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.
- Items
- 4
- Photos required
- 6
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The mechanical or building maintenance tech on the quarterly round, reading the exchanger in service.
When in the schedule
Every quarter while the exchanger is running under load, so a slipping approach temperature is caught as early fouling rather than a comfort complaint.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Performance
- 2 photos
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.
- 1 photo
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.
Leaks
- 2 photos
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.
- 1 photo
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.
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.
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 6 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Common questions
- What does this plate-and-frame heat exchanger quarterly checklist cover?
- 4 items across 2 sections, covering performance, leaks. 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 does every item ask for a photo?
- 6 of the 4 items call for photo evidence. 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.
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