Custom Stainless Steel Filter Housing Quote Checklist
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A custom stainless steel filter housing can be quoted accurately from ten pieces of information, and most of them fit on one page. Send the liquid and its temperature, the flow rate and solids load, the operating pressure, the element you will use, the port size and type, the nozzle positions, the closure, the gasket material, the surface finish inside and out, and the quantity with the delivery country. With those, a manufacturer can return a price and a dimensioned drawing instead of a list of questions.
- Duty: liquid, temperature, flow, solids and the rating you need, operating pressure.
- Element: bag size and ring style, or cartridge length and end style.
- Connections: port size, thread or flange standard, or Tri-Clamp ferrule size.
- Layout: where the inlet, outlet, drain and vent point; leg or bracket height.
- Build: closure type, gasket material, material grade, finish inside and out.
- Order: quantity, destination, and any drawing or photo of the housing you are replacing.
This checklist expands the quote section of our stainless steel filter housing buyer's guide. The custom bag and multi-cartridge housing page is where the request goes.
Why does a custom stainless steel filter housing quote need this much detail?
Because each item changes the drawing. The liquid sets the grade and the gasket. Flow and solids set the element count and the vessel diameter. Pressure sets the wall and the closure. Ports and nozzle positions set the shell layout, and the finish sets the hours of polishing. Industry guides on housing selection list the same drivers, flow rate, fluid compatibility including temperature and pressure, material of construction and ease of element changes, as the factors that decide whether a housing fits the job (Filter Source, selection factors). Leave them out and the quote is built on assumptions that surface later as a port on the wrong side or a gasket that swells.
1. What is the liquid, and how hot does it get?
Name the liquid, its concentration if it is a chemical, and the chloride level if you know it, because chlorides are what push a housing from 304 to 316. Give the normal and the highest temperature, including any hot cleaning cycle, since the gasket usually has a lower temperature limit than the steel. If you are between grades, 304 vs 316 for filter housings walks through the choice. For beer, beverages and dosing chemicals, send the liquid, temperature and cleaning chemicals and we tell you what fits; we do not promise a material for a process we have not seen.
2. What flow rate, and how much dirt is in it?
State the flow in cubic meters per hour or gallons per minute, and say whether it is steady or peaks. Describe the solids: what they are, roughly how much, and the particle size or micron rating you need to reach. Flow alone does not size a housing; a dirty liquid or a fine rating needs more filter area for the same flow. If you are unsure whether the job is a bag housing or a multi-cartridge housing, bag filter vs multi-cartridge housing covers the decision, and we will recommend one if you leave it open.
3. What pressure does the line run at?
Give the normal operating pressure and the highest pressure the housing can see, including pump dead-head or surge if that applies. The design pressure and temperature of the housing are stated per model on the quotation and drawing, so this is the number we design against. If your site requires a specific design code or test documentation, say so in the request; we state on the quotation exactly which documents we can supply.
4. Which element will go inside?
For a bag housing: the bag size (#1, #2, #3 or #4) and the ring style of the bags you already stock, steel ring or plastic snap ring, because the basket seat is made for one of them. For a cartridge housing: the cartridge diameter and length, and the end style, double open end (DOE) or single open end with 222 or 226 O-rings. The filter cartridge size guide shows how to measure. If you want a reusable stainless mesh element, say so and give the mesh count; mesh elements are specified in mesh count, not microns.
5. Which ports: size, type and standard?
This is where most quotes go wrong. Write the port size and then the type in full:
- Threaded: NPT for most US lines. Our BSP ports are G (BSPP) parallel thread, sealed on a washer at the face, not NPT and not PT or R tapered thread; G is the norm in the UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand and Korea. See how to tell NPT from BSP.
- Flanged: the standard and the rating, for example ASME B16.5 Class 150 or EN 1092-1 PN16. The two systems are not interchangeable: Class 150 and PN16 are approximate pressure equivalents, but flange outside diameters, bolt circles and bolt sizes differ in most cases, so mating them needs an adapter spool (Projectmaterials, ASME B16.5 vs EN 1092-1). JIS flanges are a third system; name it if that is what you have.
- Sanitary: Tri-Clamp ferrule size, for example 1.5 in or 2 in. Tri-Clamp ports describe the inlet and outlet only; how the lid opens is a separate item below.
6. Where should the nozzles point?
Say whether you want side-in side-out, side-in bottom-out, or in-line ports, and at what angle to each other if it matters for your pipework. Add the leg or bracket height you need, where the drain and vent should sit, and how much room there is above the housing, because the lid and the element both need clearance to come out. A photo of the installation spot with a tape measure in it answers most of this in one shot.
7. How should the housing open?
Choose by how often you change elements and how much room there is above. A threaded sump suits compact cartridge housings. A clamp closure, a band clamp holding the lid on the body, opens without tools and suits frequent changes. A swing bolt lid suits larger bag housings, and a bolted lid suits large vessels opened rarely. Write the closure by name; "clamp" alone can be read as the lid or as Tri-Clamp ports, and they are different things.
8. Which gasket material?
Silicone for water and wide temperature ranges but not oils; EPDM for water, steam and glycols but not oils or fuels; FKM for oils, fuels, many chemicals and higher heat; PTFE for the broadest chemical resistance at the cost of flexibility. If you are not sure, the liquid and temperature from item 1 let us recommend one, and the material goes on the quotation so it can be checked.
9. Which surface finish, inside and out?
Name the finish for each surface separately, because the inside and outside are often finished differently and priced differently. The common choices are a 2B mill finish, a brushed finish, a mirror polish or electropolishing. The British Stainless Steel Association gives typical roughness values for the sheet finishes these start from: about 0.1 to 0.5 micrometer Ra for 2B, 0.2 to 1.5 for brushed 2J (No. 4), and below 0.1 for bright polished 2P (No. 8), and it notes that special finishes are usually accepted against a reference sample rather than a name (BSSA, specifying stainless steel finishes). If your site has an Ra requirement, write the number and the surface it applies to.
10. Quantity, destination and what you already have
State the quantity and the delivery country; both affect the quotation. One housing is a normal order. If you are replacing an existing housing, attach its drawing, or photos with the key dimensions, port sizes and the element it takes, and we tell you whether we can build it. If you have a drawing of your own, send it as it is: we work from customer drawings and we also produce a drawing for you to approve when you have none.
Custom filter housing quote checklist
| Item | What to write | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid and temperature | Name, concentration, chlorides if known; normal and maximum temperature | 304, 316 or 316L; gasket material |
| Flow and solids | m³/h or gpm; what the solids are; target rating | Element count, vessel diameter, bag vs cartridge |
| Pressure | Operating and maximum, including surge | Wall thickness, closure, design pressure on the drawing |
| Element | Bag size and ring style, or cartridge length and end style | Basket seat or cartridge seat |
| Ports | Size plus NPT, G (BSPP), flange standard and rating, or Tri-Clamp size | Nozzles, flanges, whether it bolts to your pipe |
| Layout | Side-in side-out, side-in bottom-out or in-line; angles; leg height; drain and vent; headroom | Shell layout, legs, clearance |
| Closure | Threaded, clamp closure, swing bolt or bolted | Lid design and change-out time |
| Gasket | Silicone, EPDM, FKM or PTFE, or "recommend" | Seal compatibility and temperature limit |
| Finish | Inside and outside named separately; Ra if required | Polishing hours, cleanability |
| Order | Quantity, country, drawing or photos of the existing unit | Quotation and drawing |
What do you get back?
A quotation and a general-arrangement drawing with the ports, closure, legs, finish and material marked, for you to check against the ten items above. Nothing goes into production until you approve the drawing, and the housing is delivered to the dimensions on that approved drawing. The grade of the housing body, 304 or 316, can be verified by PMI on request; valve and fastener materials are listed separately on the quotation. Minimum order is one piece.
FAQ
Do I need a drawing to request a custom filter housing quote?
No. The ten items above are enough; we draw the housing and send the drawing for approval. If you already have a drawing, send it and we quote to it.
What if I do not know the flow rate or the right size?
Send what you do know: the liquid, the pipe size, the pump or the application. We recommend a size and say what we assumed, so you can correct it before the drawing is approved.
Can you copy a housing I already have?
Usually. Send a drawing, or photos with the overall dimensions, port sizes and the bag or cartridge it takes, and we confirm whether we can build it and what, if anything, would differ.
Which flange standard should I ask for?
The one your pipework uses. ASME B16.5 classes are the US norm and EN 1092-1 PN ratings the European norm; they do not bolt together without an adapter. If you are unsure, photograph an existing flange with a tape across the bolt holes and we identify it.
Ready to send your checklist?
Put the ten items in an email or the form on custom bag and multi-cartridge filter housings, attach any drawing or photos, and you will get a quotation and a drawing to approve. For a quick question first, contact us.