Ten top tips for spiral heat exchangers
Ten top tips to keep your spiral heat exchanger in tip top condition
Never open a unit if one or both channels are pressurized. Any attempt to do so may cause personal injury and/or damage the unit and its surroundings- Lift the unit by its lifting lugs and not by the connections or the cover lug.
- Open and close valves slowly to avoid water hammer from pressure surges during start-up and shutdown.
- Make sure that the unit is properly vented before start-up. We suggest you contact Alfa Laval to train your operators for optimum and reliable operations.
- Monitor the heat exchanger's performance and pressure drop proactively in order to better plan cleaning and maintenance. This will enable you to further improve the sustainability of the system. Alfa Laval can support you with a Performance Assessment that will determine the optimal cleaning intervals for your specific conditions.
- Always operate in accordance with the design rate to avoid thickening or clogging with fluids that contain solid particles.
- Use a cleaning method that is optimized for your heat exchanger. With cleaning-in-place (CIP) or back flushing, you can avoid opening the unit. Alfa Laval's service experts can help you determine and implement the best cleaning practices for you.
- Change the cover gaskets every time you open the cover. Alfa Laval recommends that you keep a set of genuine spares designed for your unit in stock, so you can always be ready for maintenance.
- Tighten the unit as described in the installation manual during transportation or prolonged periods of shutdown. If not done properly, cover gaskets and/or hook bolts may loosen.
- Flush and/or drain the heat exchanger in cases of a long shutdown, when using corrosive fluid, or if there is a risk of freezing.
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