Is a ping pong ball the best ball to see flow inside a strainer with see-through lid

[tudorsailor]

I would like to be able to see that water is running in through the strainer for the raw water intake for the genny. The strainer has a clear lid. A friend has used a ping pong ball to help visualise the flow, but I wonder what will happen to the ball after prolonged immersion in sea water. Would a polystyrene ball be just as good or will it disintegrate? Should I look for a hollow polypropylene ball which is tougher apparently but harder to find sold singly? Any suggestions???

Before someone suggests looking at the water flow in the exhaust, I cannot do this as I have a dry exhaust!

Thanks
TudorSailor

 

[RichardS]

A ping pong ball will survive for thousands of years in the strainer and would be ideal.

The water must be coming out somewhere ..... is whether it is in the exhaust relevant?

Richard

 

[Jamie Dundee]

Hardly going to break the bank....
25Pcs/Pack Ping Pong Balls 40mm Mixed Colours No Logo Table Tennis Beer AT UK | eBay

 

[Roberto]

I put a fishing rod float; sometimes the flow is so strong the float simply remains stuck against one corner with slight vibrations, a bit like a dying fish

 

[Boater Sam]

A ping pong ball will survive for thousands of years in the strainer and would be ideal.


No sign of exaggeration there Richard?

 

[tudorsailor]

Does it have to be a spherical float/ball. I wonder if it would be easier to see something that was not spherical tumbling in the flow.
TS

 

[RichardS]

Does it have to be a spherical float/ball. I wonder if it would be easier to see something that was not spherical tumbling in the flow.
TS

The ideal shape would be a fully-enclosed tetra-octagonal rhomboid ..... but tracking one down could prove a little tricky.

Richard

 

[rogerthebodger]

I fitted a flow switch in my raw water feed connected to a indicator light and the oil pressure water temperature alarm buzzer.

You can also set up a piddle pipe somewhere it can be seen easy.

Anything that floats like a cork or to from you favorite wine would also do as long as you can see the strainer when the engine is running

 

[Old Harry]

I fitted a flow switch in my raw water feed connected to a indicator light and the oil pressure water temperature alarm buzzer.

You can also set up a piddle pipe somewhere it can be seen easy.

Anything that floats like a cork or to from you favorite wine would also do as long as you can see the strainer when the engine is running

Rather like watching varnish dry

 

[rogerthebodger]

Rather like watching varnish dry

Precisely

I would rather watch the dolphins and whales playing around and the sea birds diving and catching the sardines during the sardine run.

 

[snowbird30ds]

I have some small plastic balls from a kids game in mine, can't remember the name but they have eyes.
They work well.

 

[VicS]

I would like to be able to see that water is running in through the strainer for the raw water intake for the genny. The strainer has a clear lid. A friend has used a ping pong ball to help visualise the flow, but I wonder what will happen to the ball after prolonged immersion in sea water. Would a polystyrene ball be just as good or will it disintegrate? Should I look for a hollow polypropylene ball which is tougher apparently but harder to find sold singly? Any suggestions???

Before someone suggests looking at the water flow in the exhaust, I cannot do this as I have a dry exhaust!

Thanks
TudorSailor

Surely you need a flow meter in the pipewok with blue teeth and all that stuff and a "app" on your phone which will monitor, and record, the flow to raise an alarm if it fall below a certain value and enable you at any time in the future to recall the data for analysis and correlation with other factors

 

[25931]

Surely you need a flow meter in the pipewok with blue teeth and all that stuff and a "app" on your phone which will monitor, and record, the flow to raise an alarm if it fall below a certain value and enable you at any time in the future to recall the data for analysis and correlation with other factors

Some of what you get in a crowded anchorage or marina will obscure anything

 

[HissyFit]

I would like to be able to see that water is running in through the strainer for the raw water intake for the genny. The strainer has a clear lid. A friend has used a ping pong ball to help visualise the flow, but I wonder what will happen to the ball after prolonged immersion in sea water.

A ping pong ball would be good, but take a black marker pen and draw bands on it as if they were lines of longitude, running between the poles. That way, if the ball is just spinning on its axis rather than batting about the strainer, it will still be obvious even at just a glance.

 

[Kukri]

I seem to have a golf ball.

 

[MapisM]

Before someone suggests looking at the water flow in the exhaust, I cannot do this as I have a dry exhaust!

A genset on dry stack? That's a weird design indeed, unless you enjoy breathing exhaust gas while anchored in no or little wind!

Regardless, are you aiming at spotting the strainer flow from a camera, or directly in flesh?
I never came across a strainer where you can't distinguish if the water is flowing or not, with just a bit of practice.
I mean, also when there's nothing inside it to emphasize the water movement.

 

[bikedaft]

I have some small plastic balls from a kids game in mine, can't remember the name but they have eyes.
They work well.

They have eyes ☺ love it. Great idea

 

[CliveF]

The ball from a roll on deodorant is a tougher beast and will do the job.

But do put the lines on it to confirm rotation.

regards clive

 

[[163233]]

A golf-ball, as originally used in whiff-whaff might be a good option and has patterning.

 

[tudorsailor]

A genset on dry stack? That's a weird design indeed, unless you enjoy breathing exhaust gas while anchored in no or little wind!

Both the engine and the genset have a water separator . So the water goes out under the boat and the gas comes out the exhaust. As a result, the noise is much reduced. We do get helpful people yelling at us that there is no water coming out the exhaust! Having had the engine exhaust gas mixed with sea water before being separated, we do not have any worse exhaust fumes than a boat with a standard wet exhaust.



TudorSailor