For the past 50 years, Clean Water Services has brought clean water to Washington County, Oregon as the region’s water resources management utility. With four treatment plants and 43 pump stations, the utility is responsible for treating more than 65 million gallons of wastewater each day that ultimately serves more than 600,000 customers in the Tualatin River Watershed area.
A key part of the water treatment process is straining, with products designed to protect valuable equipment from damaging dirt and debris. When it comes to basket strainers at the Clean Water Services facilities, maintenance supervisor Chad King says he looks for a solution that’s easy to use and durable. For years, they’ve relied on Hayward Flow Control’s SB series basket strainers. “They’re fairly easy and quick to get, the cost is reasonable and they last a long time,” he says. “They have a lot of pretty neat features.”
Clean Water Services primarily uses Hayward’s basket strainers in its bulk chemical storage, with the product installed at the feed or discharge of tanks for straining before chemicals are transferred to day tanks. Chad King says he appreciates the easy-to-use handles on the lid of the basket strainers along with the variety in sizes and piping configurations.
Hayward Flow Control has been manufacturing the thermoplastic basket strainers since 1985, with the current design introduced in 2005. Along with the water and wastewater industry, the products are commonly used in large aquariums and zoos, metal finishing and plating, waterparks, food and beverage, and maritime applications.
Regional sales manager Bill King says Hayward’s basket strainers offer a number of features and benefits that set them apart from others on the market.
For one, the gull wing handles on the strainers are ergonomically designed for easy opening and closing by hand. The cover also has a liquid displacing dome on the bottom side that prevents liquid from spilling out when the lid is removed. An integral mounted base allows for convenient fastening.
The basket strainers also feature the option for both in-line and loop connections. When configured for loop flow, the user can pipe in from the top port and out from the bottom port, creating a U-shape or loop in the piping system compared to the straight across in-line setup.
“Loop flow is an advantage if you're in a tight space or you want to put the vessel in a corner,” says Jon Stone, Hayward’s director of engineering and product management. “A lot of customers use that for space savings.”
Stone adds that another advantage of the product is its one-piece molded design and true union ends which allow for efficient removal and cleaning of the basket strainer body or basket itself.
The durability of the basket strainers also means they have no real shelf life, Bill King says. The occasional user error is generally the only cause for replacement.
“The good news is it's very easy to change them out because they have the union, so all they have to do is loosen up the union nuts and put the new one in,” Bill King says.
It’s no surprise that ease of use and maintenance is the most common piece of customer feedback Stone hears about the basket strainers.
“If you ask a user, they’re probably going to tell you the biggest thing is that they never have to touch them other than cleaning the basket out,” Stone says.
As Clean Water Services’ Chad King puts it, “they’re just a good piece of equipment. You kind of put them in and forget about them.”
