Choosing the correct water filter for your home&#;s water system is important to making sure you get the most out of your purchase. When it comes to a Rusco filter, there are a few things you&#;ll want to consider before implementing one into your system. Determining what size filter you&#;ll need based on the inlet and outlet, as well as factoring in the number of GPM running through your system is something that should be taken into consideration. You&#;ll also want to know whether or not the filter is needed for a hot water or cold water application. Depending on where the filter will be placed within your system, you may need to select one that doesn&#;t have a T-body and instead select an option with an L-body or a combo body. Figuring out what micron size you need for your filter screen is also something important to consider, and today we&#;ll focus on exactly what a micron is and how mesh size correlates.
Before discussing different micron sizes and how they correlate to mesh, let&#;s take a moment to understand exactly what a micron is. The word micron is actually short for micrometer, which means one millionth of a meter. It&#;s essentially a unit of measurement that describes the size of the particles that are allowed to pass through. As an example, a filter with a 150-micron rating will not allow anything that is larger than 150 microns to pass through it.
When it comes to microns, the larger the number, the more that will be able to pass through. For example, gravel is the size of microns. If you have a screen size in your filter that is equal to microns, anything smaller than the size of gravel would be able to pass through that screen. On the other hand, a dust mite is the size of 20 microns. A screen equal to 20 microns in a filter would only allow particles smaller than the size of a dust mite to pass through. As far as micron size is concerned, you want to remember that the larger the number the more that will pass through and the smaller the number the less.
You can see an example here of different particle types and their relative micron size.
Micron Continuum&#;
While it&#;s good to have an understanding of microns, if you purchase a water filter from Rusco you&#;ll discover that some of our filters utilize a different unit of measurement when it comes to screen size. In place of micron size, which is a standard unit of measurement throughout the industry, the mesh filters you purchase from Rusco are stamped with what is known as a mesh size. Mesh refers to the number of pores per square inch in a mesh material. A 24-mesh screen means that there are 24 pores in one square inch of mesh screen. A -mesh screen means that there are pores in one square inch of mesh screen.
When it comes to mesh, the larger the number, the less that will be able to pass through. For example, ragweed pollen is about the size of 370 mesh. If you were to have a screen size in your filter that is equal to 370 mesh, it would take something smaller than ragweed pollen to pass through that screen. On the other hand, a coffee ground is about the size of 50 mesh. A screen equal to 50 mesh would allow anything smaller than a coffee ground to pass through that screen. As far as mesh size is concerned, you want to remember that the smaller the number the more that will pass through and the larger the number the less.
At Rusco, we generally offer nine mesh sizes when it comes to polyester screens. To better understand how microns compare to mesh, below is a list of the conversions.
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Mesh Micron What It Filters 24 700 Shale, Sand, Shell, Debris 30 500 Pipe Scale, Coarse Sand 40 350 Pipe Scale, Coarse Sand 60 250 Fine Sand 100 150 Grit 140 100 Grit 250 50 Grit 500 30 Very Fine Sand, Grit 15 Ultra Fine, Fine grained, Powder, Dust-like sediment&#;
If you&#;d like to learn more about different mesh and micron sizes and which one is right for your application, give Rusco a call at 1-800-345-. A live customer service representative will be available to help answer your questions.
To find the wye strainer that is right for your project or job, it&#;s important that you know how mesh and screen sizing works. While deciding which size strainers to purchase, you need to consider both the micron and mesh values. Use our Micron and Mesh Comparison Chart to determine the best strainer for you.
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Micron and mesh size are measurements that are used to describe different sizes of wye strainers. While these two types of measurements are expressed differently, they both describe the same thing &#; the measure of the size of the openings in the strainer that materials pass through. The mesh or micron size will tell you what size particles will be stopped, or strained, from the liquid flowing through the strainer.
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Micron is short for micrometer. It&#;s a unit of length that is used for measuring very small particles. A micrometer is defined as one-millionth of a meter which is equivalent to about one twenty-five thousandth of an inch. The micron value of a wye strainer indicates the size of particles it will filter out.
Mesh size is fairly straightforward. It measures the number of openings in the mesh that make up one linear inch. For example, a 12 mesh screen means that there 12 openings across one inch. A 120 mesh screen means the openings are much smaller and that there are 120 openings per inch. The higher the mesh number, the smaller the particles that are allowed to pass through the strainer.
As you can see, microns and mesh size measure the same thing, but differently. Micron measurements tell you the size of the opening in the strainers, thus what size particles it will capture. Mesh size tells you how many openings there are in an inch, which can be calculated to provide you with the same information.
The following chart will help you understand mesh sizing in more detail. For example, a size 12 mesh screen has openings that are microns and a size 100 mesh screen has openings that are 149 microns. When the mesh screen size gets to higher than 400, measurements are typically expressed in microns only. At those sizes, it&#;s the most accurate way to measure.
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Because wye strainers are used in various industries, the material of the strainer and the size of the mesh screen that is used for a project or job have to be determined on an individual basis. The type of pipe system, the material that is used in the system, the size of the unwanted particles to be captured, and the pressure and temperature involved in the system are all considerations to keep in mind as you decide which wye strainer is best.
One thing to keep in mind about mesh sizes is that they are not exactly precise. Screens are constructed with different materials. That means that there are different thicknesses of the wires or strands depending on the material. In other words, the thicker the material, the smaller the openings will be.
Are you interested in learning more about Polyester Filter Mesh? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!