flow stops. Moving its location is not viabl

Am I missing something?!

-- Cordless Crazy

[Dave Liquorice]

Wouldn't it be better to fit in the flow so any crud doesn't have to make it's way through the underfloor labyrinth before getting to the filter?

Fitting in the flow would mean it was the other way up and thus dropping away of crud not an issue.

[fred]

I suppose it depends where you think the crud is coming from, my thoughts would be that it will be sourced in the outback of radiator land and that the boiler heat exchanger and perhaps the pump are the things to be protected so I would want the strainer before those.

I am in the same position as the o/p at the moment, I put a 22mm connection strainer in when I built the system and put it on a near horizontal stretch of return pipework near the boiler thus avoiding the crud dropping back. On reflection I decided it was a bit undersize (as any crud would restrict the flow), it was a bit inaccessible (it's in the sub-floor) and I couldn't easily check it as I had omitted to put isolating valves around it.

I decided to get a bigger strainer, put it where I could access it easily and put in isolating valves so it could be readily checked but the only suitable place is on the a vertical run with upward flow back to the boiler. I've decided to live with the risk of falling back crud but by placing an isolating valve just under the strainer reckoning that I will be able to poke a finger down to check for crud and potentially flush it upwards and out through the open strainer cover with a short opening of the isolating valve. I've also chosen an oversize strainer so that even if a little crud is not removable there wont be too much opposition to flow.

[Cordless Crazy]

Have installed one on the flow as well, but the plans I got from th UFH company I purchased the gubbins off, show an inline strainer on th return as well. Cant really see why, as the strainer on the flo collects the crud before it even gets the the one on the return.

But.... if it does, my original question is still a confusion for me

-- Cordless Crazy

[Cordless Crazy]

Fred,

At least it is not just me in this position, but I like your thinking

-- Cordless Crazy