How to inspect and maintain heat exchanger gaskets during use?

1. Daily inspection and monitoring
Preliminary judgment of whether the heat exchanger gasket seal has failed can be made through dripping during cold operation or shutdown cooling. Regularly record parameters such as pressure and temperature. If the pressure drop or temperature is abnormal, it is necessary to check whether the gasket has caused medium cross-flow due to aging or deformation. Use a fluorescent tester to check whether there are cracks or corrosion holes in the plate sealing groove and gasket surface to ensure that the sealing surface is flat and free of impurities. It can also be evaluated from the physical state of the gasket, such as observing whether the gasket surface is hardened, cracked or uneven in thickness. If the local wear exceeds 30% of the original thickness or the length deviation exceeds ±8mm, it should be replaced.

2. Cleaning and maintenance
Use a high-pressure air gun or a soft brush to remove oil and sediment on the surface of the gasket. Chlorine-containing solvents or metal scrapers are prohibited to avoid damaging the rubber material. Neutral detergents are preferred when using chemical cleaning. After cleaning, residual media must be purged to avoid acid and alkali corrosion of gaskets and plates. For gaskets that come into contact with corrosive media, regularly check for signs of surface corrosion, and spray anti-corrosion coating or replace corrosion-resistant materials if necessary.

3. Gasket replacement steps
After the machine is shut down and cooled to room temperature, loosen the clamping bolts in diagonal order to avoid deformation of the plate. Use non-metallic tools to remove the old gasket to prevent scratching the sealing groove. Clean the residue in the groove and apply special adhesive, accurately embed the new gasket into the groove, let it stand and solidify, and then gradually tighten the bolts symmetrically to the designed preload. Conduct a water pressure test (to confirm the sealing performance and monitor whether the initial operating parameters are stable.