One element where forty used to be.
Up to 500 GPM per element in 6 to 6.75 inch diameters and 20 to 60 inch lengths. Fewer elements, smaller housings, faster change-outs, and retrofit compatibility with the 3M, Pall Ultipleat, and Parker ParMax formats you may already run.
Where high flow elements earn their place
High flow cartridges serve continuous, high-volume duty with heavy particle loads: seawater and brackish desalination, RO pretreatment, utility and process water, chemicals, petrochemicals, power, food and beverage, and oil and gas. The smaller ClaryFlow Big Buddy line serves water treatment in commercial and industrial facilities where one 30 inch element replaces a row of standard cartridges.
What a wall of small cartridges costs
Large flows through standard 2.5 inch cartridges mean dozens of elements, a housing bank sized around them, a seal at every element that can leak, and change-outs that take hours of operator time and stock. The element price is small; the cost is the labour, the downtime, the inventory and the housing capital that the element count drives.
| Flow per element | Up to 500 GPM |
|---|---|
| Diameters | 6 to 6.75 inch |
| Lengths | 20, 40, 60 inch |
| Micron ratings | 1, 5, 10, 20, 40 |
| Media | Pleated (Clarypleat HF), melt blown, string wound, glass fiber, activated carbon |
| Flow direction | Inside-to-out or outside-to-in by format |
| Duties | Desalination, RO pretreatment, power, petrochemical, food and beverage, oil and gas |
Six checks before you specify
| Check | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Fluid and conditions | Chemical compatibility, pH and temperature |
| Flow and pressure drop | Housing supports the flow and the terminal differential pressure |
| Rating | Set from the solids load and the outlet quality required |
| Dirt-holding capacity | Depth media (wound or melt blown) or pleated media, by clarity need |
| End cap and retrofit | Match the existing housing and OEM element format |
| Regulatory needs | Food-grade, pharmaceutical or corrosion-resistant options |
ClaryFlow Big Buddy
| Variant | Media | Rating | Max flow | Max temperature | Max pressure | Change-out pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Buddy Meltblown | 100% polypropylene melt blown depth media; PP and PFG end caps and core | Range of ratings, including 1 micron absolute | 100 gpm (27 m3/hr) | 52 C (125 F) | 125 psi (stated as 8.75 bar) | 40 psi (2.7 bar) |
| Big Buddy Activated Carbon | Activated carbon infused pleated media; PP end caps and core | 5 micron | 15 gpm (4 m3/hr) | 52 C (125 F) | 125 psi (stated as 8.75 bar) | 30 psi (2 bar) |
| Big Buddy Pleated | Pleated media | Wide range of ratings; on enquiry | On enquiry | On enquiry | On enquiry | On enquiry |
All Big Buddy cartridges: 30 inch media length, all-polypropylene construction, dual O-rings in silicone, Buna-N, FKM or EPDM, free of resin binders, lubricants, antistatic and release agents. The family summary also states 100 to 150 gpm and operation to 79 C (175 F); the variant data above is what we quote until the two are reconciled.
Conditions behind the numbers
The 500 GPM figure is the upper end for one element in water; the flow an element should carry on your duty is set by the solids load and the change-out interval you want. The Clarypleat HF data gives suggested water flows of 660, 1300 and 1900 lpm for 20, 40 and 60 inch elements in ideal conditions. Big Buddy limits are the stated maximum operating conditions.
Retrofit formats and housings
Elements are made in formats that fit 3M (Solventum), Pall Ultipleat and Parker ParMax style housings: a dimensional and format equivalence we confirm against your housing make and model. For new installations, Clary-T HF stainless housings take single or multiple 6 inch elements; see filter housings. Pleated HF data is on the pleated page.
High flow cartridges: direct answers
Why switch from standard 2.5 inch cartridges to high flow?
Element count. One high flow element handles up to 500 GPM, replacing dozens of standard cartridges. That means smaller housings, fewer seals to leak, and change-outs measured in minutes instead of hours. On desalination and RO pretreatment duties the labour and downtime savings usually pay for the conversion within the first year.
Will Gopani high flow elements fit my existing housing?
In most cases yes. Our elements are retrofit-compatible with common high flow formats including 3M (Solventum), Pall Ultipleat, and Parker ParMax style housings. Send your housing make and model and we will confirm fitment and quote the equivalent element.
What ratings and media are available?
Common ratings are 1, 5, 10, 20, and 40 micron across pleated, melt blown, string wound (Clarywound Extreme, GF, 3X, Ultra, CPU), and activated carbon media, in 20, 40, and 60 inch lengths at 6 to 6.75 inch diameter. Flow can run inside-to-out or outside-to-in depending on the format.
When should a high flow cartridge be changed?
At the terminal pressure drop for the element and housing. High dirt-holding designs stretch the interval; we set the change-out point with you from the housing rating and your process.
Do you make custom sizes and end caps?
Yes. Custom high flow element designs, OEM variants and special end-cap configurations are available, as are custom high flow housings, including the Clary-T HF stainless housing for 20, 40 and 60 inch elements at 6 inch diameter.
What is ClaryFlow Big Buddy?
A 30 inch large-format cartridge line in melt blown, activated carbon and pleated media, with EPDM double O-ring seals as standard and other elastomers on request. It is used for sediment, chlorine, taste and odour removal in commercial and industrial water filtration.
Do you supply tubular membrane modules?
Yes. Gopani supplies Porex TMF tubular membrane filter modules: membrane tubes on a PE or PVDF sintered porous substrate, for solid-liquid separation at solids levels up to 5% by weight, with a PVDF-on-PVDF version for high temperature and the full pH range of 0 to 14.
What we need from you for a firm recommendation
- Flow rate, fluid and temperature
- Solids load or SDI, and the outlet quality you need
- Current housing bank: number of rounds, element length and change-out interval
- Housing make and model if you want to retrofit
- Any food-grade, pharmaceutical or corrosion requirement
What we can document
Our catalogue states that high flow cartridges are made under an ISO 9001 quality management system, with DAkkS-accredited testing. What we put on paper for your plant is the conversion itself: today's element count, change-out time and annual element spend, next to the high flow equivalent, with the fitment confirmed against your housing drawing.
Running a wall of 2.5 inch cartridges?
Send the housing bank size and flow. We will show the high flow conversion: element count, change-out time, and annual cost, side by side with today.