Can the Herbie strainer just be removed?

[jimfish98]

Today my emergency drain kept getting used and I kept opening my main drain trying to compensate. It got to a point where I opened the overflow box and saw the issue. Recently I was dealing with high phosphates and it appears I was growing a large amount of some slimy version of GHA in the overflow. Numbers are normal again, so its dying off and clogged up the strainer. Pain in the butt to clean and the only way to really clean it properly is to turn off the pumps, drain the overflow, remove the pipe and get to scrubbing. Looking at an hour or two of work to get it all cleaned out and put together, but thinking about saving time in the future.

I get it being used to keep out fish and snails, but I have yet to have anything living show up in there, so is there a point to having it? Thinking if I have to remove the pipe, why not just cut the strainer off while I have it out so stuff flows easy to the fleece roller. No future blockages like that and the system flows better. If there is a build up in the pipe, I can easily clean it out without even turning off the system if that strainer isn't there.

 

[VintageReefer]

Can you get a slip on strainer so it’s easier to remove ?

 

[VintageReefer]

I just re-read. The emergency shouldn’t have a strainer. Typically only the main

Here is mine

And a website explaining the setup

 

[jimfish98]

The strainer is on my main drain, it clogging is why my emergency drain kept over flowing despite continuously opening the gate valve on the main drain.

Without removing the drain I was able to use some metal clippers and sheer off the top and allow me to access the strainer gaps better so I can clean them in place now. I may at some point pull the whole thing and take out the strainer walls. So much cleaned out and down the drain that my gate valve clogged and I had to open that wide open to clear it. Adjusting it back now trying to get it in check.

 

[RedReefer]

I removed mine. I've had them clog in the past.