Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: WoodMOJoe on December 04, 2017, 11:26:30 AM

Title: Plate heat exchanger flushing fluid?
Post by: WoodMOJoe on December 04, 2017, 11:26:30 AM: What liquid would be recommended for flushing a flat plate heat exchanger?

White Vinegar?-Straight or diluted?
Coil Cleaner?-I think I have some DiversiTech Pro-Green Indoor Coil Cleaner that I used on the A/C condenser this spring
Liquid Unobtanium?

Any tips or tricks?

I have a puddle pump and my ball valves on the flat plate have flushing ports.
Title: Re: Plate heat exchanger flushing fluid?
Post by: E Yoder on December 04, 2017, 12:51:53 PM: "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner does the best of anything I've seen. Be careful with the fumes. And be sure to shut off the stove pump or it'll heat up the cleaning fluid.
Title: Re: Plate heat exchanger flushing fluid?
Post by: WoodMOJoe on December 04, 2017, 03:52:55 PM: thanks EY, I will try that stuff out.

I will not have my pump running for sure, haven't fired up for the year yet.

Got my first loading built and laying in the firebox though, should put a match to it tomorrow afternoon. :thumbup:
Title: Re: Plate heat exchanger flushing fluid?
Post by: buckgrunt on December 04, 2017, 05:57:09 PM: I was not aware that a plate heat exchanger needed flushing or any other type of maintenance. Am I missing something here ?
Title: Re: Plate heat exchanger flushing fluid?
Post by: mlappin on December 04, 2017, 06:05:35 PM: I use cleaning vinegar, same concentration as regular vinegar just not a refined.

Even with soft water a few times a year we have to take our faucets and shower head and give em a soak in CLR, the same crud that builds up on your faucet aerators and shower head builds up on the inside of your plate exchanger as well.
Title: Re: Plate heat exchanger flushing fluid?
Post by: E Yoder on December 04, 2017, 06:21:30 PM: Quote from: buckgrunt on December 04, 2017, 05:57:09 PM

I was not aware that a plate heat exchanger needed flushing or any other type of maintenance. Am I missing something here ?
Mine has been in for 10 years and never flushed. I've also seen one plug in a couple months. Depends on your water.
Title: Re: Plate heat exchanger flushing fluid?
Post by: WoodMOJoe on December 04, 2017, 08:52:01 PM: It takes about a season and a half to plug one here, burning an average of 4 months per season.

We have a lot of limestone everywhere around here, 2 quarries within a few miles.

Will be interesting to see how long this 20 plate lasts if I flush it once a year.
Title: Re: Plate heat exchanger flushing fluid?
Post by: mlappin on December 04, 2017, 08:56:50 PM: It’s taken several years, but the boiler side of all my flat plates come out pretty clean now, house side is still yucky every time.