Inline strainers vs dirt separators

[3fordasho]

I installed a 1 1/4" strainer in the loop from top of storage through two 60 plate flat plate HX's and back to the bottom of storage. With in a week of starting up the system the strainer was totally plugged. Not unusual for a new system start up I suspected. Over the last week I was doing some temperature checks and discovered a 15f difference from the storage side of the plate HX vs the output side going to heat the house. Not happy about losing 15F I suspected my HX sizing or pump flows. The strainer came to mind to but the Alpha 2 circulator was still reading 8 gpm flow thru the plate hx's (the same as when the strainer was just cleaned). None the less I replaced the inline strainer with a Caleffi dirt mag after pulling the strainer for a 2nd time and finding it about 40% plugged. Temps between storage side of plate and output side to house are now 5F.


The dirt mag is just over $100 vs $40 for an inline strainer but it's design is much less likely to restrict flow, dirt can be drained without isolating/opening the system, and with valves to isolate it the top port can be opened, contents drained and system treatments can be added there. Not affiliated with Caleffi in any way ;-)

 

[salecker]

When i built my sytem i added a side stream filter to the glycol side of my heat exchanger. The first filter plugged within a week. The second lasted 2 months,the third has been in there for 8 years and is still flowing. I used to check my bottom drain on each tank(vertical) each year before startup.There was never anything that had settled over 5 months in either tank. I do have a y strainer on each side of the heat ex changer,neither has needed cleaning when i checked them.

 

[hedge wood]

I just run Y strainers on my heat exchanger's on my Garn and after the first couple of months after the first start up I haven't had any problems. I pulled them after my leak repair this summer was completed after running the system for a couple months and they were clean. That dirt mag looks like a slick set up. If I have to ever replace a Y strainer I may try one.