Troubleshooting A Plate Heat Exchanger

11/01/2019 Troubleshooting a Plate Heat Exchanger – CPE Systems Inc.
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TROUBLESHOOTING A PLATE HEAT EXCHANGER

https://www.cpesystems.com/blogs/news/trouble-shooting-a-plate-heat-exchanger 1/7
Posted by Morgan Byres on Apr 25, 2018
You don't have to be an experienced mechanic to troubleshoot your plate heat exchanger (PHE). Are you
having issues? PHE’s are quite durable (however, dropping them is not recommended) but can face
performance issues on occasion. The three main issues that occur with PHEs are: leaking within the unit,
leaking outside the unit, and pressure drop. These issues are usually easy to diagnose and x!
LEAKING OUTSIDE OF THE UNIT

Liquid leaking out of the unit is usually a result of damage to the gaskets or it may be the result of an error
in the assembly of the unit. Start by checking if the distance between the front plate and the pressure
plate has changed (commonly known as “Measure A”). You should have been given this measure when the
unit was sent to you. If this measure is larger than normal, the unit needs to be tightened, make sure to
tighten all of the bolts equally (you don’t want a lopsided unit). If this measure is correct or the unit keeps
leaking after it is xed, mark which plates are leaking, then disassemble the heat exchanger and inspect
the plates. The marked plates should be regasketted. Instructions on how to regasket can be found in our
Heat Exchanger manual (located on the manuals page on our website).
(Quick Tip: Papers can be easy to lose, so we decided to be neighbourly and punch the A measure directly
onto the front of the PHE and we put it in the drawings we sent with it. )
LEAKING WITHIN THE UNIT (LIQUIDS MIXING)

If the liquids inside the unit begin to mix, it is because the plates are leaking within the unit. This is most
likely a result of a perforated plate (actually, that is almost de nitely the cause). To gure this out you’ll
need to run a test (don’t worry you don’t need to be a rocket scientist). The general idea is to ll the unit
with water, but only pressurize one side. If the other half of the unit begins to over ow then it is clearly
being sabotaged by a perforated plate. To begin, apply constant water pressure (NEVER use compressed
air with your PHE) to one side of the unit, then ll the other side of the unit with water, but do not
continue pressure on this side. Open the connections on the side lled with water, if a plate is perforated
the pressurized side will leak into the side full with water, causing it to over ow and allowing water to
spew from the connections (be prepared with a squeegee or mop on hand). If it’s a two section heat
exchanger, each section must be tested separately. If a plate is perforated, disassemble the unit and
inspect the plates with crevice detection liquids. If you are curious about how to disassemble your unit,
feel free to check out our heat exchanger manual, located on the manuals page of our website.
PERFORMANCE OF THE PHE WITH REGARD TO HEAT TRANSFER AND/OR PRESSURE

DROP IS ABNORMAL
Is your PHE just not working as well as it used to? We would love to sell you a new unit, but it would be
easier for you to test for a couple common causes of low ow or performance. Poor performance is the
most common issue with heat exchangers; there are several main causes: an error in the platage, too little
water ow, an accumulation of debris within the unit, or the hook up is just plain wrong.
Checking the platage: If the plates are assembled in the wrong fashion, it can create a deadzone, causing
the unit to bypass a portion of the plates. Review the plates and ensure they are assembled in the lovely
honeycomb pattern shown below. It can be hard to notice the change in the pattern right away, so look
very carefully for any backwards plates. Conformity is important when it comes to PHE plates. If a plate is
out of place, you need to you x it. To do this you must open the heat exchanger (disassembly and
reassembly instructions are in our PHE manual) and ip the plate that is backwards. Once your plates are
all aligned and pretty again, close it and test the pressure again.
Too much debris: If there is a buildup of debris in the unit, it will negatively affect performance. Run a
standard CIP cycle to clear out any excess debris, if the debris does not clear, manual cleaning may be
necessary. Manual cleaning is fairly straightforward, but once again I will redirect you to our
comprehensive heat exchanger manual on the manuals page of our website.
Insuf cient water ow: It isn’t necessarily your poor little heat exchangers fault. If the water owing to
the unit has insuf cient ow, it will cause the heat exchanger to lose productivity. Check the pressure and
ow rate of the water and ensure that it meets the designated threshold.
Hook up is wrong: If the setup is wrong, the unit will function at an extremely low ef ciency. Review the
operating and setup instructions (we know we sent you some) to ensure that it is being used correctly.
Remember counter current ow is required.
A COUPLE THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

Plate heat exchangers are notoriously dif cult to put together if you do not know the con guration of
your plates. Please DO NOT take your plates out without numbering them rst. It is very easy to mix up
the direction of a plate (ruining the pretty honeycomb pattern) which will bypass a section of the plates.
Also, the pesky centre plates (which allow for multiple passes) need to be where we put them, so ALWAYS
number your plates - and keep track of their orientation - when removing them.
IN CONCLUSION
If after trying all of these tests your PHE is still not working, please give us a call and we will do our very
best to get your system back on track! Whatever the cause, we have solutions and are always happy to
help.
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Home › News › Troubleshooting a Plate Heat Exchanger

Posted by Morgan Byres on Apr 25, 2018

LEAKING OUTSIDE OF THE UNIT

LEAKING WITHIN THE UNIT (LIQUIDS MIXING)

PERFORMANCE OF THE PHE WITH REGARD TO HEAT TRANSFER AND/OR PRESSURE

A COUPLE THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

GET DISCOUNTS, NEWS ABOUT NEW PRODUCTS & MORE.

SHARE THIS POST

← Older Post Newer Post →

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published.

CPE Systems is Moving

Want your CPEDA or KBDA VFD to display Hertz instead of RPM?

Damaged Potentiometer Knob on your CPEDA or KBDA VFD?

Understanding Variable Frequency Drives

VFD Compatibility with GFCI Plugs and Breakers

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© 2019 CPE Systems Inc.

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