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My wye strainer is clearly marked with a direction of flow, so how to orientate it with retaliation to that is not in question.

However, the directions are unclear if I can mount so that the 'Y' points upward or sticks out horizontally. All pictures I've found on line seem to have it installed so that the 'Y' points downward as shown below.

enter image description here

virtualxtc
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3 Answers3

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Because of the force of gravity settling debris to the lowest point, the best orientation would be down. The screen assembly is located in the 'Y' branch.

isherwood
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Paul Logan
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    That makes sense if there's a basket but for ones where you just have a cylinder should it really matter? – virtualxtc Apr 02 '18 at 09:47
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After much research, it appears that manufacturers differ in their recommendations.

For instance, Valvida specifically says “ Y “ – strainers should never be installed in vertical pipelines in the upward flow condition:

Valveda Installation Diagram

While Wilkins seems to claim that their valves function correctly while installed in an upward flow condition:

Wilkins upward flow installation

virtualxtc
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According to Spirax-Sarco, for steam or gas applications, a horizontally mounted y strainer should have the catch section in the horizontal plane (side), and in the vertical down position for liquid applications. I was surprised to see this as they almost always seem to be in the vertical down position for steam. I have been in the industry for almost 18 years all around the United States. I just looked at a new installation and found them oriented in the horizontal. I would have bet that this was incorrect. I will do more research on this, but Spirex-Sarco has been a very reputable company for many years

Todd P.
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  • Please take the [tour] and see [answer]. While well-written, your answer is mostly an appeal to authority and doesn't offer much reasoning or evidence. We're not a discussion forum. – isherwood Apr 05 '23 at 13:05