Among boat owners buying an ElectroStrainer, the first big decision is which ElectroStrainer model to buy. “Do I need a Pro or Sport?” is one of the most frequent questions we get.
For some boaters, the choice is easy. The size of their boat determines which ElectroStrainer they need. For others, more evaluation is needed. Price, warranty, installation, and boat usage are all important considerations.
This quick guide outlines the differences between ElectroStrainer Pro and ElectroStrainer Sport to help you figure out which one is right for your boat.
>>> Related: What is a raw water strainer? Read Your plain-English guide to strainers and how to know when your current set-up needs an upgrade.
Start with your boat, not the product
Most people want to start with product specs and features, but it’s often more useful to start with your boat.
A smaller boat with a single A/C unit is a vastly different environment than a 70-foot yacht with multiple systems pulling water all day, every day.
Smaller boats: ES Sport
If you’re running a 25-35 foot center console or a smaller cruiser with one air conditioner unit, you’re likely looking at a simple setup. This means lower flow (rate), fewer components, and fewer places for things to go wrong.
Here, ElectroStrainer Sport may be a good choice – if you are comfortable doing the installation (more on that later).
Common boats in this size range:
- Small center consoles
- Cuddy cabins
- Walkarounds
- Small express cruisers
- Pocket cruisers
- Small pilothouses
- Trailerable sailboats
Larger boats: ES Pro
For larger boats – once you get into the 40-foot and 50-foot range and beyond – the setup becomes more complicated. In this scenario, many boat owners go for the ElectroStrainer Pro.
A larger boat means higher water demand, more water to move through the system, and more A/C units. This creates more opportunities for problems to build up that you can’t see until performance drops.
Common boats in this size range:
- Express cruisers
- Flybridge yachts
- Motor yachts (luxury cruisers)
- Sportfish boats (convertibles)
- Trawlers
- Pilothouse yachts
- Aft cabin yachts (sedan bridges)
- Catamarans
- Some sailing yachts
What is your water intake flow rate?
Boats with onboard plumbing systems – for A/C, chillers, livewells, engine cooling, generators, desalination systems, and other equipment – are continuously pulling in seawater.
Your intake flow rate is how much water moves through your system at any given time. It’s typically measured in GPM (gallons per minute) or LPM (liters per minute).
Seawater flows through a network of through-hull intakes, hoses and pipes, strainers, pumps, and discharge lines.
Low flow rate: ES Sport
The ElectroStrainer Sport is designed for smaller boats with low flow rates.
There are two Sport models:
- ES-120-SPORT: Flow rate of 3-20 GPM and 1” pipe opening (NPT)
- ES-125-SPORT: Flow rate of 4-30 GPM and 1.25” NPT
Higher flow rate: ES Pro
The ElectroStrainer Pro is built for larger boats, which usually have a higher flow rate because they (almost always) have more water-dependent systems like multiple, large engines, multiple AC units, and generators.
There are four ElectroStrainer Pro models to accommodate varying flow rates and larger plumbing sizes.
- ES-100-PRO: Flow rate of 3-20 GPM and 1” NPT
- ES-125-PRO: Flow rate of 4-30 GPM and 1.25” NPT
- ES-150-PRO: Flow rate of 8-50 GPM and 1.5” NPT
- ES-200-PRO: Flow rate of 10-75 GPM and 2” NPT
What is the growth environment where you keep your boat?
Not all boats experience marine growth at the same rate.
A boat kept in cooler water with stronger tidal movement or shorter boating seasons may experience slower marine growth than a boat sitting year-round in warm marina water.
For example, many boaters in parts of the Pacific Northwest, New England, and the Great Lakes deal with less aggressive fouling than owners in South Florida, the Gulf Coast, or the Caribbean.
Lower-growth environments: ES Sport or ES Pro
In these lower-growth environments, both the ElectroStrainer Sport and ElectroStrainer Pro can perform exceptionally well when properly sized for your boat’s plumbing system and flow rate.
Many owners choose the Sport for its reduced cost, while others prefer the Pro for its stainless-steel construction and professional installation.
The underlying technology – converting saltwater into chlorine to prevent growth – remains the same in both models.
High-growth environments: ES Pro often preferred
Warm, nutrient-rich water creates ideal conditions for barnacles, algae, slime, and other marine growth to build up faster inside raw-water systems.
If your boat spends significant time in high-growth areas, especially while running air conditioning frequently at the dock, your cooling system may face heavier long-term maintenance demands.
Both models prevent bio-growth in demanding environments. However, many boaters tell us that if they are already investing in marine-growth prevention plumbing, they’d rather get the longer warranty and heavier-duty construction.
Do you want hands-on or hands-off installation?
ElectroStrainer Sport is designed for a tech-savvy boat owner looking for an entry-level refit choice. Here, you would buy the ElectroStrainer Sport and install it yourself, swapping out your old strainer for the ElectroSea upgrade.
DIY: ES Pro
The Sport model is designed for an easy, DIY installation and comes with straightforward manuals, a user guide, and online support.
It’s meant to replace your existing strainer in a simple, intuitive way for those comfortable working in the bilge for a couple of hours.
Professional Install: ES Sport
The upgraded model, ElectroStrainer Pro, is professionally installed. OEMs, boat manufacturers, or dealers can install it as a refit (replacing the current strainer) or as part of a new boat build.
Some manufacturers, like Viking, Princess, and Azimut install the ElectroStrainer in all U.S. boat builds. Dozens more, including Tiara, Riviera, Hatteras, and Galeon, offer ElectroStrainer on the options sheet for all new builds.
For refits, the ElectroSea has a trusted network of over 100 dealers in the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, and beyond. Most dealers can complete the refit within 3-8 hours while your boat is in the water.
How often do you want to have to check your strainer?
How often are you willing to check up on and clean your strainer? For many boat owners, the ElectroStrainer Pro offers a more set-it-and-forget-it experience.
Easy monitoring: ES Pro
Both units come with the ClearVis Flow Sensor to measure flow rate, and the reading is visible on the canister head.
However, the Pro model comes with an additional remote display that you can mount on the wall of your engine room (or anywhere else on the boat) so you always know the exact flow rate – without having to go into the bilge.
This clear, immediate read-out is a major benefit. When the flow drops, owners know that the buildup is restricting the lines, and it’s time to service their strainer. If the flow rate is strong and steady, you know that water is moving freely through your system.
Many ElectroStrainer Pro owners tell us they only check on their stainer every few months or if their flow rate drops.
More hands-on: ES Sport
The ElectroStrainer Sport also measures and displays flow rate directly on the canister head using the ClearVis Flow Sensor; however, owners will need to physically access the bilge or installation area to view it.
Because of this, many Sport owners check flow rates during routine maintenance or after noticing reduced A/C performance, weaker water discharge, or other signs of restricted flow.
For owners who want easier day-to-day monitoring, a remote display can be purchased separately as an add-on feature.
Do you want a basic or extended warranty?
ElectroStrainers last and are backed by a durability guarantee.
1-year warranty: ES Sport
The ElectroStrainer Sport comes with a 1-year warranty for parts. No on-site support is offered; however, the website has detailed, user-friendly manuals and support guides. Email and phone support, with a service tech, are also available.
2-year warranty: ES Pro
The ElectroStrainer Pro model comes with a 2-year warranty on parts and labor. In addition to remote support options through website, phone, and email, your Pro model comes with professional on-site support.
For installation or equipment failure issues, the dealer (installer) will provide maintenance support – generally, this is offered on land or water.
The warranty – for Pro or Sport – covers the strainer’s Cell. (The canister itself should be good for the life of the boat.) While the warranty is either one or two years, depending on the model, many boaters get 4 years (or more) of solid performance from their ElectroStrainer unit.
Summary
Both ElectroStrainer models, Pro and Sport, are excellent options for your boat to prevent marine growth in your A/C sea strainer.
If sized correctly for your boat’s plumbing and flow rate, either strainer option will deliver industry-leading performance you can count on.
But while the Sport model is geared to owners of smaller boats with confident DIY technical skills, the Pro is the better fit for those with larger boats (at least 40-50 feet) who prefer a professional installation and longer warranty period.