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Strainers

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TeaMan

Active Member

Posts: 27

1

Sunday, September 18th 2011, 7:36am

Strainers

Do you guys think a strainer is needed before the RPZ? The installation pictures for them all show a strainer, and I'm on a municipal water system. It seems that it not be needed on a municipal system or are the RPZ devices that sensitive that even a small particle can cause them to malfunction?
TeaMan

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

2

Sunday, September 18th 2011, 1:51pm

I don't install strainers for RPZ's

TeaMan

Active Member

Posts: 27

3

Sunday, September 18th 2011, 3:17pm

Good enough for me, one less thing to worry about, install, etc....
Thanks.

HooKooDooKu

Supreme Member

Posts: 683

4

Monday, September 19th 2011, 10:38am

Quoted from "Wet_Boots"

I don't install strainers for RPZ's

Can you Explain?

As TeaMan points out, the liturature I've seen for Watts regarding their 009 RPZ has the following:

We recommend a strainer be installed ahead of 009 series assemblies to protect
the internal components from unnecessary fouling.
Caution: Do not install with strainer when backflow preventer is used on seldom-
used water lines which are called upon only during emergencies, such as
fire sprinkler lines.

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

5

Monday, September 19th 2011, 4:56pm

It is the most conservative approach to include a strainer, but in practical usage on city water, there isn't enough debris of the right size to cause a full-on relief-valve dump - that being said, never say never - I have seen one instance of a loose solder blob blocking an inner port, making the relief valve dump.

It's a different story on well water, though. I filter the water with a 100-mesh strainer in those applications.

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