SWEP B500T

One that stops anything approaching 1 mm, on both circuits, fitted close upstream of the inlet. Larger particles lodge at the channel entry and stay there.

The symptom is a pressure drop that climbs on one side while performance sags, usually within weeks of start-up on a system that was not flushed. Flush the pipework before the exchanger is connected, and clean the strainer after the first days of running.

Yes. The trailing T is a plate generation, and a T plate is physically different from a non-T plate, so the letter cannot be assumed. The S500T, which shares the 979 x 304 mm plate and 854 x 179 mm port centres, is an evaporator model for demanding chiller duty - a different unit that looks the same from the front.

Work out what the unit does: liquid on both sides points to the B500T, refrigerant on one side points elsewhere. Then send a photo of what remains of the label, the plate count from the pack edge, the connection type and the duty, and we will confirm the build before quoting.

SWEP lists threaded, Victaulic, solder, combo, flange and weld connections on this frame. A combo connection accepts two joining methods or sizes on the same port, which is useful when the old joint type is uncertain.

The catalogued strings on file for the B500T give frame and plate count only, so the connection has to be specified - it will not be implied by the model. State the pipe size and joint type at each of the four ports, and say which ports are in use, since not every arrangement uses the same four positions. Describing the existing joint is more reliable than asking for the same as before.

It can be cleaned in place, by circulating a cleaning solution through the fouled side; it cannot be opened. That makes the result depend on catching fouling early. A unit that has lost a little performance to scale or biofilm generally recovers. One that is blocked with debris does not, because the solution follows the open channels and bypasses the plugged ones.

Build the means in at installation: valved cleaning connections between the isolation valves and the unit on each circuit, so a pump cart can be coupled without breaking pipework. Circulate against the normal flow direction where possible, and choose a chemical compatible with both 316 stainless and copper braze. Cleaning in Place gives the method.

From the duty, not from the list. The 18 configurations on file run from 50 to 220 plates, and the frame itself allows 420. Adding plates adds surface and parallel channels, which lowers pressure drop and tightens the approach for a given flow.

The trade-off is that a pack with far more plates than the flow needs runs at low channel velocity and fouls sooner, and it is heavier and deeper: 16.03 kg plus 0.905 kg per plate puts a 220-plate unit at about 215 kg. Plate Count and Capacity walks through the balance.

These models are catalogued alongside the B500T. Each has its own page with its dimensions, materials and part numbers.

SWEP S500T - Chiller evaporator on the B500T frame, 979 x 304 mm, up to 420 plates, copper-brazed 316/316L.