Water filters

[Deleted]

Modelworks originally provided just 2 water feeds from the tender, one from the handpump feeding into the axlepump and the other feeding via a T-piece to both injectors. Each feed has a nice gauze filter on the end inside the tender, as shown here: www.britanniabuilder.co.uk/Kit4pipework.jpg (towards the lower left of the photo). They have a fine mesh with a large conical surface area.

By popular request Modelworks have now provided 2 further feed pipes so that we can have separate ones for handpump, axlepump and each injector. However, they haven't provided extra filters. Is it standard practice to fit such filters? I haven't noticed them in the usual supplier catalogues. I was thinking of using the two filters on the injector feeds, and leaving the pumps unfiltered.

Regards,

John

[Julia]

John
Are you sure the ones you have already are gauze? Looking at the photos they look a bit like sintered bronze silencers (RS part no 722-283) as supplied with the Burrell. Gauze filters would be a lot better as it was found that the sintered bronze filters clogged and were impossible to clean.

I know from bitter experience that good filter on an injector is necessary unless you can keep the crap out of the tender.

Julia

[Deleted]

Hi Julia,

You may well be right, although there's no photo on the RS website for this item. I just assumed that it was a very fine gauze mesh. But at £1.54 each from RS they could be replaced rather than cleaned! Did you find a better alternative for your Burrell?

Regards, John

[Julia]

A Google for "sintered bronze filters" brought up this picture:-

store.norgren.com/IE/en-IE/cat3/skuT40C1800.html

They were never very successful on the Burrell as they restricted the water supply too much for the oversized injector to work.

Gauze filters are relatively easy to make. Roll into a tube and plug both ends. Drill hole for pipe in one end. Seal the joins with glue...

There are picture on my elaborate version 1/3 down this page
www.kitbuilder.co.uk/burrell_snippets_07a.html

Julia

[mott]

JJ, I have some fine brass gauze specially sold for filters. Julia uses glue satisfactorily, however its quite easy to soft solder the joints of a tube of gauze using a pencil as a former, then squeeze one end flat and solder that and thread the other end over the fitting fastening it with a little brass clamp or s/s seizing wire.(as used by yachties). What is essential is to filter the water going into the tender using a large tube type filter sitting inside the filler pipe. If you then also filter the water going into the injector feeds you should be very well covered.
If we can ,we tend to use soft water to fill our boilers, often drawn from a collection system of rain water off the clubhouse roof or whatever and piped to the steaming bay but as you will know the muck you can get from these catchment systems is a real problem- moss and all the rest. and so filtering when it goes into the tender is vital. I like the idea of having some disposable filters but I think as we have plenty of space in the tenders, to have fine gauze filters but make them large so they will not block so easily is worth considering.
Just my opinion as I am doing this job just now, having re-positioned the water valves for my injectors from the front of the tender to the back to avoid the long stretch forward.Mott

[ausdan]

I would of thought those filter would be far from ideal? they are made for pneumatic air system, which silences the exhaust air when in a valve....considering industrial air system runs at 6 to 8 bar and they still clog up.

In a tender with there would be far to much restriction feeding a injector or pump in my opinion

[Deleted]

Thanks for all the comments. They are indeed the sintered pneumatic silencers and although air can be blown through quite freely they don't seem to let water through very quickly, so it looks as though I'll need to get some fine gauze and make my own.

Regards, John

[baggo]

Some members of our club use Sealey paint filters as fitted in spray guns. I think they are about 3/4" diameter. Don't know the mesh size but would think they are pretty fine. They are just push fitted onto a suitable size boss or pipe and are easily replaced if necessary.

www.justoffbase.co.uk/Paint-Filter-Suction-Feed-Pack-of-10-Sealey-ILF-PF10

John