On site
In short
A gasketed plate heat exchanger arrives tightened and tested, so installation is mostly about what surrounds it: a level base, free space to open the frame, pipework that does not load the connections and a system flushed before the unit is put in line. Commissioning means filling slowly, venting and bringing the unit up to its duty gradually. TECS designs and manufactures these units and supplies the manual for each one.
The exchanger itself rarely causes the trouble at start-up. The room around it does. A unit pushed against a wall so the pack cannot be opened, pipes that hang their weight on the connections, welding debris left in the lines: these are the things we hear about afterwards, and all of them are decided before the first valve is opened.
Where It Stands
A gasketed unit stands on its own feet on a flat, level base that carries its filled weight. What gets missed is the space. The frame has to be opened one day, which means the movable plate slides back along the bars and somebody stands beside the pack to lift plates out. The general arrangement drawing shows the clear space this needs, and that space belongs to the exchanger for its whole life, not only on the day it is set down.
Think about the floor as well. When a unit is opened, the liquid left in the pack comes out. A drain nearby, or at least a place for a tray, saves a wet plant room.
Pipes That Do Not Pull
The connections are there to carry liquid, not pipework. Lines should be supported on their own, lined up with the connections before the bolts go in, and free to move with heat without pushing on the frame. Where the connections sit on the movable plate, the pipes on that side need a piece that can be taken out, otherwise the frame cannot be opened without cutting.
Shut-off valves on every connection let the unit be isolated and opened while the rest of the plant keeps its liquid. Vent and drain points, and somewhere to read pressure and temperature on each side, cost little at this stage and are missed badly later.
Flush First, Then Connect
New pipework carries weld beads, scale, sand and the odd glove. The narrow channels of a plate pack will collect all of it. The system should be flushed with the exchanger bypassed or not yet connected, and a strainer in front of the unit catches what the flushing leaves behind. We would rather see this written into the method statement than left to the day.
One more habit worth keeping: do not retighten the pack on arrival. It was tightened to its dimension and pressure tested at the works, and extra tightening does not make it safer.
The First Start
Fill each side slowly with the vents open until the air is out. Start the pumps against closed or throttled valves and open them gradually, so the pack does not take a pressure shock, and bring the temperature up in steps instead of all at once. The same care applies on shutdown. A few drops at the gaskets during the first warm-up of a new unit can settle as the pack reaches temperature; a leak that stays is a reason to call the manufacturer, not to reach for a bigger spanner.
Note the pressures and temperatures on both sides once the plant runs steadily. That first record is what later readings are compared with, and it is the easiest way to see when the unit starts to foul.
TECS designs and manufactures gasketed plate heat exchangers, spare plates and gaskets for projects worldwide. Send the fluids, the duty and the site, and the engineering team will answer.
On Site, In Short
- Flat, level base that carries the filled weight
- Clear space kept free to open the frame and lift plates out
- Pipework supported on its own, with a removable piece where needed
- Shut-off valves, vents, drains and measuring points on each side
- System flushed before the unit is in line; strainer in front
- Slow filling, venting and a gradual first start
What To Tell Us About The Site
- Plant room layout and the space available
- Access route for bringing the unit in
- Direction the pipes arrive from
- Whether the unit must be opened while the plant runs
- Indoor or outdoor installation
- Who installs and who commissions
Questions We Are Often Asked
How much space does a gasketed plate heat exchanger need?
Enough to slide the movable plate back and lift plates out at the side. The general arrangement drawing supplied with the unit shows the clear space to keep free.
Should the frame bolts be tightened after delivery?
No. The pack is tightened and pressure tested at the works. Follow the manual and leave the tightening as delivered.
Why flush the pipework before connecting the unit?
New lines hold weld debris, scale and dirt that would lodge in the narrow plate channels. Flushing first, with a strainer in front, keeps them out.
How should the unit be started for the first time?
Fill slowly and vent the air, open the valves gradually and raise the temperature in steps, so the plate pack sees no sudden pressure or temperature change.
What should be recorded at commissioning?
The pressures and temperatures on both sides in steady running. They are the reference for judging the condition of the unit later.
Contact Us
Send us the fluids on both sides, the heat duty, the flow rates and temperatures and the site. We answer with a selection and an offer - or write to us on WhatsApp.
