Flojet Fresh Water Pump Strainer 01740300A, 40 Mesh

If you run a Flojet fresh water pump on your boat or RV, this little stainless strainer is cheap insurance. It threads right onto the inlet side of the pump and catches the grit, sand, and tank sediment that would otherwise get pulled into the pump on every cycle. Small part, but it protects the expensive one downstream.

Here's the thing about demand and diaphragm pumps. They're happy moving clean water all day, but a chunk of debris in the wrong spot chews up a valve or scratches a seat, and then you've got a pump that won't hold pressure or cycles on and off at the helm for no reason. Putting a 40 mesh screen ahead of the pump is the simplest way to keep that junk out. It's the same idea as a fuel filter, just for your fresh water side.

The strainer uses a 3/8 inch hose barb on the inlet and a 3/8 inch hose barb on the outlet, so it drops straight into the common 3/8 inch fresh water plumbing most Flojet pumps are rigged with. The body mounts directly to the inlet, or suction, side of the pump, which is exactly where you want the filtration, before the water ever reaches the internals. It's rated for flow up to 3.5 GPM, so it keeps up with the pump instead of choking it down.

Install is about a five minute job. Cut the pump off and relieve the water pressure first. Slide your inlet hose off the pump, connect it to the inlet barb on the strainer, then run a short piece of 3/8 inch hose from the strainer outlet back to the pump inlet. Snug both connections with proper hose clamps. One thing worth saying twice: any air leak on the suction side will make a demand pump lose prime and hunt, so make sure those clamps are tight and the hose isn't cracked at the barb.

The screen is stainless steel at 40 mesh. That mesh count is the sweet spot for potable water, fine enough to grab sand and scale flakes but open enough that it won't starve the pump or clog every other weekend. Stainless matters here because it lives in constant contact with water and won't rust out on you the way a bare steel screen would. It's the same kind of screen you'd trust on a drinking water line.

Cleaning is easy and you should do it. Every so often, especially after you've filled from a questionable water source or dumped and refilled the tank a few times, shut the pump down, take the strainer apart, and rinse the screen under clean water. A soft brush knocks loose anything stubborn. If you're seeing weak flow at the faucets or the pump is short cycling, a clogged strainer screen is one of the first things to check. Ninety seconds with the screen out usually tells you the story.

You'll find these on everything from washdown and galley supply setups to RV fresh water systems and utility transfer rigs. Anywhere a Flojet pump is pulling from a tank, a strainer on the inlet is good practice. On a boat, tank sediment tends to stir up in a chop, so the screen earns its keep. In an RV, it's the campground fill water and the odd bit of hose grit you're guarding against. Either way, the pump lasts longer and your water pressure stays steady.

This is a fresh water part, so treat it like the rest of your potable system. Before the first freeze, drain it along with your lines or run your antifreeze through, since trapped water in the strainer body can crack it just like anywhere else in the plumbing. Come spring, pull the screen and give it a look before you pressurize.

Bottom line, it's a Flojet part for a Flojet pump, sized and threaded to fit without adapters or guesswork. If you're rigging a new fresh water system or your old strainer has finally given up, this is the direct replacement. Keep a spare in the parts bin too. They're inexpensive, and there's never a good time to be chasing pump problems that a cheap screen would have prevented.