Double Wall Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers

Double wall brazed plate heat exchangers resemble conventional brazed plate units and come in a number of standard sizes. As with the conventional units they consist of SS316 plates copper brazed together. The plate design ensures high heat transfer coefficients resulting in small surface area requirements.

Our line of double wall brazed plate heat exchangers are suitable for potable water, food industry, pharmaceutical and various other applications where the possibility of cross contamination must be eliminated. Each double wall plate actually consists of two thin plates welded together with a small air gap, which is vented to the atmosphere. Should any leakage occur as a result of cracks or pin holes it will be detected on the outside of the heat exchanger.

Advantages of the Double Wall Brazed Heat Exchanger

Advantages of Double Wall Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers: Due to concerns about cross contamination of potable water several US States enacted regulations to prevent this possibility from occurring. Double wall heat exchangers presented the most effective means of protection from cross contamination. Double wall heat exchangers had already been in existence for quite some time for industrial applications where the mixture of two fluids could have hazardous consequences. They had also been used for transformer oil cooling and lubricating oil cooling.

The existing double wall heat exchangers were available in both the shell & tube as well as the gasketed plate & frame designs. This presented problems for homeowners who required a double wall heat exchanger for their potable water as both the shell & tube as well as gasketed plate type heat exchangers are large and bulky. Although quite suitable for processing plants and mechanical rooms in large buildings they do not fit very well into a residential application.

Applications of the Double Wall Brazed Heat Exchanger

Due to the compact size and lightweight of the double wall brazed plate heat exchangers these units are ideal for residential applications. They are commonly used to separate domestic water from other fluids in a hydronic system. Traditionally they have been used as instantaneous water heaters to heat domestic water using a boiler. It is important to ensure complete isolation of domestic water from boiler water to protect against chemical contamination of the domestic water supply. In some cases domestic hot water is used as a heating source for radiant floor systems.

In many cases where a boiler is not available this has provided an alternative. It is important to isolate a domestic water system from a radiant floor heating system to protect it from bacterial contamination. One bacterium in particular, legionella, has been detected in large concentrations in radiant floor systems. Radiant heating systems, typically operate at roughly 100F and are left stagnant in summer months. This provides an ideal breeding ground for these organisms.

For most residential applications the LA14-30 DWA is an ideal fit. This model is designed to handle heat loads of up to 100,000 Btu/hr and is small enough to be held in the palm of your hand. For larger heat loads please contact us.

Please note that all our heat exchangers are available for immediate delivery.

Do you still have questions? We invite you to call or email us today for more information. We'll be happy to provide you with a heat exchanger that matches your specific needs.