Strainer Service Alert

[NTSCOUT]

Curious about the Groco strainer service alert. You can check them out at SSA Series - General Info. Basically a flow meter on the outflow side of the raw water strainer that alerts if the flow is reduced below a preset threshold. Anyone used anything like this?

At around $1000.00 and up for something like this it is pricey and I suspect a guy could design and install a home brew solution for quite a bit less. I found it because I was thinking "Gee, wonder if such a device exists ... I could make a million bucks if ..." Oh well, back to lottery tickets.

Anyone have experience with this type of device?

 

[Larry M]

That's a lot of $. We have an AquAlarm flow sensor and they are adjustable. It's part of the system that also monitors oil pressure, fire and bilge.

https://www.aqualarm.net/comerus/store/comersus_listItems.asp?idCategory=52


https://www.aqualarm.net/comerus/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=34

 

[C lectric]

SMX Multi-Use Water Flow Alarm Adaptor

Take a look at these. Uses the Aqualarm switch but the adapter is bronze.

 

[boatpoker]

Aqualarm raw water flow detector. .. the best $100 bucks you can spend for your engine, been running one for almost 20yrs. It has saved me twice.

 

[fryedaze]

Aqualarm raw water flow detector. .. the best $100 bucks you can spend for your engine, been running one for almost 20yrs. It has saved me twice.

Nylobraid hose in a raw water system??? I dont know the standards. Is that the correct hose?

 

[boatpoker]

Nylobraid hose in a raw water system??? I dont know the standards. Is that the correct hose?

ABYC standards require "re-inforced" hose. I consider the fabric weaving inside the plastic as "re-inforcement". I know a lot of surveyors don't like this but I've been using it for 20 years and never had a problem.

 

[NTSCOUT]

I like the idea of a bronze adaptor. Plastic and I don't generally get along so well.

 

[Capt Kangeroo]

Speaking about strainers, in servicing mine recently I came across a problem that could have resulted in disaster. I strongly suspect this is a common problem and may be worth others having a look at theirs.

What happened was I was changing the clamps on the inlet & outlet and in yanking/twisting on the hose to get it off I was startled by the whole strainer suddenly falling apart. The bottom casting had fallen off along with the glass barrel and the four long stainless threaded rod bolts that hold the whole thing together could simply be pulled up & out of the top casting. On closer inspection I found that the bottom of all four bolts had rotted off where the nuts tighten up against the bottom casting. The scary part is that two of the bolts had clearly rotted off a long time ago, the other two were holding on by a sliver and only waiting on a rough sea to let go entirely.

Sure enough, so was the other strainer albeit to a much lessor degree.

All of the bolts looked like new except where the nuts were, here it looked like the bolts were eaten by worms. I had the exact same problem with my rudder packing bolts at the exact point where the stainless bolts screwed into the brass casting.

 

[NTSCOUT]

Speaking about strainers, in servicing mine recently I came across a problem that could have resulted in disaster. I strongly suspect this is a common problem and may be worth others having a look at theirs.

What happened was I was changing the clamps on the inlet & outlet and in yanking/twisting on the hose to get it off I was startled by the whole strainer suddenly falling apart. The bottom casting had fallen off along with the glass barrel and the four long stainless threaded rod bolts that hold the whole thing together could simply be pulled up & out of the top casting. On closer inspection I found that the bottom of all four bolts had rotted off where the nuts tighten up against the bottom casting. The scary part is that two of the bolts had clearly rotted off a long time ago, the other two were holding on by a sliver and only waiting on a rough sea to let go entirely.

Sure enough, so was the other strainer albeit to a much lessor degree.

All of the bolts looked like new except where the nuts were, here it looked like the bolts were eaten by worms. I had the exact same problem with my rudder packing bolts at the exact point where the stainless bolts screwed into the brass casting.

Wow, that could be a real problem. Is your strainger bonded - wonder if dissimilar metals could be the culprit. My strainer sight glass is attached is plastic attached to the top casting via stainless bolts into threaded holes on the casting. No nuts involved.

 

[psneeld]

ABYC standards require "re-inforced" hose. I consider the fabric weaving inside the plastic as "re-inforcement". I know a lot of surveyors don't like this but I've been using it for 20 years and never had a problem.

I wouldn't think you would have a problem....no heat to speak of and it holds just fine on water systems with a lot more pressure and pulsations.

Again common sense shows tht the "boating norm" is usually only partially correct in their "assumption requirements"...

Even if ABYC required wire reinforced, USCG rated below waterline use hose...goes to show you what they know....

 

[psneeld]

If you think the strainer coming apart is bad...wait till you twist the old style seacock where the top bolts on and it starts to fall apart on you......Especially with no way to stop the water flow if the top breaks off completely!!!!

Of course that was back in July so the fleet mechanic and I just used 2 "t" bolt clamps to keep it together for the rest of the season.

Running commercial boats is a good exercise in seeing how really silly many "ABYC" guidelines are and how many rec boaters really fret over nothing.

Sure there a great way of doing things and products supporting those theories....an I strive to do the best whenever I can for my boat...but falling way short doesn't mean your boat is going to sink without a doubt or catch fire or any other unimaginable catastrophe...especially if you are aboard a lot and can catch things as they progressively get worse.