AC Raw Water Strainer Completely Fouled with Pea Sized Oysterss

[captainwjm]

I use Bromine tablets; just ordered a 10lb bucket from Amazon. We put 5 1" tablets into the strainer each week. That's how long they last in our chiller system which runs 24/7 in the hot Keys water.

[Briankinley2004]

Robert I was able to find Bromine at the wal mart in Houma, LA. It was on top shelf in can with purple top. I may go buy a few more after what you stated. To the OP I wasn't running Bromine in the freshwater and found out I needed to in the saltwater. when I pulled the strainer out to clean it I had 3 baby crabs in it. No telling what else has went through the system. I flushed them out with phosphoric acid solution to be safe

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Robert I was able to find Bromine at the wal mart in Houma, LA. It was on top shelf in can with purple top. I may go buy a few more after what you stated. To the OP I wasn't running Bromine in the freshwater and found out I needed to in the saltwater. when I pulled the strainer out to clean it I had 3 baby crabs in it. No telling what else has went through the system. I flushed them out with phosphoric acid solution to be safe

Thanks. I think captainwjm got it right. The 1” pellets are what I used to go with. The purple top stuff is fine, but the smaller pellets dissolve a little too fast.

[Briankinley2004]

Thanks. I think captainwjm got it right. The 1” pellets are what I used to go with. The purple top stuff is fine, but the smaller pellets dissolve a little too fast.

The ones I bought are about an inch or more in length and about 1/2" diameter. Are y'all finding them 1" diameter? I put 3 in mine and they last less than a week. Our water is muddy with temps in high 80's. Numerous floating fish heads and general BS in water. I put in my saltwater toilets (2 tabs) and they last about the same. I put the chlorine ones with orange tops that are more tubular than encapsulated and they didnt seem to last any different but had a more distinguished bleach smell

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

The ones I bought are about an inch or more in length and about 1/2" diameter. Are y'all finding them 1" diameter? I put 3 in mine and they last less than a week. Our water is muddy with temps in high 80's. Numerous floating fish heads and general BS in water. I put in my saltwater toilets (2 tabs) and they last about the same. I put the chlorine ones with orange tops that are more tubular than encapsulated and they didnt seem to last any different but had a more distinguished bleach smell

Fill the basket up, all the way.

[Passages]

This morning I noticed a mechanic working on my dock neighbors boat. He was on the dock scrubbing a strainer basket and said he has never seen baskets so packed with marine life.

So it's not just me. We are on the Ft Lauderdale ICW. Is this something to expect every summer or something new?

[rustybucket]

My last marine ac tech turned me onto a product called D Scale. It's available at any hvac shop. He says it's the safest, most aggressive thing you can use. He said it was safer than anything else available. It's quite a bit cheaper than barnacle buster and will absolutely clean the system VERY quickly.

I use about a half/half blend with the D Scale. Circulate it through the system for a few mins, let it sit for a bit, circulate a little more then flush it all out.

Bromide works great, also have a dock neighbor experimenting with copper fittings in the strainer, he swears it's keeping all the barnacle growth out of his ac system. Think he is going on month 2 or 3 on the copper fitting experiment. Copper is deadly to shell forming marine organisms.

[Passages]

I would be careful with cooper fittings below the waterline. Copper is soft and prone to pitting over time.

Theres a reason brass alloys are typically used.

[rustybucket]

I would be careful with cooper fittings below the waterline. Copper is soft and prone to pitting over time.

Theres a reason brass alloys are typically used.

Maybe I should have been more clear. He is literally taking a handful of copper fittings/cut up pipe and tossing it into the strainer basket. Just like you would a bromide tablet.

The concept is the copper is sacrificial. With the copper present in the water in the basket/lines/thru-hull fitting no marine growth will occur.

I know from having a saltwater fish tank it the past that using copper fittings in a reef tank would basically wipe out your entire tank.