Industrial Strainers

Essential protection for pumps, valves, heat exchangers and instrumentation. Y strainers, basket strainers, cartridge filters and self-cleaning strainers to trap solid impurities and extend plant life.

Why install strainers in systems

Every hydraulic system contains impurities: pipe manufacturing residues, rust scale, sand, sediment, fibres and various particles. If not intercepted, these contaminants cause accelerated pump wear, blocking of control valves, clogging of heat exchangers, damage to instrumentation and malfunction of solenoid valves and steam traps.

Industrial strainers are the first line of defence: installed upstream of critical components, they retain solid particles and protect the plant. Periodic strainer maintenance (much simpler and cheaper than repairing downstream components) ensures reliable, long-lasting operation.

Roffia distributes strainers in cast iron, steel, stainless steel and plastic materials, with filtration grades from 40 to 500 mesh (400 microns down to 25 microns). For special requirements, we supply cartridge filters and self-cleaning systems. All strainers are available with replacement filter elements.

Industrial Y and basket strainers — Roffia srl

Y strainers (wye strainers)

  • Compact, economical, easy maintenance
  • Horizontal or vertical installation
  • DN 10–300, PN 16–40
  • Cast iron, steel, stainless steel, bronze
  • Ideal for general protection
  • Connections: threaded, flanged, socket weld

Basket strainers

  • Greater dirt-holding capacity
  • Top-removable basket
  • DN 25–400+
  • For heavily contaminated fluids
  • Low pressure drop
  • Less frequent maintenance

Cartridge filters

  • Fine filtration (1–100 microns)
  • Replaceable cartridges
  • For instrumentation and critical processes
  • Housing in stainless, PP, PVDF
  • Cartridges: paper, polypropylene, sintered stainless
  • Ideal for ultra-pure water, solvents

Self-cleaning strainers

  • Automatic cleaning without plant stoppage
  • Programmable backwash cycle
  • For continuous 24/7 service
  • Industrial water, cooling towers
  • DN 50–600
  • Manual, timer or ΔP control

Duplex strainers

  • Two strainers in parallel with changeover valve
  • Maintenance without plant stoppage
  • Switch flow to other strainer
  • For critical continuous processes
  • Available in Y and basket types
  • DN 25–200

Typical applications

Pump protection

A Y or basket strainer upstream of the pump retains coarse solids that could damage impeller and seals. This is the simplest and most effective measure to extend the life of centrifugal, positive displacement and metering pumps. Typical grade: mesh 20–80.

Control valve protection

Control valves have precision plugs and seats that can be damaged by even small particles. An upstream strainer with mesh 80–100 prevents blockages, leaks and premature wear, ensuring stable and accurate regulation.

Heat exchanger protection

Plate heat exchangers have narrow channels prone to clogging. A basket strainer with mesh 100+ upstream prevents solids build-up and maintains thermal efficiency. For shell-and-tube exchangers, filtration is less critical but still recommended.

Steam and condensate systems

In steam networks, weld spatter and rust scale can block steam traps, safety valves and instrumentation. Stainless steel Y strainers installed upstream protect these critical components, reducing downtime and maintenance costs.

Roffia strainer range

Cast iron Y strainers
DN 15–200, PN 16
Stainless Y strainers
DN 10–100, PN 16–40
Basket strainers
DN 25–300, cast iron/stainless
T strainers
For vertical installations
Steam strainers
Steel, high temperature
Cartridge filters
Housing + cartridges 1–100 μm
Self-cleaning strainers
DN 50–200, timer/ΔP
Filter elements
Replacements mesh 20–500

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Y strainers, basket strainers and cartridge filters?
A Y strainer (or wye strainer) has a Y-shaped body with the filter element inclined to the flow. It is compact, economical and suitable for most component protection applications. A basket strainer has a cylindrical basket perpendicular to the flow, with greater dirt-holding capacity — ideal for heavily contaminated fluids and installations where maintenance is less frequent. A cartridge filter uses replaceable filter elements (cartridges in paper, fabric, polypropylene, sintered steel) and offers finer filtration grades (down to 1 micron) — used when precision filtration is needed to protect instrumentation or critical processes.
How do I choose the strainer mesh (filtration grade)?
Filtration grade is expressed in mesh (number of openings per linear inch) or microns (particle size retained). General rule: the strainer must retain particles smaller than the critical tolerances of the downstream component. For standard valves and pumps: mesh 20–40 (400–800 microns). For regulators, solenoid valves and instrumentation: mesh 80–100 (150–180 microns). For plate heat exchangers: mesh 100–200 (75–150 microns). For precision processes and water treatment: cartridges 1–50 microns. Roffia can advise the correct grade for your application.
Strainers cause pressure drop — how can I minimise it?
Every strainer introduces a pressure drop, which increases as the element clogs. To minimise impact: (1) Size generously — a larger DN reduces fluid velocity and initial pressure drop; (2) Choose low-loss strainers — basket strainers have lower loss than Y strainers at equal DN; (3) Clean regularly — establish maintenance intervals based on experience; (4) Install differential pressure gauges — monitor pressure drop and clean when it exceeds threshold (typically 0.3–0.5 bar for water); (5) Consider self-cleaning strainers for continuous service where plant stoppage is not possible.
What materials are available for industrial strainers?
Materials depend on fluid, temperature and pressure: Cast iron — economical, for water and non-aggressive fluids up to 120 °C. Carbon steel — for steam, oil, high pressure. Stainless steel AISI 304/316 — for corrosive fluids, food, pharmaceutical, clean steam. Bronze — for seawater and marine applications. PVC, PP, PVDF — for aggressive chemical fluids, demineralised water, acids, alkalis. Filter screens are typically stainless steel AISI 316; for critical services Hastelloy or Monel screens are used. Roffia supplies strainers in all these materials with PED and food certifications where required.
How often should a strainer be cleaned and how?
Frequency depends on fluid quality and service. General guidelines: (1) Initial start-up: clean more frequently (even daily) while new pipework sheds weld spatter and debris. (2) Normal operation: weekly, monthly or quarterly based on experience — when pressure drop increases more than 50% above clean-screen value. (3) Cleaning: close isolation valves, vent pressure, remove cap/cover, extract filter element, blow with compressed air or backwash with water, inspect for damage, reassemble. (4) Self-cleaning strainers: follow manufacturer's instructions for backwash cycle programming. Roffia supplies replacement filter elements for all strainers in our catalogue.

Request an industrial strainer quote

Please provide fluid, flow rate, required filtration grade and operating conditions. We will recommend the optimal strainer with a prompt quotation and replacement elements.

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