Industrial strainers

Essential protection for valves, pumps and instrumentation. Strainers retain solid particles and impurities, preventing damage and malfunction to downstream components. Available in various configurations for water, steam, oil and gas.

Why strainers are essential

Every industrial system contains impurities: rust from piping, weld spatter, sand, scale and various particles. These impurities can damage valve seats, clog steam trap orifices, block instrumentation and accelerate pump wear.

Industrial strainers represent economical and effective protection: installed upstream of critical components, they retain solid particles and extend system service life. Selection of strainer type and mesh depends on the application and fluid characteristics.

Strainer types

Y-strainers

Y-strainers are the most common type for general protection of valves, pumps and instrumentation. The cylindrical filtering element is angled at 45° to the pipeline axis, offering a good compromise between filtering capacity and compactness.

Technical specifications

  • Pressure: PN 16 - PN 40 (up to 40 bar)
  • Temperature: up to 300°C (steam), 200°C (water)
  • Connections: threaded DN 15-50, flanged DN 15-300
  • Materials: cast iron GG25, ductile iron GGG40, WCB steel, 316 stainless
  • Mesh: 0.3 - 3.0 mm (mesh 20-100)

Applications: protection of control valves, steam traps, pumps, flow meters, boilers.

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Basket strainers

Basket strainers offer greater filtering surface and debris capacity compared to Y-strainers. The vertical cylindrical basket is easily removed from the top cover, simplifying maintenance.

Technical specifications

  • Pressure: PN 10 - PN 40
  • Temperature: up to 250°C
  • Connections: flanged DN 50-600
  • Materials: cast iron, carbon steel, stainless steel
  • Mesh: 0.5 - 5.0 mm

Applications: high flow rates, pump suction lines, cooling, water treatment, where greater debris capacity is needed.

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Duplex strainers

Duplex (or twin) strainers allow switching from one filtering element to another without interrupting flow. Ideal for plants requiring continuous 24/7 operation that cannot stop for strainer maintenance.

Technical specifications

  • Pressure: PN 10 - PN 40
  • Configuration: two parallel baskets with changeover valve
  • Connections: flanged DN 50-300
  • Materials: cast iron, steel, stainless steel

Applications: refineries, power plants, chemical plants, continuous processes where shutdown is not permitted.

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Steam strainers

Strainers specifically designed for steam systems, with reinforced body and stainless mesh elements resistant to high temperatures. They protect steam traps, pressure reducing valves and control valves from scale and debris.

Technical specifications

  • Pressure: PN 16 - PN 40
  • Temperature: up to 300°C (saturated steam)
  • Connections: threaded DN 15-50, flanged DN 15-150
  • Mesh: 0.5 - 1.5 mm recommended

Reference brand: Spirax Sarco (S series, FIG 10, FIG 14)

Applications: upstream of steam traps, pressure reducing valves, steam control valves, meters.

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Strainer selection guide

Application Strainer type Recommended mesh Material
Pump protectionY or Basket0.8 - 1.5 mmCast iron / Steel
Steam trapsY0.5 - 1.0 mmCast iron / Steel
Control valvesY0.3 - 0.5 mmSteel / Stainless
InstrumentationY0.1 - 0.3 mm316 Stainless
High flow ratesBasket1.0 - 3.0 mmCast iron / Steel
24/7 continuous processDuplexVariableSteel / Stainless
Food industryY or Basket0.3 - 1.0 mm316L Stainless

Maintenance and accessories

Blowdown and cleaning

Y-strainers have a bottom blowdown valve to discharge accumulated debris. For thorough cleaning, remove the filtering element and wash with water jet or compressed air.

Spare elements

We supply spare filtering elements in various mesh sizes and materials. We recommend always keeping at least one spare to avoid plant downtime.

Differential pressure gauges

Mounting pressure tappings upstream and downstream of the strainer allows blockage monitoring. A ΔP > 0.5 bar indicates need for cleaning.

Domande frequenti

What is the difference between a Y-strainer and a basket strainer?
A Y-strainer has a filtering element angled at 45° and is ideal for horizontal or vertical pipelines with downward flow. It is compact and used for protecting valves, pumps and instrumentation. A basket strainer has a larger cylindrical basket, offering greater filtering surface and debris capacity, ideal for high flow rates and where cleaning must be less frequent. Basket strainers require horizontal installation.
How do I select the right mesh size?
The mesh defines the minimum particle size retained. It is measured in microns (µm) or mesh (holes per linear inch). For general valve and pump protection: 0.8-1.5 mm (mesh 20-40). For instrumentation and control valves: 0.3-0.5 mm (mesh 40-60). For critical applications: 0.1 mm or less (mesh 100+). Selection depends on particles present in the fluid and sensitivity of downstream components.
What materials are available for industrial strainers?
The most common materials are: cast iron (GG25, GGG40) for water and steam at low cost, carbon steel (WCB, A105) for standard industrial applications, 316 stainless steel for corrosive fluids and food industry, bronze for marine and drinking water applications. The filtering element is typically AISI 304/316 stainless mesh, galvanised steel mesh or perforated plate. For steam, stainless elements with reinforced frames are used.
Do Y-strainers require specific orientation?
Yes. On horizontal pipelines the filtering element must point downward (6 o'clock position) to allow debris accumulation in the collection chamber and facilitate blowdown. On vertical pipelines flow must be downward. Installation with upward flow or element pointing up prevents proper debris collection and defeats the purpose. Always leave space for element extraction during cleaning.
How often should an industrial strainer be cleaned?
Frequency depends on the fluid debris load. Guidelines: every 3-6 months for mains water, every 1-3 months for process water, weekly for heavily loaded fluids. Monitor the pressure drop across the strainer: a significant increase (>0.5 bar) indicates blockage and need for cleaning. Differential pressure gauges mounted upstream and downstream facilitate monitoring. Some strainers feature automatic blowdown or self-cleaning.
Does Roffia supply steam strainers?
Yes. We supply Y-strainers and basket strainers specifically designed for steam systems, with cast iron or steel body, reinforced stainless mesh elements, and flanged or threaded connections. Steam strainers protect steam traps, control valves and pressure reducing valves from scale, rust and weld spatter. Reference brand: Spirax Sarco.

Need industrial strainers?

Contact us with your application specs: fluid, pressure, temperature, flow rate and particle size to retain. We'll recommend the most suitable solution.

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