Safety & Training
“Clean That Strainer!”
In this issue I will be discussing an integral part of any boat that has inboard engines or air conditioning: Sea strainers, also known as raw-water strainers, provide your boat with a layer of defense against the ocean. These strainers filter out the junk and debris that your boat uses to cool its engine(s). Also, since many of your boat’s appliances such as your air conditioners are also water-cooled rather than air-cooled like your house refrigerator or air conditioner, they must rely on water being sucked in from outside your boat, circulated around cooling coils, and pumped back overboard.
Jim Rich
It is extremely important to monitor and maintain your strainers, as sea life, algae, sea grass, barnacles and even plastic bags are often sucked up or even grow within the strainers, eventually clogging lines and preventing the cooling circulation from happening. This can eventually lead to overheating and complete shutdown of systems. Following is an easy-to-understand step by step procedure in maintaining your sea strainers (copied from “Dream Chaser” website): • “Turn off the device that is using the water cooling. Example, air conditioner, engines, etc. • Close the seacock that prevents water from coming in the boat when the lines are open. • Slowly unscrew and remove the lid of the sea strainer canister. • Remove the strainer basket and clean with hot water and a brush. • Clean the inside of the screen canister (I recommend a small round toilet brush dedicated to this task). • Put the screen back in the housing and loosely put on the canister cover. • Open the seacock part way and be ready to close the strainer housing tightly as water starts to come out. This is to remove air from the system and is an important step. • Open the seacock all the way and turn on the device. • Check to make sure you have water discharging from the boat in the proper location. • If there is no water discharging from the boat, turn off the device and investigate a possible air lock in the system.” I personally check all of my sea strainers every seven to ten days. This is especially important during the summer when the water temperature is high. Also, if your boat is moored in a wet slip where there is an active current, algae and barnacles build up much faster than in a cooler, slow moving current. Although frowned upon by some marine air conditioner service people, for the past 20 years I have added 8-10 one- inch bromine tablets to my AC strainers on a regular basis. In doing so, I have virtually eliminated the build- up of any barnacle growth on the glass housing or strainers themselves. Bromine is much less corrosive than chlorine and acts as a wonderful deterrent to any unwanted growth. These can be purchased at any pool supply company or retailer such as Home Depot or Lowe’s. The cost for a 1 ½ pound container will vary from $15 to $20. However, you can purchase a 5-pound container from SpaDepot.com for just $39.95. Remember, a clean strainer is a happy strainer! Until next time, Safe and Happy boating! Jim Rich Safety and Training Officer
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