Free checklist
Plate-and-frame heat exchanger quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly heat exchanger round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
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.
Performance
Approach temperature read across both circuits
Inlet and outlet temperatures taken on both sides under load and the approach compared to what the exchanger normally holds, a widening approach flags fouling before it becomes a complaint.
Pressure drop across the unit observed
Differential across each side compared to normal; a climbing drop with no valve change points at scaling or debris packing the plate gaps.
Thermometers and gauges on each nozzle readable
Thermometers, gauges or sensors on both circuits legible and agreeing with the building controls or a handheld check, since the approach is only as good as the instruments.
Leaks
Plate pack and connections checked for external leaks
No weeping along the plate pack edges or at the port connections, no drip trail down the frame, dry under the unit.
No sign of cross-contamination between circuits
Neither circuit showing the other's pressure, color or make-up behavior, which would say a plate or gasket is passing internally.
Frame, tie bars and nuts checked for corrosion
Frame plates, tie bars and nuts free of heavy rust or mineral crust left by a slow weep, with the exposed bar threads kept clean and protected.
Vents and drains on both circuits shut and capped
High-point vents and low-point drains on both circuits closed, capped and dry, with no air hissing at a vent on the closed loop.
Controls and supports
Leaving temperature read against its setpoint
Leaving temperature on the controlled side read on the controller or building controls display against its setpoint, with the control output not pinned at full.
Inlet strainer differential noted on each circuit
Any strainer ahead of the exchanger read across its gauges or ports; a loaded strainer shows up as false exchanger pressure drop.
No photoUnit and connected piping supported without nozzle strain
Frame feet anchored tight, and the connected piping carried by its own hangers rather than hanging on the frame plate connections.
Record
Approach and drop logged against the baseline
Approach and drop on both sides logged with the pump and load conditions at the time, next to the commissioning baseline and last quarter's values.
No photoFouling trend or leak reported to the owner
A widening approach, a climbing drop or any weep reported to the owner with a recommendation on whether to bring the cleaning forward.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Both circuits still deliver, so it's called fine, while the approach temperature has widened for months and the plates are quietly fouling.
- A weep between the plate pack and the frame is wiped up as condensation when it's actually the gasket line starting to pass.
- Rising pressure drop across the unit is read as a pump problem when the plates are scaling and choking the flow gaps.
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this plate-and-frame heat exchanger quarterly checklist cover?
- 12 items across 4 sections, covering performance, leaks, controls and supports, 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 or building maintenance tech on the quarterly round, reading the exchanger in service.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter while the exchanger is running under load, so a slipping approach temperature is caught as early fouling rather than a comfort complaint.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 9 of the 12 items call for photo evidence, 11 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 quarterly inspection?
- Both circuits still deliver, so it's called fine, while the approach temperature has widened for months and the plates are quietly fouling. A weep between the plate pack and the frame is wiped up as condensation when it's actually the gasket line starting to pass. Rising pressure drop across the unit is read as a pump problem when the plates are scaling and choking the flow gaps.
- 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.
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 11 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.