Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: ambonci on October 04, 2015, 05:17:57 AM

Title: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: ambonci on October 04, 2015, 05:17:57 AM: Getting ready to fire up the boiler within the next few weeks and I wanted to flush my plate exchanger. Can I use a pressure washer? Compressed air? Water hose? and do I need chemicals and f so what should I use?

Thanks
Adam
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: mlappin on October 04, 2015, 09:26:13 AM: Get yourself a five gallon bucket, a puddle pump and several gallons of white vinegar.

Dump the vinegar in the bucket, attach a garden hose to the puddle pump and the other end to your access valve at the plate exchanger, run another hose back to the bucket, plug in the puddle pump and allow to run for several hours. Washing machine hoses work pretty well for this.
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: fireboss on October 04, 2015, 03:40:21 PM: I just swap my plate exchanger and it looked brand new like the day I put it in 5 or 6 years ago!
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: yotehunter66 on October 04, 2015, 05:16:16 PM: I used a garden hose and back flushed through my return line.
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: slimjim on October 05, 2015, 04:53:27 AM: All my manifolds have added drain valves with ball valves to isolate the heat exchanger for flushing, I use commercial coil cleaner and a liberty pump, five minutes on each side, flush them with clean water and they are as good as new!
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: WoodMOJoe on October 05, 2015, 07:37:24 AM: Quote from: slimjim on October 05, 2015, 04:53:27 AM
All my manifolds have added drain valves with ball valves to isolate the heat exchanger for flushing, I use commercial coil cleaner and a liberty pump, five minutes on each side, flush them with clean water and they are as good as new!

Slim (or anyone else), do you have a pic of this setup that you could post sometime? And what is a liberty pump? Thanks.
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: sceptre74 on October 05, 2015, 03:59:10 PM: Here's a pic of one of slim's setups
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: ambonci on October 05, 2015, 04:28:23 PM: Quote from: slimjim on October 05, 2015, 04:53:27 AM
All my manifolds have added drain valves with ball valves to isolate the heat exchanger for flushing, I use commercial coil cleaner and a liberty pump, five minutes on each side, flush them with clean water and they are as good as new!
What is the name of the cleaner? I don't have drain valves on them so id have to remove lines then flush.
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: slimjim on October 06, 2015, 04:37:32 AM: Thanks Sceptre, the wife filed a bunch of my old pictures and I can't figure out how to get them back, the liberty pump is simply a good quality pressure pump that most service guys carry with us for evacuation of tanks like hot water or in an emergency for transferring most any liquid, there are lots of commercial coil cleaners at the plumbing supply houses.
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: WoodMOJoe on October 06, 2015, 05:17:13 AM: Thanks Sceptre and Slim, I think I get it now. Think I will use the ball valves with the hose drain built in...and get to shopping for a little transfer pump. Probably still about 4-6 weeks from fireup here in the Ozarks.
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: oaky on October 06, 2015, 07:08:06 AM: Webstone makes ball valves with purge/drain valves: http://www.ebay.com/itm/231090208836?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I have them throughout my system including a model with built in unions which I find are great.
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: WoodMOJoe on October 07, 2015, 06:51:28 AM: Oh yeh, the ones with unions are just what I need, got 4 on the way, thanks oaky. :thumbup:
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: oaky on October 07, 2015, 07:16:57 AM: You're welcome, WoodMOJoe.
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: WoodMOJoe on October 07, 2015, 03:45:32 PM: I did a little online shopping and came up with these:

http://www.supplyhouse.com/Webstone-40434-4043-Series-1-Full-Port-Forged-Brass-Ball-Valve-w-Hi-Flow-Hose-Drain-Reversible-Handle-IPS-Union-x-IPS

Free Shipping over $99.
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: WoodMOJoe on October 07, 2015, 03:47:48 PM: When you guys say "coil cleaner"...do you mean the stuff that is typical used externally on evap/condenser coils?

And if so, do you circulate it full-strength through the pump or diluted?
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: ambonci on October 07, 2015, 05:58:29 PM: Quote from: WoodMOJoe on October 07, 2015, 03:47:48 PM
When you guys say "coil cleaner"...do you mean the stuff that is typical used externally on evap/condenser coils?

And if so, do you circulate it full-strength through the pump or diluted?
Yeah im wondering the same thing. also since I don't have shutoffs im gonna have to make adapters right or just put ball valves in when I reassemble?
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: BigAlsc on October 08, 2015, 06:49:00 PM: Thanks for the pic sceptre. Are the tees with the bushing for temp guage?
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: sceptre74 on October 09, 2015, 04:01:07 AM: Yes, they are. This is one of slim's pics that i found. The one I built is very similar but doesn't look as nice as his. Lol
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: schoppy on October 18, 2015, 12:53:48 AM: Do water to air heat exchangers need to be flushed out also?
Title: Re: Flushing plate exchanger
Post by: ambonci on October 18, 2015, 06:54:24 AM: does the vinegar work as good as muriatic acid?