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Author Topic: Plate heat exchanger plumbing  (Read 1948 times)

ms1780

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Plate heat exchanger plumbing
« on: August 26, 2014, 10:16:41 AM »

My Earth Mountain Man 505 is in and I will be setting it in a few days.  The dealer says to plumb my heat exchanger in with the hot water tank by going to the pop off valve and the drain and it will create a natural flow of the water inside the tank and the hot water tank will never need to run.  This would be on the domestic side of course.  I have also seen many pictures of these where they basically provide "instant hot" water and you just turn the valve off past the plate exchanger so the hot water heater never even gets water when the stove is running.  What do you all suggest from your personal experiences?
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CountryBoyJohn

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Re: Plate heat exchanger plumbing
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2014, 11:06:48 AM »

Your dealer is describing how a sidearm works, not a plate exchanger.  A plate exchanger will not "thermo-siphon."  The "instant hot" water is a set up where a plate exchanger is installed after your hot water tank.  In this situation your tank would HAVE to be turned off.  You can also install your plate exchanger BEFORE your tank and your tank basically will store hot water after it is heated by the exchanger.  In any of these cases, your tank CAN be turned off. 

I, and most other guys with a plate exchanger, have ours set up before the water heater.  Some guys leave their tank on, but at a lower temp setting, as a backup.  You will have unlimited hot water in this situation.  There are already several topics on this matter.  Do a search for "plate exchanger vs. side arm" and you'll get the low down on all the various opinions.
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ruger22

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Re: Plate heat exchanger plumbing
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2014, 08:42:55 PM »

I was getting ready to install my plate exchanger, and was planning on doing it before the tank. I was wondering if the plate exchanger would heat my domestic water up to boiler temp, and if it did how long do you think it would stay hot in the water tank. I read where some guys say to put it after the tank so your water heater never, but it seems to me that if you would put it before the tank and was putting boiler temp water into the water heater it would never kick on unless you left it set for a couple days with no use. What do you guys think
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CountryBoyJohn

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Re: Plate heat exchanger plumbing
« Reply #3 on: August 28, 2014, 05:20:36 AM »

A 20-plate exchanger will not get your water to stove temp.  The hottest I recorded mine was 139 degrees.  There simply isn't enough time in the exchanger for the water to get that hot.  You would have to have a 50 or 60 plate or larger to get that hot. 

I have a 40 or 50 gallon electric water heater with no additional insulation, I turn it off at the breaker, and I have a 20-plate plumbed before my tank.  I went away for a long 3 day weekend and when I returned, the water was a temp where a shower would've been a little chilly.  However, I ran the tub faucet for 4 minutes and my tank was back up to comfortable temp. 
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