Those plastic vetus strainers are great.

 

Agree. Quick to clean out.

 

On the boats I used to work on the majority had no external strainer but did have an internal strainer. Normally a groco like in your first image.

 

Definitely need a strainer before the pump. Make sure it’s in an accessible location. Depending on how often your run it, you’ll be cleaning jellyfish, seaweed and various other debris out of it during the height of the summer months. Ours runs all summer.

 

I have a few 3/4 Groco strainers for sale.

 

I took a look, didn't see them posted. Are they new or take outs? What style? Thx

 

Ok hmm. So still not aware of anything compact unfortunately.

What I really need ideally is in/out inline and horizontal, a filter that is removed from the bottom, and to minimize height down to 6 inches or less.

May be able to angle a Groco or that Forespar style, without creating an airlock problem, while allowing easy cleaning. Probably will end up picking up a strainer for the generator, trying to make it work for the AC pump, worst scenario gets used on the generator and I have to use a water system strainer on the AC pump instead.

 

I'll post pictures Monday

 

I have a small groco on mine , it has been a lifesaver , the marina water is dirty after a rain , I talked to a guy that had a small one and 2 large ones for sale , he
said he was going to join and post

 

The strainer as well as the pump both have to be below water line.

 

Ditto. Some people go above with a check valve, but I believe that is not the best way.

 

wye strainer at DuckDuckGo you re going to have a strainer, I would think it should protect the pump as well; more so if it is not a flexible impeller type which could jam and burn out. Perhaps a simple "Y" strainer (Bronze or SS) would suffice. Available any size, any mesh, any material, easy to clean, strong, compact, works horizontal, vertical or angled.

https://duckduckgo.com/?hps=1&q=wye+strainer&atb=v321-1&iax=images&ia=images

 

Don't buy one with the clear bowl screws onto the housing as it can crack. Saw a video of a 40' that had one of the cheap ones and a crack sunk the boat at the dock. Probably totalled it. I've used the Groco styles forever and never had a problem in dozens of installations. You could mount it sideways with an elbow on the thru hull. They also make a seavalve strainer combined. The system should always use a quarter turn valve before the strainer.

 

Bronze housing ones.

 

I don't know what parallel universe I've drifted into, but in the process of shopping for the best deal on a Groco ARG-755-S (3/4, low profile, stainless basket), everywhere else had them for $185 to $220 including the typically bottom priced online places.

West Marine's normal price was $164. Cyber Monday deal got it down to $140 + free shipping.

And I was able to burn up an oddball gift card leftover from a return that'd been sitting in my wallet too.

Ended up buying 2 of them at that price, because I needed one for the generator as well.

 

Put a spider valve (bleeder)on the line in a convenient spot to bleed air at the beginning of the season,well worth it.

 

I use these. No need for strainer on inside and less chance of pump getting air locked.

https://www.westmarine.com/groco-br...BhAWEiwA2qWdCBPQ6XgcU_3N51UrmL4xeU9xWzqydEiXxQzYOqKxVh86QTHBulsBvhoCIZEQAvD_BwE

 

I use these. No need for strainer on inside and less chance of pump getting air locked.

http://[URL]https://www.westmarine....BhAWEiwA2qWdCBPQ6XgcU_3N51UrmL4xeU9xWzqydEiXxQzYOqKxVh86QTHBulsBvhoCIZEQAvD_BwE

I like that setup, other than if you clog that screen up it's kinda tricky . But I don't see how it solves airlocking.

Basically if you have a scoop and set the plumbing so it runs uphill from fitting, to pump (with pump sub waterline), all the way to what you are feeding, airlock will not occur since air runs out naturally.

 

The slightest bit of air messes those things up. So less is more inside the boat. I’ve had it clog. Disconnect hose and wash it out backwards.

 

You really want the strainer and pump mounted below water level so they both self prime. Strainers that open on the top are best as you simply leave the top off, open the shut off valve, allow the strainer to fill, then screw down the top while shut off valve is still open. This allows the pump to prime before being turned on. You need good water flow to the pump, they are water cooled, so the cooling side fills up as well. You would be amazed what you can find in strainers. If it gets warm enough you can get pieces of plastic, barnacles growing, clams growing, weed growing.

In Florida we get barnacles growing in the hose between the pickup and the strainer. You get tired of replacing the hose all the time, and clean it out by removing it from the boat and beat the hose on a piling, then ram a wooden dowel in and out of the hose to break them up!

 

I have absolutely been driven nuts by non self priming pump installs (livewell sorts). Pumps airlock when you aren't watching, the bait you really needed dies. There was never a question as far as putting the pump sub waterline.

What made me picky about the strainer is I want a steady slope up, from inlet to strainer, to pump, up to AC unit, so air can purge from the pump like you are saying. I want the strainer to fit so the fittings are below, or at least no higher than, the pump inlet height.

Hopefully being up north not too much grows in these , but here's what I went with. A short Groco version. Haven't tried to fit one in yet, but dimensions work, just gonna need to tinker and get the bracketry how I want it.

View attachment 20231214_184923.jpg

View attachment 20231214_184933.jpg

 

I've got an AC circulation pump which as far as I can tell is a hard impeller sort. It's non self priming but (kinda oddly) intended to be mounted not with it's inlet screwed into a seacock as the base, but rather on it's side via some clamps that came w/ it, a hose connecting it to the seacock - and the manufacturer specifies an inline strainer. I do have it on a scoop but the scoop of course is not as good and I guess they are trying to make a more trouble-free pump as seaweed may screw with it?

I suppose first question is really - do people use a strainer here between pump and the ocean, for hard impeller pumps?

If that's a negative - should I potentially put a strainer after the pump, to prevent debri from heading up through the AC unit piping?

If that's affirmative on the strainer between pump and ocean, I really do not want some giant engine-oriented strainer, does anyone know of a compact strainer they would trust sub waterline? I'm putting this in my list of marine gadgets someone needs to make.

What I find for strainers, you got say a Groco 3/4 inch (and similar) that would be good for a generator or something. It's just a smaller version of the big engine strainers, 8.5 inches tall and totally screws up the pitch I want to assure the self priming pump doesn't airlock. ie I have my pump set just above the way an elbow will come off the seacock, then the hose nicely flowing uphill the whole way to the AC unit, so air will purge right.

View attachment 172691

Then you have Marelon/Forespar makes a "compact" non bronze sub waterline version but only comes in 1.5 inch, similarly seems like it's going to be too big for my use - would be nice if it came in something smaller (it's a compact 1.5 inch but not a compact 3/4 inch). They make some other weird stuff that is just not right either. Then vetus makes a few things but their form factor is also weird.

View attachment 172695

View attachment 172694

View attachment 172693

^^^^ this thing right here really baffles me, why you would ever want the inlet and outlet on a strainer both pointing down? It's funny they do not seem to make one with the inlet and outlet horizontal either, which seems like the typical way a strainer gets installed to me anyway..

Outside of that, all I see are your run of the mill pump strainers that very well might be decent quality, can get say a Jabsco, Groco, inline pump strainer - but they strike me as non critical above waterline stuff, self priming pumps or freshwater systems, regular plastic assemblies (although I guess arguably all the strainers have a non reinforced plastic component, the bowl)..

View attachment 172692

Those pumps are not self priming and all installation manuals show a high speed pickup/strainer it allows for running the ac unit whil the boat is underway ,plus keeping big things out of the inlet. Notice the thru hull in this kit

View attachment IMG_0060.png

 

If you guys install them like this they will not need anything. They will not get air locked. A check valve will slow down water flow,plus the check valve has a smaller id and could also get clogged up.

 

This is how I ended up rearranging that compartment to fit the groco strainer. That 90 on the strainer connects to the 90 on the one seacock.

View attachment 20240114_184558.jpg View attachment 20240114_184602.jpg View attachment 20240114_184613.jpg

 

Looks good Jon. Geez wish i had seen this before. I have a couple of pancake strainers that work great. I use one in my boat. They are like this one but the cover bolts down with one center bolt and the strainer is stainless. So if you need another one let me know. (i can take a pic. if you want).

. View attachment 1705329414036.png

 

Looks good Jon. Geez wish i had seen this before. I have a couple of pancake strainers that work great. I use one in my boat. They are like this one but the cover bolts down with one center bolt and the strainer is stainless. So if you need another one let me know. (i can take a pic. if you want).

. View attachment 176819

Thanks! I've been calling this thing the cunt pump, probably got a full 10 hours into screwing around installing it. If there is an AC circulation pump in a form factor for my situation - this ain't it

I got kinda a steal on two of those Groco 3/4 inch short versions. Oddly was a good West Marine price plus a holiday discount. Certain things lately I've noticed are cheap there, but are drop shipped directly so requires patience.

 

Heres an idea for mounting

View attachment 71094593065__71FAB899-AA4B-41B4-B3AF-3AB125ACF5D0.jpeg

 

Here is the end result with the compartment all lashed up.

View attachment 20240122_214337.jpg View attachment 20240122_214403.jpg View attachment 20240122_214348.jpg

 

That looks to clean to let it near the Salt Water !!. Question: why no double clamps below the WL ?

 

Especially after I go vacuum out the little construction bits and rinse the dust out again .. Seriously looking forward to getting a hose in the boat.

The two clamps thing I used certainly on exhaust where the hose is the more difficult super re-enforced stuff w/ the larger wire and a spiral, that's going to get hot and such, but also where you have a full 2.5+ inches of "nipple" there, when it fits right.

On the smaller fittings what I find is when you try to put 2 clamps on there what you usually end up with are 2 clamps not quite placed ideally. So I use the highest quality clamp I'm aware of in this style, ABA, placed just how I want it, and I use a torque wrench on every one. Basically I'm shooting for one clamp that's as perfect as possible.

One that note, this torque wrench, which really I owned for things like scope rings around expensive glass, is really sweet for hose clamps.

View attachment 20240122_214024.jpg

 

That's great. why would i think you wouldn't use a torque wrench. Many people will over tighten clamps.

 

That's great. why would i think you wouldn't use a torque wrench. Many people will over tighten clamps.

Oh yeah I'd definitely over tighten the small clamps without the torque wrench - although you'd be surprised how tight it can seem you are going with the large clamps that might be rated for 75 inch lbs or more. They come up to 40 lbs or so really quick, but there's a lot of turning involved to get from there to even just 65. I bet without a torque wrench many people over torque small ones but are under on the big ones.

 

We used the 3/4" Groco on a 5 ton AC, it worked well, and a small wet vac always did a quick clean in jellyfish season and for winterizing. I also plumbed a valve/tee in the line from the seacock. It had a garden hose female that could quickly flush the AC with dock water. A spare filter screen makes for a quick return to service too. Over 20 years use and still going strong.

 

I like these short versions a lot for this application. Both for the AC circulation pump & generator I'm using the same 3/4 short version.

 

HEY, I drink beer to you know..

 

Technically, that's I drink beer "too"