The Cooney 12 Days of Christmas: Day 9, Y-Type Strainers
As we count down the days to Christmas, we’ve re-imagined the classic 12 Days of Christmas song! Check back tomorrow, Wednesday, December 17th for a new verse of our updated song.
The Cooney 12 Days of Christmas
On the nineth day of Christmas Cooney Brothers sold to me
Nine Y-Type Strainers
Eight Wash Down Stations
Seven Pressure Gauges
Six Clamp End Fittings
Five Urinals
Four Bronze Ball Valves
Three lengths of pipe
Two RIDGID Wrenches, and
A pump for condensate recovery
Y-Type Pipe Strainers
Y-Type Strainers are the most commonly used type of Strainers. Y Strainers, also referenced as Wye Strainers, get their name from its shape, which resembles the letter Y. With the use of a holed screen, strainers are used in piping systems to remove dirt, debris, and other solids from the flowing media, whether steam, liquid or other gas. Strainers improve the quality of the media while protecting the other equipment on the pipe line, like steam traps, valves, and pumps. This saves money by reducing maintenance costs and extending the life of often costly equipment. Y-Strainers are available in a wide range of materials and sizes to meet the needs of the application in which they are used.
A fundamental use of Y-Strainers is within Steam Systems. Spirax Sarco, a leading manufacturer of steam solutions, makes a wide range of strainers. Here are a few of their most common Y-Strainer series:
IT Y-Strainers are made from Cast Iron, rated for use up to 200 psig saturated steam pressure, and are available in sizes from ¼” to 3 in with NPT connections. The IT series strainers come standard with a 20 mesh screen, but are available with the optional 60/100 mesh screen.
CT Series Y-Strainers feature a Carbon Steel body rated up to 984 psig saturated steam pressure and are available in sizes from ½” to 2” with NPT connections. The CT series strainers come standard with a 20 mesh screen, but are available with the optional 60/100 mesh screen, as well as additional options of SW connections and a steel plug.
The BT Series and TBT Series Y-Strainers are made from bronze and rated for maximum 250 psig saturated steam pressure. These strainers come standard with a 20 mesh screen, but are available with the optional 60/100 mesh screen as well as an optional bronze plug. The BT series is available in sizes from ¼” to 3” NPT and the TBT series is available from ½” to 3” with sweat tubing connections.
The TSSY Series Y-Strainer is made from 316L Stainless Steel in sizes from ½” to 2”, with NPT or SW to ANSI B16.11 connections. Rated for use up to 300 psi at 420 deg F, Spirax Sarco TSSY strainers come with a standard 1/32” perforated screen.
Spirax Sarco makes replacement parts for each of these Y-strainers including the screen, cap, and blow-off bushing/cap gasket. Shop replacement parts here.
Spirax Sarco also manufacturers Y-Type Strainers with ANSI Flanged connections that are available in larger sizes, up to 8 in, including the Cast Iron CI-125 Series, Carbon Steel FIG 34 Series, FIG 36 Stainless Steel, and even larger strainers like the F-125 series and F-250 series which are cast iron strainers available in sizes from 10” to 18”.
For proper use, Spirax Sarco recommends Y-Type Strainers to be installed before steam traps to prevent dirt from entering the trap, and should be installed with the flow direction indicated on the body, in a vertical or horizontal pipeline. The strainer must be accessible for periodic remove of accumulated debris, by either blowing down or removal and cleaning of screen.
As an authorized distributor of Spirax Sarco, we stock a variety of Y-Type Strainers and replacement parts. Cooney Brothers can also help you select the Y Strainer needed for your operation. Contact us today to learn more about implementing strainers and filters in your steam system.