What does this plate-and-frame heat exchanger annual checklist cover?

14 items across 4 sections, covering isolation, cleaning and plates, reassembly, record. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.

Who should run this inspection?

The mechanical service tech on the annual service, with both circuits isolated and drained before the frame is opened.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

Once a year, the pass where the exchanger is isolated so the plate pack can be cleaned and the frame closed back to its measured dimension.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

9 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 12 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.

What most often fails a plate-and-frame heat exchanger annual inspection?

Frame reclosed by feel instead of to the marked tie-bar dimension, so the pack is over- or under-compressed and gaskets leak or crush. Plates cleaned but hairline gasket cracks or a slipped gasket missed on reassembly, so the unit passes internally within days of the service.

Can I use this checklist in RTI?

Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.

Free checklist

Plate-and-frame heat exchanger annual maintenance checklist

The annual heat exchanger service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

Start free with this checklist Download as PDF

The checklist

Every item, and the photo evidence it needs

The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.

Isolation

Owner and occupants told before heat or hot water goes off
Owner and affected occupants told when heat or hot water will be off and for how long, and the hot side left to cool before it is drained.
No photo
Both circuits isolated, drained and relieved
Isolation valves confirmed shut on both sides, unit drained and pressure relieved, and lockout applied before the frame bolts are touched.
Drained water or glycol captured per the site's procedure
Drained fluid collected and disposed of under the site's procedure rather than run to a floor drain, and any glycol volume noted for make-up at refill.
No photo

Cleaning and plates

Plate pack opened and cleaned of fouling and scale
Plates opened and cleaned per the published method, scale and biofilm removed from the flow gaps, plate surfaces checked for pitting or perforation.
Gaskets inspected for cracks, hardening and seating
Each gasket checked for cracking, hardening or a slipped bond in its groove, since a failed gasket is what lets one circuit into the other.
Plate crack testing done by the qualified firm where specified
Where the owner or manufacturer calls for it, plate crack or leak testing done by the named qualified service firm, with its report on file for this unit.
No photo
Plates rehung in the manufacturer's order
Plates rehung in the sequence and orientation on the plate arrangement drawing, with the pack edge pattern checked even before the frame is closed.

Reassembly

Frame closed to the marked tie-bar dimension
Plate pack tightened evenly to the dimension marked on the tie bars per the nameplate, not by feel, so compression is correct.
Circuits proven not passing after reassembly
One side pressurized from a test pump with the other vented and open to drain, and no flow or pressure rise shows on the idle side, proving no plate passes.
Insulation refitted and locks removed by whoever hung them
Test pump off and vented, any insulation or shroud back over the pack, and each lock and tag removed by the person who hung it before the circuits refill.
Unit returned to service and proven leak-tight
Both circuits refilled, vented and brought back under pressure, connections and pack edges confirmed dry and approach temperature restored.
Leaving temperature control driven through its range
Control output driven through its range from the controller with the leaving temperature following, then returned to automatic holding setpoint.

Record

As-found and closing dimensions logged
As-found and final tie-bar dimensions logged against the nameplate or manufacturer's value, so the next service knows how far the pack was taken up.
No photo
Service record filed with readings and any firm's report
As-found and as-left readings, gasket and plate condition, parts replaced and any qualified firm's report filed with the owner.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Frame reclosed by feel instead of to the marked tie-bar dimension, so the pack is over- or under-compressed and gaskets leak or crush.
Plates cleaned but hairline gasket cracks or a slipped gasket missed on reassembly, so the unit passes internally within days of the service.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this plate-and-frame heat exchanger annual checklist cover?: 14 items across 4 sections, covering isolation, cleaning and plates, reassembly, record. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
Who should run this inspection?: The mechanical service tech on the annual service, with both circuits isolated and drained before the frame is opened.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: Once a year, the pass where the exchanger is isolated so the plate pack can be cleaned and the frame closed back to its measured dimension.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 9 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 12 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
What most often fails a plate-and-frame heat exchanger annual inspection?: Frame reclosed by feel instead of to the marked tie-bar dimension, so the pack is over- or under-compressed and gaskets leak or crush. Plates cleaned but hairline gasket cracks or a slipped gasket missed on reassembly, so the unit passes internally within days of the service.
Can I use this checklist in RTI?: Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.

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Run it with the Photo Gate

A checklist nobody can submit half-finished

Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 12 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.