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[Farmer85]

Yes that makes perfect sense on the process of how you hook them up. I hadn't thought of the hard to control temp part of it. I will change mine around. I would call them back but I can replumb it in an hour and do a much nicer job anyway. Also can somebody give me a pic or link to the fittings you are using at heat exchanger to make it removable. Unions?

[slimjim]

Yes I build my own sidearm heaters to fit the tank in almost all cases, I have used plate exchangers for domestic hot water but in most cases I prefer the sidearm as it will heat the entire tank very close to the boiler temp and then I install a mixing valve on the hot water to prevent scalding and keep the water a consistant temp. as far as cleaning, all it takes is purge tees and boiler drains on the sidearm or plate exchanger then ball valves to isolate the exchanger from the rest of the system. close the ball valves, hook up wash machine hoses to a pump and flush the exchanger with calcium lime and rust remover (CLR) or a comercial coil cleaner from the supply house no need to remove the exchanger and the solution is pumped through it helping it open up faster, It usually takes about 5 minutes per side and the exchanger is as good as new

[Scott7m]

Slim, do you trust mixing valves that well? 

I am very leery of them and have had different building inspectors and such tell me that mixing valves were one of there common failures they always look for because of the danger involved. 

Once I heard that and thought about it more, the plates make all the hot water I could possibly use with no mixing valve needed to make it safe and it just made sense.  If I did have even one mixing valve to fail and a child was sitting in the bath and suddenly 195 degree water was coming out, that would be a disaster.

[slimjim]

I have never seen one fail in that direction. the ones that have failed have always gone in the cold direction and are very easy to replace, Taco is the brand that I use.