Effortless Strainer Maintenance | Smart Wye Strainer

Differential Pressure Monitoring

Monitor pressure drop across the strainer basket with pre-installed sensors that trigger auto-flush when pressure setpoints are exceeded, maintaining stable cooling pressure and minimizing the risk of damage to capital equipment.

Automatic Self-Cleaning

Eliminate manual inspections and strainer cleaning with auto-flushing basket, reducing overall maintenance requirements and freeing teams to focus on mission-critical tasks.

Connected System Control

Verify performance, view historical data, and make pressure adjustments from anywhere with 24/7 real-time system insight through Nexa™ or BAS/BMS.

WHITE PAPER

Liquid Cooling in AI Data Centers:

Protecting Capital Equipment with Effortless Debris Management

Clogged strainers restrict flow and increase the risk of thermal events, downstream failures, and damage to costly capital equipment. Traditional strainers offer no visibility into debris buildup and often require manual cleaning, system isolation, and reactive maintenance, introducing downtime and human error.

Learn how real‑time differential pressure monitoring and automated flushing reduce maintenance burden, maintain optimal flow, and protect mission‑critical uptime in modern cooling systems.

Boost Cooling System Reliability

Automate strainer maintenance and gain real-time differential pressure insights

Available sizes – 3/4"–24" (Model 758) & 2"–24" (758 SM)

Cast iron body & 304 stainless steel screen

Maintenance-free 90-second blowdown

Tapered seats in the body & cover flange prevent particle bypass

Basket fill level visibility via Nexa™ or BAS/BMS

5 Ways Smart Strainer Maintenance Improves Data Center Performance

Maintains Consistent Flow for Reliable Cooling

Clean strainers allow cooling liquid to move through the system at the flow rates designers intended. When debris builds up, flow becomes restricted, temperatures rise, and cooling performance slowly degrades. The Smart Wye Strainer’s real-time differential pressure monitoring and auto-flush feature keep strainers clear, helping cooling systems deliver steady, predictable thermal control.

Prevents Surprise Downtime

Traditional strainers require manual differential pressure monitoring to determine if maintenance is required, making it easier to miss. As debris accumulates, temperatures slowly rise. By the time the issue becomes visible, equipment may already be operating outside safe thermal limits, forcing emergency shutdowns or unplanned downtime. The Smart Wye Strainer automates maintenance to minimize downtime and reduce overall maintenance burden.

Protects High-Value GPU Investments

GPUs are extremely expensive investments and rely on precise thermal conditions to operate reliably. Restricted flow from clogged strainers can lead to elevated temperatures, thermal throttling, and stress on GPU components, potentially reducing their lifespan. The Smart Wye Strainer improves cooling performance, extending usable lifespan and reducing the risk of premature failure.

Improves Energy Efficiency

Restricted flow forces pumps and cooling equipment to work harder to maintain target temperatures. Over time, this leads to higher energy consumption and increased operating costs. Auto flush keeps the strainer clean, allowing for efficient heat transfer and reducing unnecessary energy draw.

Lowers Maintenance Burden and Operational Stress

Reactive strainer cleaning often means manual inspections, rushed repairs, and maintenance performed under pressure. The Smart Wye Strainer automates strainer maintenance, reducing labor demands and allowing teams to focus on higher value tasks.

See How it Works

The Smart Wye Strainer filters debris through a fine-mesh strainer basket, allowing clean cooling fluid to pass downstream. Integrated differential pressure sensors continuously monitor pressure across the basket. When debris buildup causes pressure to exceed setpoints, a motorized ball valve automatically opens to flush accumulated debris—without removing the basket or isolating the line. The valve then closes, restoring normal operation while maintaining consistent flow and eliminating manual cleaning.

CASE STUDY

Data Center Ditches Traditional Strainers for Smart Strainer with Auto Flushing

A data center in the southern United States faced repeated large diameter strainer basket failures, rising maintenance costs, and growing risk to chilled water system performance and downstream capital equipment.

Customer Snapshot

Market: Data Center 

Application: Chilled Water Cooling System

System Type: Smart Wye Strainer

Challenge: Excessive pressure drop, basket collapse, and hard-to-access manual maintenance

The Challenge

Fine mesh baskets were installed in existing strainers to maintain cooling performance without adjusting existing maintenance schedules, causing excessive pressure drop and repeated basket collapse. This resulted in thousands of dollars spent on replacements. Manual monitoring required technicians to visually inspect hard-to-reach pressure gauges in the rafters, leading to insufficient maintenance and ongoing operational strain.

The Solution

The facility replaced manual strainers with the Smart Wye Strainer, automating differential pressure monitoring and debris removal. The system auto flushes at standard setpoints, eliminating manual inspections while maintaining consistent flow and protecting the chilled water system without taking equipment offline.

The Results

Eliminated manual strainer inspections in hard-to-reach locations

Automated flushing at standard setpoints without system isolation

Extended strainer basket life and reduced replacement costs

Protected chilled water performance and downstream capital equipment

Saved thousands annually while improving system reliability

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