Info needed on Groco strainer/macerator

[Bigsfish]

I need someone who has some knowledge of this Groco product:
https://www.groco.net/products/raw-water-strainers/self-cleaning/hse-series

It’s not cheap about $3k plus installation but if it works I will never have to clean another strainer. You can hook up a number of various devices that use sea water to this one strainer and use it as a sea chest.

I can’t find anyone who has ever had one, or who has a brother that every used one, or has a second cousin who’s best friend knew a person who used one. So before I spend the $$$ I want to make sure.

Any info?

Thanks.

 

[Just working]

I installed a few on new builds last year but the results have been mixed so far.

 

[koliver]

A that price this is a very expensive solution to what is only a problem to a select few boaters.
For example, here in SW BC, there is a little eel grass, but to find it in your strainer you really need to go looking, like anchoring where the water is less than 6' at lowest low water. That almost never happens. I can only recall one place where we did so, in almost 50 yrs of boating. Without anchoring in eel grass, I can't imagine how the strainer would ever pick up anything that would need to be macerated.
Good luck finding real world experience for this product.

 

[Bigsfish]

Thanks. I’m sure someone has some real world experience with this product.

If it works it’s a great product, you never have to clean a strainer again.

 

[HopCar]

Bigfish, in all the years I was a Groco distributor I never sold one of those.
I do believe that just about anything Groco makes is well engineered.

Before you invest that much money I suggest you try the Groco APHS series external strainer. I installed one on my engine intake and never had to clean my internal strainer again.
https://www.groco.net/products/raw-water-strainers/hull-strainer/aphs-series

 

[Bigsfish]

Parks

I knew that. I was in your old store and Ronnie and Manny said they had never sold that product. I’ve used the external strainer on my Crusader for 22 years and never had a problem, that may be a solution.

Thanks.

 

[HopCar]

Next time you’re in the store tell the guys I said hi.

 

[O C Diver]

Bigfish, in all the years I was a Groco distributor I never sold one of those.
I do believe that just about anything Groco makes is well engineered.

Before you invest that much money I suggest you try the Groco APHS series external strainer. I installed one on my engine intake and never had to clean my internal strainer again.
https://www.groco.net/products/raw-water-strainers/hull-strainer/aphs-series

I have a similar external strainer and have been very happy with it. They do foul though and need to be scubbed by your bottom cleaner. The holes on those screens are 1/8", so growth can cover them quickly. I will be switching to 5/32" perforated sheet metal for my screen on the next haulout. The holes have 50% more surface area for being 1/32" bigger in diameter. Also the open area of the screen goes from 50% to 62%.

Don't remove your internal strainer. Some stuff still makes it past, although very small, and gets caught in the strainer.

If I weren't so lazy, I'd install a second seacock under the external strainer to back flush the screen with domestic water. Not sure it would do much good at keeping the screen clean, but it looked good on paper.

Ted

 

[Bigsfish]

Parks they said you were in recently and looked very happy, no pressure of running a business.

Ted I installed the external strainer over that thru hull but never checked the work before the boat went back in the water. It’s possible they put it over the wrong thru Hull.

 

[FF]

For $3,000 I would contemplate installing a Sea Chest, a single 1 ft? in diameter tube glassed into the hull .

The top is covered but ez to remove and all seawater pickups come from there.

Probably way overkill as OTS exterior strainers can be oversize , so harder to plug a big surface.

 

[O C Diver]

Parks they said you were in recently and looked very happy, no pressure of running a business.

Ted I installed the external strainer over that thru hull but never checked the work before the boat went back in the water. It’s possible they put it over the wrong thru Hull.

I'm guessing that you have at least 4 raw water intakes (2 engines, generator, and air conditioning raw water). Might even have more than one air conditioning raw water system for that length boat. Is it a chill water system?

Ted

 

[Bigsfish]

Ted

I have numerous intakes 2 engine, generator, Watermaker, fins cooling, AC (4 marine air system and maybe another I forgot. It gets complicated.

 

[O C Diver]

Ted

I have numerous intakes 2 engine, generator, Watermaker, fins cooling, AC (4 marine air system and maybe another I forgot. It gets complicated.

It might be cheaper to hook the AC units to an irrigation well when home, and only deal with the strainers while cruising. I know, I'm not being helpful.

Ted

 

[Bigsfish]

Ted

If water wasn’t so expensive in south Florida I would hook up the garden hose to the AC. Unfortunately the AC runs 24/7 this time of year.

I may check into a sea chest as it works so well on Very Slow Hand and gives her that wonderful shine too.

 

[Bigsfish]

Just Working

What problems did you see?

TIA