Flat Plate heat exchanger system 200

Dennis1679

I’m retired now but I have a friend in a town with fairly hard water with a 14 U heat exchanger for DHW. It’s about 15 years old and I doubt it’s ever been flushed. His DHW production is way down (he runs out during one long shower). Im guessing, since I’m not that familiar with this product, that the plate exchanger is clogged up and should be flushed or replace. Is this likely?
Mostly we installed gas boilers with Superstore indirects and I’ve only worked on a few of these systems.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

Use what the HX manufacturer recommends; usually CLR (Calcium, Lime, Rust) or CitrusSurf 77.

We use a transfer pump in a bucket along with the cleaner full strength.

You may have to cut in some hose bibbs and ball valves to isolate the HX.

Flush well afterwards to remove all traces of the cleaner.

SuperTech

After descaling the plate heat exchanger it would be a good idea to install an Aqua Pure AP431 scale stopper cartridge to minimize the potential for future problems.  Annually replace the cartridge and back flush the plate heat exchanger by closing the globe valve above the bronze circulator and opening the the drain valve above the valve and circulator.  

Big Ed_4

I believe System 2000 uses a indirect storage tank ..

You will have two circulator loops through the plate heat exchanger .

The boiler and the Hot water loop . Check the flow though both . Check the flow with a hose . Just to note circulators have plastic spring checks built in today .

If the plate HX is the problem , I would change it out and add a water filter on the cold water inlet to the plate HX

psb75

The passages in a plate exchanger are "many and small." If they get clogged too badly, its best to put in a new unit. They are not that expensive, generally.

Big Ed_4

Adding a set of valves to reverse flush the heat exchange is good practice

HVACNUT

Mad Dog_2

I know the Systems 2000 is a pre-packaged rack system, so I'm not sure if you have room, but I always install Flat Plate HXs
With 4  brass unions, 4 valves and 4 purge tees so I can flush in any direction and easily remove to soak in a decaying bath or hook up to a hose or air compressor.  Mad Dog 🐕