Plate-type heat exchanger

[Kelly]

Here are the responses:

1) no, that not will work, you can't use this heat exchanger for salt water.

and after a bit more prodding:

2) the heat exchanger are made out of stainless steel, but saltwater will still attack them and they will begann to leak after a time. So it just will work for a short time and than you will get problems.

End of story??

[edwardc]

...
2) the heat exchanger are made out of stainless steel, but saltwater will still attack them and they will begann to leak after a time. So it just will work for a short time and than you will get problems....

I wonder if this is due to galvanic corrosion of the brazing material?

If so, could the addition of a zinc prevent it?

[Kelly]

Ed-

The engineer in you is shining through! I wrote back to the German gentleman and thanked him for his information and mentioned that one of us will have to test one of these units for our application. Maybe he'll offer me a test unit??

You never know.

[lat 64]

I have one of those same plate exchangers on my boiler to make domestic hot water. It is half as many plates(laminations) as the one in the photo. It has worked for twenty years now supplying all the hot water I need. Something like a 100-degree rise at four gallons a minute. I back flush it now and again by just opening a hose tap nearby. It has been a trouble-free unit for all these years.

If it is sold as marine unit then I would suggest having a screen filter for it at least.
Yes it really is small! Just about 8 inches long! The only issue I would see is corrosion and keeping it clean. I think it's up to the task.

R.

[tenders]

I would love to put some kind of heat exchanger on my home shower to add heat to the incoming cold water from the outgoing warm water from the drain.

But I suspect the way to do that would be to wrap cold water copper piping around the drain (as was discussed in another thread a few weeks ago) rather than to use an exchanger like this, which will be subject to clogging from drain schmutz.

[smosher]

Couldn't you add in the heat exchanger on the hot water side and then feed it back to the cold water supply.

Steve

[tenders]

Couldn't you add in the heat exchanger on the hot water side and then feed it back to the cold water supply.

Steve

Cooling the hot water before it gets used defeats the purpose. I want to take heat out of the discarded drain water and warm up the incoming cold water so less hot water is needed.

[lat 64]

I would love to put some kind of heat exchanger on my home shower to add heat to the incoming cold water from the outgoing warm water from the drain.

But I suspect the way to do that would be to wrap cold water copper piping around the drain (as was discussed in another thread a few weeks ago) rather than to use an exchanger like this, which will be subject to clogging from drain schmutz.

There is some talk of doing that in Alaska and other northern climes.
When I get home Ill look up some of that info. Im in Hawaii right now and trying to keep up on my wife's iPad. I have a tirade aboute the condition of the full-rigged ship Falls of Clyde coming. Put on on your flak jackets.

Russ