Cleaning plate heat exchangers.

[scatmanjohn]

Does anyone have any suggestion for cleaning plate heat exchangers.
By that i mean removing the magnetite "crust" that can build up and affect the heat transfer.

I usually stick on a new one but would like to have a go at cleaning them instead.

 

[chrishutt]

I recently tried cleaning one by immersing it in a saucepan of water, adding a dollop of chemical cleanser and then simmering for 24 hours, occasionally lifting out and then replacing the h/e to change the water/chemical within.

Did it work? Well I haven't actually tried the h/e out, but it certainly removed a lot (but not all) of the gunge. But it also removed most of the very thin nickel (?) plating to expose the copper plates, which might make them more vulnerable to coating with gunge in the future.

 

[scatmanjohn]

I thought maybe there was a quicker/easier way.

My missus would be withdrawing bedroom privileges if i started simmering boiler parts in the kitchen.

 

[ChrisR]

Email me, not really suitable for diy.

ChrisH , they're stainless steel!! I think you had a chemical cell and were busily plating the steel with copper.

 

[chrishutt]

they're stainless steel

That's what I thought. This h/e was off a Chaffoteaux Britony 80SE so it might have been some cheapo construction! I'll have another look at it if i can remember where I left it, but it can't be that I plated it with copper - where could the copper have come from?

Later....just checked again. This one's definitely made from copper! Anyone else come across this?

 

[scatmanjohn]

ChrisR...have emailed you ...Thanks

 

[ChrisR]

Live an learn - never seen a copper one! The fittings are usually copper base so I thought...