Heating Help

wye strainer?

Does a "Wye Strainer" belong on a wet return? I am, as you may know, planning on getting wet and dirty with my wet return .. i'm trying to source all pieces and such that I may need.

Currently I intend to have a 1-1/4"Gate valve near the boiler...next out will be a full-port ball with a GHT hose bib? Where, if at all, would I put a wye strainer?

Thanks, jpf

wye strainers

I usually only use wye strainer on steam for inlets to f&t traps,steam control valves and the inlets of condensate reciever tanks ,as for on a wet gravity return i will usually just pipe a tee with a dirt drip on it  to catch all the crap if there's room you can install a gate or ball valve and blow that dirt leg down ,the promblem with wye strainers on gravity returns is that they need to be regularly cheked and cleaned or they will get clogged and pervent condensate from getting to where it needs to go and then make your condensate start to stack up and cause other promblems,In my eyes the longer that perventive maintaince is put off on large steam system the more they cost to operate and the more complaints come in from tenants.peace and good luck clammy

I'm with Clammy

The things are more trouble than they're worth, unless you have a pump or valve or something of the sort which is annoyed by small bits of crud downstream.  Otherwise, they're just a nuisance.

1st line of defense

I put dirt legs with blow off valves on all returns that dive down to the water line in the boiler room and trap huge amounts of junk in these. I also fill into the wet return and have an iso gate valve on the wet return riser so the wet return below water line can be flushed well. Lots & lots of junk gets trapped.

Tim

do you have any pics of something like this?

Thanks Timco --

do you have any pics of something like this?

jpf

Have to look

I piped this together then had to undo a section to fix a small leak, then saw the amount of dirt it did catch and installed the blow off valves. I think my pics are from before I installed the blow off valves but you will get the point...

Tim

no pics?

Did you forget the link? Or the upload? Thx

pics

Here's the pics. I am sure I will catch h_ll for using galvi and sections here but it was like 8PM when I made up the last leg and fired this thing to get the heat on, and was proud to be able to do it. Anyway, this setup really catches the dirt.

Tim

thanks!

Thanks Timco...the brass "Y" piece in the floor horizontal in 2nd picture is simply a place where you can flush water in?

fitting

No, that is a simple swing check. The fill is into the wet return and after isolating it I can open that hose bib & flush away.

Tim

brass piece

That looks like a check valve (swing check). I don't see any strainers.