If it does, and if a gasketed plate heat exchanger develops a small leak, try tightening the tie rods approximately 10 percent of the distance between the “A-max” and “A-min” dimensions, then rechecking for the leak. If it stops the leak, keep track of the date and amount of tightening as a means to predict when gasket replacement will be needed, and plan your outage accordingly.
When performing this adjustment, remember these tips:
- Never tighten beyond the “A-min” dimension, as this will risk destroying the plates.
- Never tighten based on torque. The measurement that counts is the A-dimension.
- The A-dimension should always be the same around the perimeter of the plates.
- Keep a small stock of emergency spare parts.
Report Abusive Comment