Raw Water Strainer

[Mowjo]

Just had a look in the Bilge on the Birchwood and I don't seem to have a raw water strainer just a seacock, I' m presuming I just have a water intake scoop, my question is can I just add add one of those plastic Vetus raw water strainers inline, or do I have to change the scoop to a straight through fitting, the boat is coming out for a bit of attention and I have to change the seacock anyway, but do I actually need to add another strainer or are the scoop type good enough? I just worry about little bits of crud getting through to the engine,

 

Frank,,,,,

[JawsOrca]

If I was you Frank, as you are coming out and as you are changing the ballcock, I'd replace the skin fitting too just for peace of mind (We've always used a scoop type skinfitting) .. the skin fitting you have is probably ok but that's just me (and replace with Bronze or DZR).. I wouldn't rely on just the grated scoop; You can fit a "Norfolk reed filter" type filter (as seen on most hireboats) to the ballcock or a plastic inline one somewhere to hand.

 

I'd suspect that if you don't have a separate filter as you say you run more of a risk of reeds going up and getting caught up in the impeller at best reducing the life of the impeller at worst probably jamming it up etc)  I'm just guessing though (and we have fitted a bronze scoop, bronze ballvalve, norfolk type filter).

 

Hopefully others can advise to assist.

[diesel falcon]

If you need one there are lots to choose from here.......http://www.asap-supplies.com/search/raw+water+strainer

 

make sure you havn,t got one , before you buy , they can be bolted to the engine and have solid tops, we are constantly cleaning out raw water strainers ,even though we have grilled intakes on the legs, have had shrimps living in there once!,so can,t hurt fitting one, and there not expensive   

 

ps keep a scoop fitting fitted, it will help with the water pickup.

[Oddfellow]

I have a bucket full of bronze water strainers at the yard in perfect condition (just a little old). Most are missing the caps nd filter elements, but replacements are just a few pounds.

 

With new prices on these starting at about £55, one of mine at £10 will save you a decent amount of money.

[Guest]

I always prefer to replace the brass upstand type of strainer with Vetus remote strainers in my boats.

 

The type with transparent lids show if they're blocked and also if there's a healthy water flow.

 

My current boat has a Volvo outdrive leg which originally only had the outer grille, like Diesel Falcon's.

 

I fitted the Vetus just above water level, so it can be cleaned without having to rush !

 

The other photo shows the rather precarious looking setup in one of my previous ex hire cruisers.

 

I changed that for a Vetus remote strainer, together with a new skin fitting and ball valve.

[JawsOrca]

I have a bucket full of bronze water strainers at the yard in perfect condition (just a little old). Most are missing the caps nd filter elements, but replacements are just a few pounds.

 

With new prices on these starting at about £55, one of mine at £10 will save you a decent amount of money.

 

Andy, I could do with a spare (Just in case?!!) certainly for that money. Very kind .. Although I'll let Frank have first looks!.. We should be passing your way sometime in May, if I can stop off and take a look and grab one if that's possible?  

[Mowjo]

Thanks folks great info as usual, I was a little worried that with the scoop and new strainer it might restrict the water flow a bit but it seems it's ok! The weird thing is I been in the bilge a hundred times since getting the new/old boat and only realised there was no water strainer last weekend when showing someone my wonderfull bilge pump set up, it seems it was fitted to dodge the BSC, I couldn't work out why the pump had it's own 12v plug and socket, when I traced the hose to the skin fitting, about 12" from the skin fitting there was a quick connect hose fitting, making the whole thing removable for the BSC, I'm now fitting a permanent bilge pump and oil/water water strainer in the engine bay and a second pump behind the engine bulkhead just in case I get any leaks from the prop end,

 

Frank,,, 

 

 

PS, thanks for the offer Andy but I picked a Vetus strainer up while I was at ASAP today before I saw your post,

[C.Ricko]

best way, get a straight through skin fitting with a straight tail on the ball valve (so you can poke something down it if blocked) Basket filters are the obvious choice. we fit two basket filters on separate intakes as standard  on all new boats ...

all new engines have basket filters retro fitted so the hirer does not have to check the engine..  

[Mowjo]

Thanks for that Clive! I was actually thinking that way myself, I was thinking of using a tee above the ball valve using the side one for the basket filter and adding a lenght of pipe in the straight up bit with a cap on so it's above the waterline, so if it does get blocked I can poke it through, a bit like the Norfolk strainer set up,,

 

Frank,,,,

[Oddfellow]

Clive's approach to basket filters is a sensible one on many levels, but you should be aware that the main problem with Vetus basket filters (apart from the remarkable expense of them) is that the caps can become e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y difficult to remove. 

 

So big is this problem that French Marine has manufactured a removal tool (nope, I couldn't believe that Vetus never made one either). This is a big paddle with a perfect fit  cross on the top to offer leverage on all surfaces of the lid. The tool isn't cheap either, but you may find it absolutely necessary.

 

 

We have loads of spare parts kicking around for lots of things. If anyone needs something, drop in or drop me a line.

[Guest]

Clive's approach to basket filters is a sensible one on many levels, but you should be aware that the main problem with Vetus basket filters (apart from the remarkable expense of them) is that the caps can become e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y difficult to remove. 

 

So big is this problem that French Marine has manufactured a removal tool (nope, I couldn't believe that Vetus never made one either). This is a big paddle with a perfect fit  cross on the top to offer leverage on all surfaces of the lid. The tool isn't cheap either, but you may find it absolutely necessary.......

 

I'm surprised that French Marine went to the trouble of manufacturing a special tool.  I use a cheap and cheerfull Draper rubber strap wrench that I already had on the boat, for removing fuel and oil filters.

 

The pair in two sizes was about £10, from Roys, if I remember correctly.

 

I can almost always remove it easily by hand though, sometimes with the aid of rubber gloves, maybe because I clean it out quite often, seeing all the Broads weed in there through the top.

 

I have the almost identical Vetus bilge pump oil strainer/filter too, with the bonus that the tops are interchangeable, in emergency.

 

You're right about the Vetus parts being expensive, but they are extremely robustly made, unlike some of the cheaper "unbranded" filter baskets you see on Ebay and at Boat Auctions.

[Poppy]

Anybody with only basic skills , some ply offcuts, a few screws  and a bit of glue can make a a removal tool....

[Mowjo]

Funny you mention that Andy, the oil/water separator I picked up yesterday came with a removal tool, just messing with it I had a hard job undoing it by hand, I havn't checked yet but I think the spanner thing may also fit the filter basket, if not I'll go with Strowagers Idea as I have a few of those straps knocking around,, just out of interest I always use a few dabs of silicone grease on plastic threads and so far have never had anything seize,,

 

Frank,,,

[Guest]

I did consider making a flat spanner before I thought of trying my strap wrench, but it would have to be very narrow edged, since the grip around the top cover is aften less than an inch away from the vertical surface that it's mounted to.

 

The strap wrench's 7mm thick rubber gave no problems, and is a universal "one size fits all", so is a very useful cheap tool in the boat, especially as it does the oil and fuel filters as well.

 

(and the Branston pickle jar too, in emergencies !)

[C.Ricko]

yes but the customer does not need to remove it, we had more problems with seals being lost than tight lids..

I don't think the modern customer wants to dip oil / check coolant levels/ clean weed filters any more than they do on their own cars..

[Guest]

But Clive, when I hired "San Benito" from you about 20 years ago, following the morning engine/bilge checklist was all part of the boating holiday experience !

 

I quite agree though, many people these days don't seem to know how to even bang a nail in....

[BroadScot]

Hi Strowy,

 

I can see where Clive is coming from. I had to lift the bed and bedding to check the water and weed filter and oil level on my hire boat last year. A bit of a bind, So I am looking forward, hopefully on Broadway2 NOT to have to carry out such duties.

 

Like you, I did it for manys a year, centre cockpit boats were a bit fiddley doing checks then. The 32ft alpha was about the easiest centre cockpit engine to check.

 

Maybe it was me, but BMC 1.5 Captains always required the header tank topped up every day!

 

 

Iain.

[Mowjo]

Whenever my Grandson Hires I do all the daily checks for him, he hasn't hired from Clive yet! but as I've picked up the boat with him I do know he was told nothing about checking anything, I can only presume like Clive they try to make their hire fleet Idiot proof, the bad news for Clive is he has hired one of his Posh ones this year, hopefully the loos will be emptied unlike the year before last when a well known company in Horning sent him out with two full Loos, luckily I noticed before they got too far and made him take it back to be emptied, I keep trying to get them to Hire from Richo's as I know they look after their customers, but I'll be watching because every time they make something Idiot Proof a new breed of Idiots come along to prove them wrong,

 

Frank,,,

[riyadhcrew]

My last 2 boats were of Clive's posh breed and me being an engineer, I checked under the engine cover 3 or 4 times in the week. I never had to add anything, or clean anything, so the maintenance must be good at the yard.

[Oddfellow]

We advise the removal of vetus water strainer lids ONLY if there is a build-up of weed visible as our experience is the same as Clive's - people lose the O ring. 

 

The problem is that if they can't open the filter, you get a phone call and a request to attend which costs holiday time and our time and money. Those cheap rubber strap wrenches are OK, but a ham-fisted approach to it could break the lid. 

 

These things can be a bitch to undo which is exactly why French Marine made the tool. Those with the wing nut are no better as people simply lose the nut! 

 

A bmc 1.5 should no more need daily topping up of the header tank than any other engine. Such a requirement is surely an indication of a leak somewhere. 

[Guest]

We advise the removal of vetus water strainer lids ONLY if there is a build-up of weed visible as our experience is the same as Clive's - people lose the O ring. 

 

The problem is that if they can't open the filter, you get a phone call and a request to attend which costs holiday time and our time and money. Those cheap rubber strap wrenches are OK, but a ham-fisted approach to it could break the lid. 

 

These things can be a ***** to undo which is exactly why French Marine made the tool. Those with the wing nut are no better as people simply lose the nut! 

 

A bmc 1.5 should no more need daily topping up of the header tank than any other engine. Such a requirement is surely an indication of a leak somewhere. 

 

I'm afraid that's your main problem when hiring boats Andy, a "ham fisted approach" with any tools will break things.

 

There used to be a joke in BT when the telephone exchanges became more and more sophisticated electronically.

 

It was suggested that an exchange could then be maintained by just one man and a dog.

 

What was the dog for ?

 

 

 

He was there to keep the man off the equipment... 

[ranworthbreeze]

I can understand that I have worked with BT engineers before

 

Regards

Alan

[grendel]

its like yesterday, when I was stuck on the motorway on the way home, we sat for a couple of hours, as we moved off again there must have been 5 or 6 cars broken down in the traffic queue. My guess is that they had not done essential maintenance on their cars and thus the car had died. I see the same all the time with people who don't check the oil, water or even tyre pressures regularly, then wonder why they have a blowout on the motorway after 20 miles driving on a flatish tyre. mine at least get a visual inspection before each trip, and oil and water checked weekly.

Grendel

[MBA Marine]

For those who like or dont like the Vetus strainer, you will find a good thick smear of silicone grease is your friend, it keeps the thread lubricated, keeps the rubber seal subtle and helps it seal so you dont have to give it 'the big one' to seal it up.

 

The last part is my only real grievance (other than cost) as they are fitted above the water line its easy for them not to be 100% sealed, you can see this of cause but when you fire the engine it draws from the point of least resistance be the non air tight lid.

[Oddfellow]

Don't be tempted to buy lower cost remote strainers for engine cooling.

 

There are some black plastic ones around that look similar to the Vetus and have a wing nut to secure them.

 

These have a water intake that runs right up the centre of them which culminates with the securing stud for the lid. These are not designed for engine cooling and weed will block the intake apperture due to the design. They are massively cheaper than vetus units (about £25) and very tempting - not all vendors will tell you that they are not suitable for engine cooling.