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Old 11-10-2020, 07:03 AM   #2
mvweebles
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City: Saint Petersburg
Vessel Name: Weebles
Vessel Model: 1970 Willard 36 Trawler
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 7,179
On the dual filter, the handle is pointed towards the left filter, so it's the one providing filtration. If it were to become clogged, the vacuum gauge on the central manifold would show increased vacuum, and the operator could shift the source to the other filter by just turning the valve without interrupting engine operation. If both become clogged, you could get by for a while longer by rotating the handle to point down so flow is through both filters. On the single filter, there is no standby - if the filter gets clogged, you must shut-down and replace the filter element. There is often a vacuum gauge on the T-Handle at top of the housing, but the picture is cut-off so not sure if it's there.

The dual-Racor setup is pretty expensive - the 900 series (which I think those are) are well over $1000 plus install. It's a highly desirable feature. You may find other places where the owner of the single-filter boat may not have added other upgrades. I also see the owner of the dual-filter boat has clearly labeled the filters and marked them with when the elements were changed - a good practice. The single-filter owner did not. Might be a hint about how the boat was cared for and the owner's approach/knowledge.

Good luck boat shopping!

Peter
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