Where to position my new strainer

[thesaintlyone]

Having purchased a new plastic bowl type strainer as linked to below

https://www.piratescave.co.uk/cooling-water-strainer-19mm.ir

I now need to decide where to position it on the Westerly Longbow I am thinking that if would be useful to position it further back from the seacock so that it can be accessed easier via the engine hatch which would mean the hose would exit the ball valve seacock and go back and up about a foot and a half to two feet is this okay or does the hose have to be straight up to the strainer. the exit hose would be more inline with the water inlet to the engine.

Regards

 

[NormanS]

There is an obvious advantage in having the strainer directly above the seacock, for possible rodding, but it's not essential, and positioning is usually determined by other obstructions.

 

[Kukri]

It looks similar to the Vetus ones. Vetus say that theirs should be fitted above the waterline. The reason for this is, I am told, to be on the safe side if it breaks. I have seen it suggested that the hose to the strainer should be straight so that you can undo the lid and pass a rod down through it if the skin fitting gets plugged up with mud, etc. But in my case that would mean mounting the strainer at an angle. My solution is to use a length of old flexible armoured hose gas pipe for "rodding through".

If you mount it above the waterline be sure that the lid is watertight or air may be sucked in... don't ask me how I know this...

 

[thesaintlyone]

Its definately gonna be above the waterline. But if it gets plugged would it not be easier to dismantle the pipe and clean it that way rather than by rodding???

 

[sarabande]

That's fine to deal with a blocked pipe if the seacock is closed, but if the valve itself is bunged up with barnacles or a plastic bag you will need to rod the pipe from above the waterline unless you are very brave and quick about re-connecting the pipe to the strainer .

 

[VicS]

Having purchased a new plastic bowl type strainer as linked to below

https://www.piratescave.co.uk/cooling-water-strainer-19mm.ir

I now need to decide where to position it on the Westerly Longbow I am thinking that if would be useful to position it further back from the seacock so that it can be accessed easier via the engine hatch which would mean the hose would exit the ball valve seacock and go back and up about a foot and a half to two feet is this okay or does the hose have to be straight up to the strainer. the exit hose would be more inline with the water inlet to the engine.

Regards

As near as possible to vertically above the inlet seacock, at the recommended height above the waterline. and where access for cleaning is good .

For the Longbow replacement of the original bronze seacock mounted strainer would, IMO, be by far the most satisfactory solution.

The nearest skip is probably the best place for your cheap bit of plastic

 

[Tranona]

As near as possible to vertically above the inlet seacock, at the recommended height above the waterline. and where access for cleaning is good .


The nearest skip is probably the best place for your cheap bit of plastic

That is not the best type of plastic strainer. It has a very small capacity, and not sure I like the spigots at 90 degrees. Probably explains why it is so cheap compared with a Vetus.

 

[lw395]

I've had to rod cooling water inlets a couple of times.
Once it was a plastic bag which was firmly jammed in the skin fitting. I saw it float off, and my crew recovered it, once I'd rodded it out.
So, no way would I be keen to do away with the ability to get a stout rod right through.
I think I'd rate this above the desirability of having the strainer above the waterline.

If the strainer leaks and it's above the waterline, your engine will get no cooling.

The picture doesn't really show how tough the plastic is. Do you trust it?

 

[Tranona]

The picture doesn't really show how tough the plastic is. Do you trust it?

Don't know about that particular make of strainer, but the Vetus and similar quality plastic strainers are fitted to thousands of boats without out any problem, except possibly getting a good seal on the top. However this is more commonly because they are often fitted with little clearance above the lid making it difficult to put the top on square. Normally a smear of grease on the O ring seals the top. so, really a fit and forget item.

 

[johnalison]

Don't know about that particular make of strainer, but the Vetus and similar quality plastic strainers are fitted to thousands of boats without out any problem, except possibly getting a good seal on the top. However this is more commonly because they are often fitted with little clearance above the lid making it difficult to put the top on square. Normally a smear of grease on the O ring seals the top. so, really a fit and forget item.

My Vetus is fitted nowhere near the inlet, which comes from a saildrive, so rodding is not really an option anyway. I have occasionally reverted to using a dinghy pump, which is easy enough.

I wouldn't be happy with anything much smaller, since mine often gets gummed up after quite limited motoring. Only a few days ago, I checked it after about six hours motoring, just before entering the shipping lanes and was surprised how gummed up it was, even though this has happened before. Therefore, my priority would be for ease of access. I can check mine just by lifting a companionway step, which also give me access to the oil dipstick.

Sealing the top has not been a problem, but care needs to be taken that the guides on the filter fit properly into the channels provided. The filter should then sit snugly in its place and not wobble. Several engineers have just jammed the filter in and screwed the top down tight. This just distorts the filter, fortunately only temporarily.

 

[Tranona]

I think you have to be pragmatic about where you place it - mine is just like yours on a saildrive, which you can't rod anyway, even going through the seacock on the leg. However, when I installed a diesel in my old Eventide to replace a Stuart Turner with its own make bronze cock/strainer, I was able to position the new inlet so that the filter could be immediately above it and very accessible through a lift up hatch in the bridge deck.