TECHNICAL 35
Why should I fit a strainer ?
By
Patrick Gordon - Consultant
I often get asked why an in-line strainer should be fitted to the water supply to the house . The short answer is because the law says so .
6.1.5.1 A suitable strainer shall be provided to prevent the entry of solid particles of size exceeding 710 μm into any fittings controlling water pressure or controlling the flow direction of water , unless such fittings incorporate their own strainers . Strainers for sizes 15mm to 25mm shall comply with SANS 1808-58 . thousands on filtration and parts for their irrigation systems but will gripe about fitting it to the supply for the house . PA
For any further information on this topic please contact the writer : PA Gordon on patrick . ag @ hotmail . com or patrickg @ splashworks . co . za .
But let us consider some points . One of the first things that our end users complain about after the municipality have worked on the water supply is that suddenly they have bad pressure . In actual fact , what they are experiencing is bad flow pressure due to a partial blockage in the tap and mixer aerators or in a shower rose . They now have to clean out all the aerators or get a plumber to do it . If an in-line strainer was fitted , all the impurities would be trapped in one place and make our - and their - lives easier .
“ A small item like an in-line strainer can really make the difference in the lifespan of our installations .”
When you do fit a strainer , make sure that the basket or sieve is fine enough to catch all the dirt .
Also make sure that the strainer is fitted as in the picture so that all the dirt is deposited into the lowest part of the fitting and that when the inspection cap is removed all the dirt is expelled to the outside and does not fall back into the strainer body .
Also make sure that you adhere to the flow direction as indicated by the arrow on the body of the strainer .
I experienced a malfunction on my heat pump at home last month due to insufficient water flow . Fortunately , I have a strainer fitted and all I had to do was to clean the strainer and everything started working perfectly again .
A small item like an in-line strainer can really make the difference to the lifespan of installations . It amazes me that homeowners will spend
September 2024 Volume 30 I Number 7 www . plumbingafrica . co . za