All three are ¾ in. female NPT, lead-free bronze or brass with a stainless screen, for potable water lines. All were new and in stock on Amazon on Oct 23, 2026, and each scores 7.0 or higher.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
How the three compare on our spec score
Five checks from each maker’s spec sheet, equal weight. The rules and every input are in the method section near the end.
PlumbingPicks spec score out of 10, from Apollo’s, Zurn Wilkins’ and Watts’ spec sheets, read Oct 23, 2026. It is not a customer rating or a lab test of our own.
All three are well-documented potable-water strainers. They differ on the details a plumber checks: how much pressure and heat the body is rated for, which lead-free standard is named, whether you can order a finer screen, and whether the cap is tapped so you can blow debris out without opening it.
Apollo publishes the widest set of options. Zurn names NSF/ANSI 61 but tops out at 180°F. Watts gives a tapped cap and the most heat headroom but doesn’t name the NSF standard on its sheet.
Each Y strainer, in detail
What each maker publishes, what it means on your water line, and where each one lost points.
Best for mesh choices
Apollo 59LF
Series lead-free bronze Y strainer, ¾ in. FNPT, 20 mesh (59LF00401)
This part has a plain cap; tapped caps are other part numbers
Only 8 left on Oct 23, 2026
Heavier pattern than the Watts
¾ in. FNPT400 psi CWP350°F20 mesh, 304 SS6.7 sq in screenPTFE gasket
Buy it if
You want the most published options: finer mesh, tapped caps or a blow-off ball valve, in a USA-made body.
Skip it if
You want blowdown on this exact part number. Order a tapped-cap version (-02, -P2 or -06).
Apollo’s 59LF is the Y strainer I’d put on most water lines, and I’ve used it. Apollo’s submittal sheet calls the 59LF-300 a heavy-pattern strainer with a large-area screen, designed to protect piping and equipment with minimum pressure loss.
The ratings are the strongest here: 400 psi cold working pressure, 125 psi steam working pressure, and 350°F maximum. Apollo lists NSF/ANSI 372 for lead free and says it’s 100% factory pressure tested.
Options are where it pulls ahead. Apollo lists 20, 60, 80 and 100 mesh screens, a plain cap, a tapped cap, a tapped cap with plug, and a tapped cap with a ball valve for blow-off in ¾ to 2 in. sizes.
The ¾ in. size (59LF-304 on the sheet) is 4.00 in. long, with a ½ in. NPT cap tapping when tapped, 6.7 sq in of net screen area, and a 304 stainless screen. The gasket is PTFE.
Apollo says it’s 100% cast, machined and assembled in the USA, with a self-aligning screen design so the screen seats square when you refit the cap. It also lists ARRA compliance and a Canadian registration number (CRN), and the ¾ in. weighs 1.21 lb. Apollo’s ball-valve cap option (-06) comes in ¾ to 2 in. only.
Where it lost points: this listing’s part number ends in -01, Apollo’s code for a plain cap, so there’s no blowdown port on this exact part. That scored a 7 on the cap check.
The listing shows a 5-year domestic warranty and calls the body cast bronze with a 304 stainless screen, matching Apollo’s sheet.
My call: if the strainer will sit somewhere hard to reach, spend the effort to find the tapped-cap version and add a ball valve. Blowing a strainer down beats taking it apart.
Made to protect regulators and backflow preventers
Access cover with plug
Sold by Amazon
Cons
180°F maximum
20 mesh standard only on the sheet
Lower pressure rating than Apollo and Watts
¾ in. FNPT300 psi WOG180°F20 mesh, 300 series SS3⅞ in. longBuna nitrile O-ring
Buy it if
You’re installing a pressure-reducing valve or backflow preventer and want the strainer its maker designed for that job.
Skip it if
The line runs hot, like a boiler or a hot water recirculation loop. Take the Apollo or Watts.
The Zurn Wilkins SXL is the strainer I’d put in front of a pressure-reducing valve or a backflow preventer, and I’ve used it. Zurn’s spec sheet says that’s what it’s for: protecting delicate equipment like regulators and backflow preventers from sediment that could cause premature failure.
Zurn recommends it for potable water service lines, residential and commercial domestic water, and irrigation, and states it meets NSF/ANSI/CAN 61.
The body and the access cover with plug are cast bronze to ASTM B806. The screen is 20 mesh, 300 series stainless steel, and the O-ring is Buna nitrile. Threaded ends are FNPT to ANSI B1.20.1, and Zurn supplies a brass closure plug.
It’s rated 300 psi WOG and 180°F. The ¾ in. size is about 3⅞ in. long with a ⅜ in. NPT cap port, and weighs about 1¼ lb, per Zurn.
Where it lost points: 180°F is the lowest temperature rating here, so it scored 7 on that check, and Zurn’s sheet lists only the 20 mesh screen, which scored 7 on mesh options. Zurn also offers ¾ in. and 1 in. versions with copper sweat ends.
None of that matters for a cold water main ahead of a PRV, which is exactly where it belongs. Zurn’s own sheet draws the SXL upstream of its Model 500XL pressure-reducing valve and its 975XL2 reduced pressure backflow assembly, and says to provide drainage if it’s installed below grade.
The Amazon listing is sold by Amazon.com, the only one of the three, and the brand-written text repeats the low-lead law and NSF/ANSI 61 claims.
My call: pair the strainer with the PRV from the same family if you can. Our PRV replacement guide lists the brands.
Best for a blowdown connection
Watts LF777SI
Lead-free wye-pattern cast strainer, ¾ in. FNPT, tapped retainer cap
¾ in. FNPT400 psi WOG353°F WSP20 mesh, 304 SS3³⁄₁₆ in. longEPDM gasket
Buy it if
You want to blow debris out through the cap without opening the strainer, on hot or cold water.
Skip it if
Your inspector needs an NSF listing on the spec sheet. The Zurn names NSF/ANSI 61.
The Watts LF777SI is the blowdown pick, and I’ve used it. Watts’ spec sheet lists a tapped retainer cap and closure plug, so you can thread in a valve and flush debris out of the screen without taking the cap off.
The body and cap are a lead-free cast copper silicon alloy. Watts says the wetted surface that contacts drinking water has less than 0.25% lead by weight, and that it complies with state codes requiring reduced lead content.
The ratings are high: 400 psi WOG at 210°F and 125 psi WSP at 353°F for sizes up to 2 in. The gasket is EPDM, and the standard screen is 20 mesh, 304 stainless steel.
Watts adds a detail the others don’t: a flared screen opening on the upstream end for unrestricted flow. Its sheet also includes a flow curve of gpm against pressure drop with the standard 20 mesh screen.
The ¾ in. LF777SI is 3³⁄₁₆ in. long and weighs 0.6 lb, the most compact of the three. The closure plug is lead-free brass. Watts also makes the LFS777SI with solder ends in ½ to 2 in., and its 2½ and 3 in. sizes drop to 300 psi WOG.
Where it lost points: the sheet says lead free but doesn’t name an NSF standard, so it scored 7 on that check. And this part comes with the standard 20 mesh screen; Watts sells a 100 mesh version (LF777M1-100) as a separate listing, which scored 7 on mesh options.
This listing is sold by a third-party seller, eFaucets, rather than Amazon. The price line shows the seller.
My call: the tapped cap is worth it anywhere sediment is heavy, like a well system. A quarter-turn valve on the cap turns cleaning into a ten-second job.
All three Y strainers side by side
From each maker’s spec sheet. Scroll sideways on a phone. Prices are in each card and the picks above.
Green marks a strength and amber a gap. WOG and CWP are cold working pressures; WSP and SWP are steam working pressures.
Which Y strainer fits your job?
Pick what the strainer is protecting. It answers from each maker’s ratings and options.
Job
Pick
Why
General water line
Apollo 59LF
Highest ratings, most options
Ahead of a PRV or backflow preventer
Zurn Wilkins 34-SXL
Zurn designed it for that, NSF/ANSI 61
Hot water or boiler line
Apollo 59LF or Watts LF777SI
350°F and 353°F ratings
Fine sediment
Apollo 59LF, finer screen
60 to 100 mesh options
Well water with grit
Watts LF777SI
Tapped cap for blowdown
Choosing the mesh
Mesh is openings per inch: a higher number is a finer screen that catches smaller particles and clogs sooner.
Mesh
Available from
Use it for
20 (standard)
All three
Pipe scale, rust, sand chips; protecting valves and meters
50
Apollo (½ in. size)
Smaller sizes’ standard screen
60
Apollo option
Finer sediment
80
Apollo option
Finer still
100
Apollo option; Watts LF777M1-100
Fine sand ahead of sensitive equipment
My call: start with 20 mesh. A finer screen catches more but plugs faster and adds pressure drop, so only go finer when the equipment downstream needs it.
A Y strainer isn’t a sediment filter. For very fine particles, a cartridge filter does that job; our sediment filter micron guide covers it.
How to install a Y strainer
My call on the steps, with each maker’s connection details.
1
Put it upstream of what it protects
Before the PRV, backflow preventer, meter, pump or valve, as Zurn describes.
2
Point the arrow with the flow
The cast arrow on the body shows flow direction.
3
Aim the cap down
Zurn calls a horizontal run with the strainer cap facing down the preferred orientation, though it says the strainer protects in any orientation.
4
Seal the threads
Use a sealant rated for potable water on the male threads; the strainers are FNPT.
5
Leave room to service it
You need space to unscrew the cap and pull the screen.
Zurn supplies a brass closure plug in the cap, and Watts a closure plug in its tapped retainer cap. Apollo offers a tapped cap with plug as a part-number option. Any of those plugs can be swapped for a small valve to blow the screen down.
Isolate the strainer with shutoff valves on both sides if you can. Cleaning it otherwise means shutting off the whole line.
Sizes, lengths and cap tappings
Match the strainer to the pipe size. From Apollo’s and Watts’ dimension tables.
Size
Apollo 59LF length
Apollo cap tapping
Apollo screen area
Watts LF777SI length
Watts weight
½ in.
2.75 in.
¼ NPT
3.2 sq in (50 mesh)
2¾ in.
0.5 lb
¾ in.
4.00 in.
½ NPT
6.7 sq in
3³⁄₁₆ in.
0.6 lb
1 in.
4.75 in.
¾ NPT
10.8 sq in
3¾ in.
1.1 lb
1¼ in.
5.25 in.
¾ NPT
13.5 sq in
4⁷⁄₁₆ in.
1.9 lb
1½ in.
6.00 in.
1 NPT
19.0 sq in
4⅞ in.
2.4 lb
2 in.
7.25 in.
1¼ NPT
27.6 sq in
5¹⁵⁄₁₆ in.
4.4 lb
Apollo’s heavy pattern is longer and heavier than Watts’ at every size, and it publishes net screen area: 6.7 sq in at ¾ in. More screen area means the strainer can hold more debris before flow drops. Apollo’s ¾ in. weighs 1.21 lb against 0.6 lb for the Watts.
All three makers cover ⅜ in. or ½ in. up to 3 in. My call: use a strainer the same size as the pipe. A smaller strainer adds pressure drop, and a bigger one needs reducers for no gain.
Threaded or solder ends?
All three picks are female NPT. Each maker also sells a solder version for copper.
Maker
Threaded model
Solder model
Solder sizes
Apollo
59LF (female NPT)
59FL300 lead-free solder
½ to 3 in.
Zurn Wilkins
SXL (FNPT, ANSI B1.20.1)
SXLC copper sweat
¾ and 1 in.
Watts
LF777SI
LFS777SI
½ to 2 in.
Threaded is easier to swap later and needs no torch near the screen. On a copper line, a pair of male adapters gets you there. If you solder one in, Apollo markets its body as EZ-Solder lead-free bronze; my call is to pull the screen and cap first so the heat can’t harm the gasket.
On PEX, a threaded strainer with PEX-to-male adapters is the simple route.
Where a Y strainer goes in a water system
Zurn’s spec sheet shows the SXL in two typical installs.
Install
What Zurn shows
What it protects
Ahead of a PRV
SXL upstream of a Model 500XL pressure-reducing valve
The PRV seat and diaphragm
Ahead of a backflow preventer
SXL upstream of a Model 975XL2 reduced pressure assembly, outdoors in a protective enclosure
The check valves and relief valve
Below grade
Zurn: provide drainage so the device can’t be submerged
The whole assembly
Zurn says local codes govern the install and points to the Uniform Plumbing Code. Other common spots, in my call: ahead of a water meter, a well pump’s pressure switch line, a tankless heater’s cold inlet, or a solenoid valve on an irrigation line. If the downstream part has small passages, it’s worth a strainer.
The three common shapes of pipeline strainer, in general terms.
Shape
How it looks
Good for
Y (wye)
Screen in an angled leg off the main body
Water lines, ahead of valves and meters; works horizontal or vertical
Basket
A larger pot with a lift-out basket and lid
Heavier debris and bigger flows, mostly horizontal lines
Inline or tee
Screen in line or in a tee body
Tight spaces; varies by maker
For a home or light commercial water line, the Y shape is the common choice, which is why all three picks are Y strainers. A sink basket strainer is a different part entirely; our sink basket strainer guide covers that one.
How to clean a Y strainer
My call on the routine, using the cap and plug each maker supplies.
Method
Steps
When
Blowdown
Open the valve on a tapped cap into a bucket for a few seconds
Routine flushing on dirty water
Pull the screen
Isolate, relieve pressure, unscrew the cap, rinse the screen, refit with its gasket
When pressure drops downstream
Replace the gasket
Fit a new cap gasket or O-ring if it’s flattened or torn
If the cap weeps after cleaning
The sign a strainer needs cleaning is a pressure drop downstream: lower flow at fixtures, or a PRV that can’t hold its setting. Always relieve the pressure before you open the cap.
Strainers we checked and left out
These came up on Amazon and in Google’s results. Here’s what kept each off this list.
Strainer
What we found
Why it’s out
NIBCO T-221-A bronze
Threaded bronze strainer
Not listed as lead-free; 1 in. only in stock
Midline Valve 322U256
Lead-free cast brass, NSF/ANSI 61/372 per listing, 150 psi SWP
Lesser-known brand; no maker spec sheet read
Hayward and Spears PVC Y strainers
PVC bodies, socket or thread
A different material and pressure class; 1 left
Mueller Steam Specialty stainless
Cast stainless, 1 in.
Different material; 2 left
Unbranded brass Y strainers
Many listings
No lead-free certification or spec sheet
How to choose in four questions
Question
If yes
If no
Is it drinking water?
Lead-free only: any of the three
Other materials may suit
Is the line hot?
Apollo 59LF or Watts LF777SI
Keep going
Is it protecting a PRV or backflow preventer?
Zurn Wilkins 34-SXL
Keep going
Do you want blowdown?
Watts LF777SI, or an Apollo tapped cap
Apollo 59LF
My call for most water lines: the Apollo 59LF. It has the highest published ratings and the most options. Choose the Zurn ahead of a PRV, and the Watts where you’ll blow it down often.
Questions people ask
What is a Y strainer used for?
It catches debris like scale, rust and sand in a pipe before it reaches a valve, meter, pump or regulator. Zurn designs its SXL to protect regulators and backflow preventers.
Is it Y strainer or wye strainer?
Both. Watts calls the LF777SI a wye-pattern strainer; Zurn calls the SXL a Y type strainer.
Which way does a Y strainer go?
With the flow arrow. Zurn calls a horizontal run with the cap facing down the preferred orientation.
What mesh should a Y strainer have?
20 mesh is the standard on all three picks. Apollo offers 60, 80 and 100 mesh for finer sediment.
Are brass Y strainers safe for drinking water?
Use a lead-free one. Zurn names NSF/ANSI/CAN 61, Apollo NSF/ANSI 372, and Watts says wetted surfaces are under 0.25% lead.
What pressure is a Y strainer rated for?
Apollo and Watts rate their ¾ in. strainers at 400 psi cold; Zurn at 300 psi WOG.
Can a Y strainer go on a hot water line?
Apollo rates the 59LF to 350°F and Watts the LF777SI to 353°F steam. Zurn’s SXL is rated to 180°F.
How often should a Y strainer be cleaned?
When downstream pressure drops, or on a routine for dirty water. A tapped cap with a valve makes it quick.
What is a blowdown on a strainer?
A valve threaded into the cap so you can flush debris out without opening the strainer. Watts and Apollo offer tapped caps.
Can a Y strainer be installed vertically?
Zurn says its SXL protects in any orientation. My call on a vertical pipe: run the flow downward so debris falls into the screen leg.
What’s the difference between a Y strainer and a basket strainer?
A Y strainer has its screen in an angled leg; a basket strainer has a larger lift-out basket for heavier debris.
Do I need a strainer before a pressure-reducing valve?
Zurn recommends its SXL to protect regulators from sediment that could cause premature failure.
How we picked these
Why trust me
I’m Isaac Daniels, a licensed journeyman plumber in Georgia (license #JP507711), and I’ve used all three picks. Every spec here comes from Apollo’s, Zurn Wilkins’ and Watts’ own spec sheets, read Oct 23, 2026. Where I add advice of my own, it’s labeled as my call.
How I pick
One kind of strainer, compared fairly: ¾ in. FNPT lead-free bronze or brass Y strainers from established valve makers, new and in stock on Amazon, checked through Amazon’s product data the same day. Each listing was matched to the maker’s part number.
Facts from each maker’s spec sheet first.
Each card’s spec score comes from the five checks below. All three score 7.0 or higher.
Lead-free only, for potable water.
The spec score, check by check
Each check scores 0 to 10 and counts one fifth. It’s our score from maker documents, not a customer rating or a lab test of our own.
Check (weight)
How it’s scored
Pressure rating (⅕)
10 when the maker publishes a cold working pressure of 300 psi or more; 7 for less; 5 when none
Lead-free standard named (⅕)
10 when the maker names NSF/ANSI 61 or 372; 7 for a lead-free statement without a named standard
Mesh options (⅕)
10 when the maker lists more than one screen mesh for the model; 7 for one
Blowdown cap (⅕)
10 when this part has a tapped cap or cover with plug; 7 for a plain cap
Temperature rating (⅕)
10 for 210°F or more; 7 for less
Total
Average of the checks, to one decimal
Pick
Pressure
Lead-free
Mesh
Cap
Temp
Score
Apollo 59LF
10 (400 CWP)
10 (NSF 372)
10 (20–100)
7 (plain, -01)
10 (350°F)
9.4
Zurn Wilkins 34-SXL
10 (300 WOG)
10 (NSF 61)
7 (20)
10 (plug)
7 (180°F)
8.8
Watts LF777SI
10 (400 WOG)
7 (statement)
7 (20)
10 (tapped)
10 (353°F)
8.8
Sources
Apollo (Aalberts IPS), 59LF-300 Series Bronze Wye-Strainer submittal sheet. Read Oct 23, 2026.
Zurn Wilkins, Model SXL Cast Bronze Y Type Strainer specification sheet. Read Oct 23, 2026.
Watts, ES-LF777SI Series LF777SI, LFS777SI Wye-Pattern Lead Free Cast Strainers specification sheet. Read Oct 23, 2026.
Brand-written Amazon listing text and item data for B008QQGZG8, B005TU4Z8O, B00GJYAYIO, B0BFKPM7P2 and B088M453NG, read through Amazon’s product data, Oct 23, 2026.
Google results for “y strainer”: seen Oct 23, 2026. Search volumes from Semrush, Oct 23, 2026.
