Strainer for Hot-Water Boiler?

I received an inquiry from a DIYer wanting to install a wye-type strainer to remove sediment from his system. I don't have any experience with that idea, but I cautioned him not to install a strainer in the main supply or return to the boiler - it should be in a side-stream only - so that if the strainer plugs, flow through the boiler won't be stopped.

He thinks that his boiler has much sediment in it. I didn't find out why he thinks that. He was wanting a strainer with a finer mesh than comes with a standard 1" wye strainer.

Can anybody shed any light on this subject?

 

I don't like the idea of the wye strainer either, but I've seen it done...

Wouldn't a better solution be to add some cleaning chemicals to the system, and then making sure that there are valves in the proper locations, simply power purge the system several times to remove the sediment?

If there's THAT MUCH sediment in the system, that wye strainer is gonna get clogged quickly.

Is the DIYer too shy to post on the forum?

 

I should have explained more. When somebody asks a question on the Pexsupply website about an item that I happened to have previously purchased, Pexsupply's computer sends me an email asking for me to comment. My reply goes back through Pexsupply (they may or may not make any review of the reply, I don't know) - there is no direct contact between me and the questioner.

Always before, the questions have been things like whether a 3/4" street elbow will fit this or that application. If I don't know the answer, I usually just don't reply. But for this question, I thought I should caution against a strainer anywhere except in a side-stream around the boiler (he was asking about a 1" wye strainer, so I thought he might be considering installing it the main supply or return). I didn't think to tell him that a 1" side-stream loop around the boiler would screw flows up, big-time, at least until the strainer clogs.

I received a "thank you" from Don, the original questioner, through Pexsupply's computer.

I tried.

 

Yeah, I've answered a few myself. I find it an interesting idea they have... saves them the trouble of monitoring and answering, but you would think that they MUST monitor and review... I could say all KINDS of bad stuff !

 

Pexsupply sells a dirt separator by Caleffi made just for that use...