whats your experience with brazed plate heat exchanger running small water loop off a steam boiler?

Joseph_4

GM all. Im putting in a steam boiler for a customer and curious to know whats your experience with a brazed plate heat exchanger running water loop off a steam boiler?.. Id be running 15k loop on this job.. I've used Everhot before but the smallest one is 4x cost of brazed plate. ive been told they get plugged up. customer plans to knock down house in 2 to 3 years, would rather not spend a lot . i want to do a a heat exchanger specifically
I'd appreciate any pointers. (ive installed brazed heat exchanger before but never with steam)
thx
Joe

KC_Jones

If the house is coming down in 2 or 3 years and the owner is hell bent on putting money into a landfill, I'd say skip the heat exchanger entirely and run the boiler water right through whatever emitter you are installing and call it a day. I'd even say run a cast iron circulator, it should last long enough.

On a side note, it strikes me as quite odd to put any money into something I'm planning on tearing down.

EBEBRATT-Ed

I would install it like an Everhot. I would put a strainer on the inlet water steam side. Are you doing the inlet side gravaty or pumped? Regardless you need a circulator, expansion tank amd water MU on the HW side.

There is a method of using boiler water which would be less $$. Piping has to be tight with no vents if you go up above the boiler water line.

DanHolohan

I think it would quickly fill up with goop. If you use a strainer upstream of the HX your customer will need to flush it regularly. Better to do what the others are suggesting. 

Mad Dog_2

I've tried all ways.. Everhot, Nothing,  Flat Plate.  I prefer Flat Plate HX. .but....

I set them up with brass unions, drains tees and valves and a Brass strainer upstream.  As long as you flush out annually...never an issue..they are so tiny and cute! Mad Dog 🐕 

Mad Dog_2

Looking for a picture of one I've done.. mad Dog 🐕 

pedmec

Nightmare. Constantly plugging up. Used to think it was a good idea until you put it to work. not enough space in the HX. prefer TFI/everhot

Mad Dog_2

Would I put one on an ancient system with buried, clogged, steel returns??? NEVER!
If you have Muddy splunck that thick in your boiler and returns, the maintenance is lacking severely, so don't bother. That being said, and I've used Many Everhots, is the compact size of a Flat Plate HX is a HUGE advantage in these ever shrinking boiler and mechanical rooms.  Their footprint is not as issue.  I WILL find this picture...today..
1) With brass unions on each of the 4 ports, removal and flushing is a 15 minute job. 2) If your returns are not clogged & nasty, a Brass wye Strainer on the Boiler inlet catches any other splunck. 3) To make it even easier, I put brass tees & boiler drains
On each port with isolation valves for easy flushing with Street Water Pressure.  I have close to 100 out there some installed 20 years ago...never an issue...even with out yearly flushing.  My Two cents Mad Dog 🐕 

Joseph_4

thanks for all feedback.. appreciate it..appreciate hearing the experience.. would love picture Mad Dog

Mad Dog_2

I'll track one down recovery from Nasty flu.  Stay Tuned.  Mad Dog 🐕 

JeffM

I ran a small FlatPlate for about 4 years to supply water to a mixing block and then a kitchen radiant floor, never had any issues with the exchanger clogging. It was an older boiler, but kept pretty clean.

JUGHNE

18' of electric baseboard at 240 volts draws about 18 amps and delivers 15,300 btuh.

250 watts/foot X 3.4 = 850 btuh X 18 = 15,300 btuh

Cheap to buy and install. Maybe worth paying electric bills for 2-3 years.

Mad Dog_2

Mad Dog_2

Ok, found it.  This is about 8 years imstalled.  Clean the Wye strainer once a year ...done!  Hasn't clogged yet.  MAD dog 🐕 

Joseph_4

i appreciate the picture..

mattmia2

if you're going to tear it down electric baseboard is your best option. or just use an electric water heater and a circulator.

kcopp

I service a home that uses a BPhx for a hot water loop off a newer stem boiler.
I have to go there a few times a year to flush it out because it gets plugged up w/ mud.
I flush it out w/ pressurized water and it gets the system up and running again. Its a chore....

JUGHNE

I just changed out a wall tstat for BB heaters that were installed 35+ years ago.

Just to point out trouble free operation.

Mad Dog_2

K Copp..Happy New Year!  .As I said, NO steam system should be that neglected that the splunck is that thick and purulent. Take the Flat Plate HX out of the equation.  The system either has old buried wet returns sans purge tees and valves or was just Never flushed regularly.  In either case, the way I pipe FPHX I pipe them, anyone that can shut a valve and open a boiler drain and screw on a hose, can flush them very easily.
 
Even if they get lazy, Crack the 4 brass unions nuts and put the whole thing in a sink of hot water and white vinegar for an hour, and hook up an air compressor or just 50 psi of Street water pressure.  Like new.  Mad Dog 🐕 

kcopp

Mad Dog_2 said:

K Copp..Happy New Year!  .As I said, NO steam system should be that neglected that the splunck is that thick and purulent. Take the Flat Plate HX out of the equation.  The system either has old buried wet returns sans purge tees and valves or was just Never flushed regularly.  In either case, the way I pipe FPHX I pipe them, anyone that can shut a valve and open a boiler drain and screw on a hose, can flush them very easily.
 
Even if they get lazy, Crack the 4 brass unions nuts and put the whole thing in a sink of hot water and white vinegar for an hour, and hook up an air compressor or just 50 psi of Street water pressure.  Like new.  Mad Dog 🐕 

Agreed.

No buried return on this one... its just steam. I deal with it and they pay me. No worries.