Stainless steel brazed plate heat exchangers (BPHEs) are widely used in HVAC, new energy, industrial processes, food and medicine due to their compact structure, high heat exchange efficiency and easy installation. Although there are no moving parts inside and the operation is relatively stable, regular inspection and maintenance are still indispensable if you want to maintain its high performance for a long time.
This article will introduce practical daily maintenance suggestions for stainless steel brazed plate heat exchangers from three perspectives: cleaning and descaling, operation monitoring, and structural inspection, to help suppliers improve the quality of after-sales service and allow users to achieve optimal performance during the equipment life cycle.
1. Regular cleaning and descaling - especially suitable for hard water areas
The internal flow channel of the brazed plate heat exchanger is narrow. Although the heat exchange efficiency is high, it is also more likely to form scale or sediment in an environment with hard water and high mineral content, affecting the heat transfer efficiency.
Recommended operation:
Cleaning cycle: It is recommended to perform internal cleaning every 6 to 12 months, depending on the water quality and operating conditions
Cleaning method:
Use the descaling liquid recommended by the manufacturer (usually weak acid type) and circulate and flush for 30 to 60 minutes under power outage and water outage conditions;
For slight scale, you can also use clean water + low-concentration citric acid for gentle treatment
Avoid strong acids and alkalis: to prevent corrosion of stainless steel plates and welding points, affecting the service life of the heat exchanger
💡 Special reminder: If the equipment is used in hard water areas such as water source heat pumps, boiler bypass systems, and central air conditioning heat exchange stations, more frequent descaling treatment is required.
2. Operation status monitoring - Preventing hot and cold short circuits and reduced efficiency
During long-term operation, some heat exchangers may cause "hot and cold short circuits" or significantly reduced heat exchange efficiency due to internal scaling, cracking of welding points, and other problems.
Key monitoring indicators:
The inlet and outlet temperature difference is abnormally reduced: it may indicate that the heat exchange capacity has decreased, and it is necessary to check for scaling or blockage
Abnormal operating pressure changes: the pressure difference on both sides of the heat exchanger suddenly increases, and there may be local blockage
Hot and cold short circuit phenomenon: if the outlet temperature of the cold side is abnormally high and the outlet temperature of the hot side is low, it is necessary to focus on checking whether there is internal collusion or structural damage
✅ Suppliers can recommend customers to regularly record changes in operating parameters and deal with fluctuations in time to avoid damage to the main system equipment.
III. Structural inspection and leakage detection - ensure safe and stable operation
Due to the use of copper or nickel brazing materials, brazed plate heat exchangers may have slight corrosion or fatigue cracks in local welds under long-term heat, pressure and water scouring conditions.
Recommended inspection contents:
External visual leak detection: Regularly observe whether the equipment housing and interfaces are damp, rusted, or have water marks
Welding point corrosion: Observe whether the equipment has local discoloration, green rust, or salt frost adhesion (copper green or chloride deposition)
Interface tightness inspection: Regularly check whether the inlet and outlet flanges or pipe joints are loose or leaking, and replace the sealing gasket if necessary