In response to frequent field challenges faced by industrial users, Aochun has developed a professional troubleshooting manual based on decades of engineering experience and real-world case studies. This guide empowers customers with the knowledge to diagnose and fix typical faults in plate heat exchangers—reducing downtime, minimizing repair costs, and extending equipment life.
The guide highlights three major failure modes and their root causes, along with proven corrective actions:
1. Decline in Heat Exchange Performance
🔍 Common Causes:
- Insufficient cooling water flow
- Fouling or scaling on heat transfer plates or inside tubes
- Blocked piping, valves, filters, or heat exchange channels
✅ Recommended Solutions:
- Open inlet valves fully to ensure adequate flow.
- Inspect the entire system: check for clogged pipes, closed valves, dirty filters, or blocked heat exchange passages. Clear any obstructions immediately.
- Clean both internal and external surfaces of heat transfer plates to remove scale, sludge, or deposits that increase thermal resistance.
- Regularly flush the system during maintenance cycles to prevent buildup.
💡 Tip: Periodic cleaning can restore up to 20% of lost efficiency.
2. Leakage from Side Chambers or Bolted Connections
🔍 Common Causes:
- Loose bolts or damaged sealing gaskets
- Gasket aging due to high temperature, pressure, or chemical exposure
- Improper tightening during assembly
✅ Recommended Solutions:
- Tighten all side chamber bolts evenly using a torque wrench to avoid uneven stress.
- Replace worn or deteriorated gaskets with new, compatible ones (e.g., EPDM, NBR, or silicone-based seals depending on media).
- When replacing the unit, always use new gaskets to ensure maximum sealing performance and prevent future leaks.
⚠️ Note: Never reuse old gaskets—they are prone to compression set and failure.
3. Loss of Sealing Integrity Due to Corrosion
🔍 Common Causes:
- Corrosion of fixed plates, movable plates, or port openings
- Exposure to aggressive media (e.g., chloride-rich water, acidic fluids)
- Poor material selection or lack of protective coating
✅ Recommended Solutions:
- Replace the entire tube bundle or plate pack if corrosion is severe.
- Use corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steel 304/316, titanium, or duplex stainless steel in corrosive environments.
- Implement regular inspection programs and consider installing corrosion monitoring sensors in critical systems.
🛠️ Proactive maintenance prevents catastrophic failures and costly replacements.
Why This Guide Matters
Aochun’s troubleshooting guide is not just a technical reference—it’s a practical tool built from real-world field data collected across power plants, chemical facilities, HVAC systems, and marine applications. By addressing the most frequent issues early, operators can:
- Avoid unplanned shutdowns
- Reduce energy waste
- Extend the service life of equipment
- Improve overall system reliability
This initiative reflects Aochun’s commitment to customer success beyond product delivery—offering value-added services and expert support throughout the lifecycle of every heat exchanger.
