Strainer accessories improve the operational management of strainer installations, monitoring screen condition, simplifying cleaning, and extending strainer capability. Differential pressure monitoring is the most important accessory, indicating when the screen needs cleaning.
AQ Process Systems sources and exports DP gauges and transmitters, blow-off valves for online cleaning, quick-opening covers for fast access, magnetic inserts for ferrous particle capture, and drain connections for safe depressurisation before opening.
For new strainer installations, we recommend specifying DP monitoring and blow-off connections from the outset, retrofitting these accessories is more expensive and disruptive than including them in the original specification.
| Product | Specification | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Monitoring | ||
| Differential Pressure Gauges | Local indication | Various ranges | DP gauges measuring the pressure drop across the strainer, indicating when the screen needs cleaning (high DP = dirty screen). |
| DP Transmitters & Switches | 4-20mA output or alarm contact | Differential pressure transmitters and switches providing remote indication and alarm output for automated monitoring systems. |
| Cleaning & Access | ||
| Blow-Off Valves | 1/2", 1" | Ball or globe | For screen flushing | Blow-off valves on the strainer body allowing online flushing of debris from the screen without opening the cover. |
| Quick-Opening Covers | Hinged, davit-arm, or toggle | Fast access | Quick-opening cover assemblies replacing standard bolted covers, reducing screen access time from 30+ minutes to 5-10 minutes. |
| Enhancements | ||
| Magnetic Inserts | Permanent magnet rods | Ferrous particle capture | Magnetic insert assemblies for strainer baskets, capturing fine ferrous particles (wear metal, rust) that pass through the screen mesh. |
| Drain & Vent Connections | 1/2", 1" | For safe depressurisation | Drain and vent connections allowing safe depressurisation of the strainer body before opening the cover for screen removal. |
A DP gauge tells you when the strainer screen needs cleaning, as debris accumulates, the pressure drop across the screen increases. Without DP monitoring, you are either cleaning on a fixed schedule (possibly too often or not often enough) or waiting until equipment downstream is affected. DP monitoring enables condition-based maintenance, clean only when needed.
Typical cleaning thresholds are 0.5-1.0 bar DP for liquid service and 0.1-0.3 bar DP for steam/gas service. The specific threshold depends on the system's tolerance for pressure loss and the downstream equipment's requirements. Set the alarm below the point where the pressure drop would affect process performance.
A blow-off valve is a small valve (1/2", 1") connected to the strainer body at or below the screen level. When opened, system pressure forces debris out of the screen pocket and through the blow-off valve to a safe drain. This provides partial cleaning without removing the screen cap, useful in continuous systems where full shutdown for cleaning is impractical.
In many cases, yes. Quick-opening cover retrofit kits are available for common strainer models, replacing the bolted cover flange with a hinged or toggle-clamp assembly. The strainer body is not modified. We need the strainer manufacturer, model, and size to confirm if a retrofit kit is available.
Yes, for systems with ferrous debris (wear metal from pumps and valves, rust particles from carbon steel piping). Magnetic inserts capture fine ferrous particles (1-50 microns) that would pass through the screen mesh. This improves downstream equipment protection, particularly for control valves, mechanical seals, and instruments sensitive to fine particulate.
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