SWEP B5T

The catalogued B5T builds on file are all SC: 316/316L plates with copper braze. That combination is right for treated water, glycol mixes, oils and refrigerants, which covers most of what a unit this size is asked to do.

Two services rule it out. Ammonia attacks the copper braze, and deionized or ultrapure water leaches copper out of it, so both need a copper-free construction. The B5 frame is shown on its sheet with nickel braze, which is the route at this size. Chloride-bearing water is a separate problem: it pits 316 regardless of the braze, so tell us the water analysis before a pool or brackish duty is quoted.

No. The pass arrangement is part of the designation for a reason: a /4P pack and a /1P pack with identical plate counts are different exchangers. The four-pass unit has the higher velocity, the higher pressure drop and the longer thermal path, so swapping in a single-pass unit loses capacity on the same flows.

The piping changes too. The catalogued strings on file for this frame are /1P builds, with all four connections on one cover. Multi-pass packs can put connections on both covers, so check where the ports sit on the old unit before assuming the new one drops into the same pipework. Send the full string and we will match the arrangement, not just the frame.

By circulating a cleaning solution through it in place, against the normal flow direction, then rinsing until the water runs neutral. Fit isolation valves and a pair of flushing tees when the unit goes in, because adding them later means cutting the solder joints.

On a frame this small the channels hold very little, so scale that would be tolerable in a large exchanger shows up early as a rising pressure drop and a falling outlet temperature. Pick a cleaner that is safe for both stainless and copper braze - chloride-bearing acids attack the plates. A strainer sized for the 1 mm published particle limit keeps the debris problem from returning. The method is on Cleaning in Place.

Yes. By SWEP's formula a 40-plate B5T is about 2.33 kg (5.14 lb) dry and a full 61-plate pack about 3.25 kg (7.18 lb), so the weight itself is not the issue. The issue is that an unsupported unit turns its four solder joints into the mounting, and every pump start, thermal cycle and bumped pipe is then carried by the connections.

Clamp the body or support the pipework within a short distance of each port, and leave the pipe free to grow with temperature.

Too few plates shows up immediately: the leaving temperature misses the target and the pressure drop is high enough that the circulator cannot deliver its design flow, which makes the shortfall worse.

Too many plates is quieter. Velocity falls, the coefficient drops and solids settle, so a generous unit can foul faster than a correct one. The catalogued counts on file run from 4 to 40 plates, which gives enough steps to land close to the duty instead of rounding up heavily.

It is built for small single-phase loops: an appliance-sized hydronic or tap-water duty, a small oil or water cooler, a sample cooler. The catalogued builds are M class, the category fatigue tested for refrigerant work, so small refrigerant duties are in range as well.

It is the wrong frame when the design flow sits near the 17.61 GPM (4 m3/h) ceiling, because that figure is a port limit and not a design point. It is also wrong where the two fluids must be kept apart by code - that needs a double-wall model such as the SWEP B8DW - and for wall-hung boiler work, where the E5T and E5AS variants were developed for that job.

These models are catalogued alongside the B5T. Each has its own page with its dimensions, materials and part numbers.

SWEP B5 - Very compact brazed plate heat exchanger for small flows, used as a small oil or water cooler.

SWEP B5AS - Very compact AsyMatrix brazed plate heat exchanger for low flows - small oil and water coolers.

SWEP E5AS - AsyMatrix brazed plate heat exchanger on the B5T frame, built for hot tap water production in boilers.

SWEP E5T - A very compact copper-brazed plate heat exchanger for wall-hung, non-condensing boilers.