Cleaning Advice For Turbomax DHW Plate HEX

plumbandplumber · Feb 19, 2012

The HW performance on my Turbomax is dire. It just about copes in summer, but any other time, you have to run the tap slowly to get anything other than warm water, with the control set to max. It's a hard water area, and boiler's 8 years old. The water temp doesn't alternate between hot and cold, it's just a constant stream of tepid water.

I'm going to whip the plate hex out, but need advice on cleaning it. What's the best solution to use? Spirit of salts has been suggested, but never used this before. Where can you buy it? How do you dilute it, and how long should I leave it in the hex? I believe it's strong stuff, can it do damage? Is there anything else I should consider using.

Any advice appreciated.

Puddle · Feb 20, 2012

I have a turbomax and had the same problem and had to do the same thing a few months ago

I use spirit of salts,it is strong ,do be careful and ventilate working area well,do outside if you can,if you get on cloths it will burn a hole in them,jeans as well as have found,it will stain stainless steel kitchen sinks,if you use a sink, leave tap running into sink ,so water dilutes any spillage,would not advise inexperienced person does this though

You can use milder chemicals if you wish,even vinegar but will take longer to clean

Remove plate heat exchanger and first flush through with clear water,I usually do in kitchen sink or a outside tap is good,you will see the heating flow port ,as that will be te one with the most debre in
Then keep filling plate and blow through water in plate to remove as much black 'bits as possible

Once that is done,poor spirt of salts in heating ports only,you will see the reaction taking place.leave for maybe 5 mins ,then flush out well with water,that should have done the trick,replace plate and with boiler off,run hot tap for a few mins to make sure if any small amount went in hot side ,it is cleared out but this should not and there is no reason for this to happen but a good safety precaution

plumbandplumber · Feb 20, 2012

Thanks for your reply Puddle.

Sounds like you used the spirit of salts to clean the heating/primary side of hex only. I'm in a hard water area, and as the water in rads is really clean and hw doesn't alternate hot to cold to hot, is it the DHW side of hex that's the problem? Or is it likely to be both sides.

If it's just DHW side, is S O S overkill? Will S O S possibly melt the hex inside? If just DHW side, would kettle descaler be better?

If the primary side does have rust flakes, etc in it, will S O S dissolve these too?

Finally, presuming there are some o rings/seals on the hex? Can I get these from Parts Centre?

plumbandplumber · Mar 4, 2012

BUMP.

Any advice appreciated re. questions above. I'm hoping to do the job this week, and I now realise that Spirit Of Salts is Hydrochloric acid. Don't want to use this without a few pointers first.

mountainman · Mar 4, 2012

Not a difficult operation, use the SOS in the hw side of the Hx and follow instructions previosly written, may need mire than 5 mins or 1 treatment tho.
Seals should be reusable if undamaged.

Brendan Rodgers · Mar 6, 2012

Iv used DS40 on a scaled up Jaguar plate and it was like brand-new after i finished, made by Fernox from plumb center about £40 ish...be very careful, its strong but if its lime scale your dealing with, you need it...
You only need to use the neutralizing powder if you put it in the system, METHOD;
Add a cup-full(old cup) to an old wine bottle, at arms reach poor in boiling water from the kettle, shake and stir for five minuets, take it outside to do this by the way...
Poor it into your plate, go to the pub.
Return and rinse, if you want, poor some neet crystals into the plate then boiling water into it so its reacting in the plate and not in the bottle. Hey presto, like new,. This stuff is made for an alternative to power flushing, guys its better than a power flushing in some circamstanses.
Bren.