Stourflex are market leaders in providing pipework flexibility solutions that include high quality, specialist pipe expansion products. The Stourflex brand name has become a guarantee of quality and stands not only for the finest products, but also proactive engineering technical support services.
At Stourflex, providing the right product to provide the right solution is hugely important to us and therefore we offer a complete range of pipework expansion & anti-vibration equipment all supported by a comprehensive range of technical services, that includes specialist site surveys, technical advice and a reliable aftersales service.
We are one of the UK’s leading suppliers of expansion joints and other pipeline equipment, including of course, air and dirt separators.
How do air and dirt separators work?
Stourflex air and dirt separators are manufactured for use in heating and chilled water systems. They are designed, developed and built according to the latest industry requirements with significant emphasis placed on reliability and cost-effective designs.
Air and dirt separators remove both air bubbles and dirt particles in one unit. This combination of two functions in a single unit allows savings in time and cost. The installation of an air and dirt separator is necessary in order to prevent typical problems such as corrosion in heating pipework systems, failure of pumps due to cavitation, noises in the system.
The design of Stourflex air and dirt separators incorporates a stainless steel diffuser screen. This specially designed screen is positioned in an enlarged chamber which causes changes to the turbulence of the water flow. These changes in velocity and pressure provide the opportunity for the air in water to be released and attach to the stainless steel diffuser screen in the form of microbubbles. The microbubbles will fuse together to form larger bubbles which gain buoyancy and float upwards which are removed from the separator via an automatic air eliminator.
The added benefits of installing an air and dirt separator is that the design of the enlarged chamber allows solid particles that are heavier than water to settle and be collected in the bottom of the dirt chamber and remain undisturbed until drained manually via a shut off valve.
Stourflex’s extensive range of air and dirt separator products provides the ideal solution to the very serious problem of contaminants such as dirt and air finding their way into functioning heating and chilled water systems. When this happens and the contaminants are not removed, the efficiency of your systems is seriously reduced.
An excess of air in your system can lead to noise and also to oxidisation, which in turn can lead to the build-up of contaminated particles. The existence of dirt in the system causes an increased number of drops in pressure, as well as blockages and the premature decline of components.
What applications and equipment use air and dirt separators?
Air and dirt separators are commonly used in the building services industry such as the heating and chilled water systems of large high rise office buildings. If system debris and sludge accumulates within the boiler it will rapidly reduce the efficiency of the unit. The installation of an air and dirt separator supported by good water treatment will help safeguard the boiler plant and the associated pipework installation.
Stourflex provide an extensive range of air and dirt separators, created to eliminate the air and debris associated with the start-up and ongoing maintenance of all hydronic systems. We have a long history and many years of experience in pipeline engineering, and we are able to provide innovative solutions to complex engineering problems. We have a proactive approach to business, and we guarantee a swift response to your enquiries. Contact us today to see how we can help you.