Water filtration or straining

[Anonymous]

Does anyone here have any sort of filtration on their incoming water lines? If so what have you done and what did it cost. I have been having problems lately with the city water having sand and silt that has been plugging up the screens at the washer hose inlets. It has become a pain in the you know what to clean all of these out repeatedly and I was thinking it would be nice to have just one thing to clean instead.

[Kitty]

Sure do not know what it costs but we had something that resemble a large soda bottle. Had a cap and screens inside that would capture the sand and grit. We would have to turn the water off for a few minutes very slowly, clean the filter, replace the "thingamagig" and turn the water back on, again slowly. But we were on well water, and have never had to use it on the store that ran city water. After we had to turn the well off in one store and went to city we would occaissionally have the sand and grit problem. Isn't this a city issue?

[Glenn]

Every other month I get rusty water from old city pipes that need replacing. It is a city issue but it's my problem. Whenever it happens the utility just tells me to flush out the line at the meter and they'll credit me a couple of thousand gallons Big deal. They don't care about the customers we have to send elsewhere. There are inline cartridge filters , but I,ve never been able to find any for 1.5" pipe. Not sure if you can gang 2 or 3 1" filters.

[CharlieS]

This is a great thread. I hate to clean the washer screens in 30 plus machines in three mats, and have been looking for an alternative. Any answers out there?

Charlie

[Kitty]

I bet a sweettalking secretary would make sure the city calls you and announces the potential problems when they work on the pipes in your area. Ask them for real notice and see what it is you can do to eliminate a bunch of gunck in your lines. They'll work with you...

[MSKLAUNDRY.]

Kirby, check you pm on this.


http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/productdetail.jsp?xi=xi&ItemId=1612838941

Other sizes available.

[Tom Ala.]

Glen I have the same problem it looks like mud, After buying several loads of wash the city now calls us every time they have a pressure drop, and tell us who to blame. ( last week it was the Ma Bell) The city to this point has sent over $150,000 on testing and improvements. Also a we have not been able to find any kind of filter that will stop it. It passes right threw a 5 micron filter. Tom
P.S. iespell works!

[srhaz]

Be careful of your wording.
There are 'Filters' and there are 'Strainers'

Strainers (typically made of a mesh material) strain out the larger solids. Very fine mesh is available. The "Y" style that MARC pointed out are the least expensive. Drawbacks are they have smaller mesh area so they load up faster and you have to turn off your supply water to clean it. However you can mount them in many different positions. Basket strainers are more industrial duty and expensive.
Filtration is more likely the way to go with a laundromat.
There are electronic units, that look like water softners, which can remove rust/iron, and other particles.
A simple fine micron mesh filter cartridge or bag will remove all the crap you would want removed. Cartridge filters are cheap, bag filters again are more industrial duty. You can get a 'double' cartridge so as you clean one, water is bypassed to the other and you do not need to shut down.
The filter installed BEFORE your pressure tank will even protect your tank from particle build up. I use a simple "T" type cartridge filter with 50 to 100 micron mesh. You can get at Home Depot.

A leader in the industry is Hayward. You can learn about applications and all at their website:
www.haywardindustrial.com

[srhaz]

Let me add,
I'm talking the big cartridge filters, not the little 2" x 9" you see in your home.
The 4" x 18", double set up will handle 36 gallons per minute.

Try
www.serfilco.com

go to pages, and go to the bottom of page 53

[MSKLAUNDRY.]

Yes, there is a difference between filtering and strainers, but based on what Kirby was saying I feel that would be sufficient for his purposes of filtering out the large particles. The y strainers does have a blow out port that does self clean the strainer however one in a while I would recommend opening up the clean out port and manually cleaning or replacing the strainer.

I have several of my customers who all have the same type of device with great results.

Which one will depend on what kind of money he wants to spend!!!