Mermade 36" Tubular Keene-Bowser, Leaf Only

The Mer-Made 36" Tubular Vacuum DE Filter Element (Keene-Bowser Replacement) — Leaf Only (also cataloged as the Bare Core Tube, Support Candle, or Core Assembly) consists of the fully assembled rigid perforated/slotted drainage cylinder, blind top end-cap, and bottom discharge base fitting, excluding the tubular fabric filter sleeve (cloth sock) and base sealing gasket/O-ring.

This configuration is engineered for tubular vacuum DE pits and tube-sheet vessels retrofitting legacy Keene-Bowser (Bowser-Briggs / Keene Corporation) installations. It is specified when existing cloth sleeves are being reused, when tubular socks are purchased in bulk rolls, or when replacing physically warped, cracked, or chemically brittle plastic support tubes in the element bank.

Technical Specifications & Scope of Delivery

• Factory-welded blind top end-cap with alignment guide

• Injection-molded, gusseted bottom discharge base hub with integrated locating/stop shoulder | | Excluded Components | • Tubular synthetic fabric filter sleeve / cloth sock (Part # 775-COVER / VFC-36TB)

• Top/bottom stainless steel or nylon retention band clamps

• Base Buna-N/EPDM O-ring, flat gasket, or felt collar |

Structural Design & Internal Core Mechanics

• Crush-Resistant Core Cylinder: Heavy-wall Schedule 80 thermoplastic cylinder engineered with precision radial perforations or continuous axial drainage slots. It resists collapsing under differential negative vacuum pressures up to 15" Hg, keeping the internal effluent conduit clear.

• Welded Blind Top Cap: Heavy-gauge thermoplastic end-cap solvent- or thermo-welded to the top of the cylinder. Includes an integrated alignment pin or center boss designed to interface with upper stability grids and tie-down spiders, preventing lateral deflection under surge conditions.

• Threaded or Spud Base Adapter: Heavy-duty molded PVC discharge adapter welded to the cylinder base. Engineered to handle installation torques without shearing and fitted with an integral shoulder to establish positive stop alignment against the tube sheet or collection manifold.

Weights & Packaging Estimates

• Individual Bare Tube Net Weight: Approximately 2.8 to 3.8 lbs (1.3 to 1.7 kg).

• Single Boxed Tube Shipping Weight: Approximately 4.5 to 5.5 lbs (2.0 to 2.5 kg) in heavy-duty triangular or square shipping cartons.

• Master Carton / Bulk Pack (12 to 24 Bare Tubes): Approximately 40 to 80 lbs (18 to 36 kg) in bulk reinforced corrugated multi-packs.

Field Clothing & Installation Steps

1. Core Surface Check: Inspect the cylinder surface, slots, and welded caps for sharp plastic flash, burrs, or cracking that could puncture or abrade a new fabric sleeve during installation.

2. Sleeving the Sock: Slide the tubular woven polypropylene filter sock over the blind top cap, pulling it down smoothly along the 36" cylinder until the lower hem reaches the base hub shoulder.

3. Clamping & Tensioning: Smooth out all wrinkles and axial twists. Secure the bottom edge using a 316 stainless steel worm-gear clamp or heavy-duty nylon band directly above the base shoulder. Pull the top of the sleeve taut over the blind cap and clamp or tie off the upper hem.

4. Base Seal Mounting: For push-in style spuds, fit a new elastomeric O-ring or felt compression collar against the stop shoulder. For threaded hubs, apply PTFE thread tape or approved paste sealant to the male threads.

5. Seating in Manifold: Thread or press the element into the Keene-Bowser tube-sheet receiver. If threading, apply torque only at the hex/wrench flats of the base fitting—never twist the perforated cylinder body. Secure the top spacer grid over the upper cap pins.