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View Full Version : What is the best way to repair leak tube sheet?



pete_d
12-02-2012, 06:33 PM
The York YS EA EA S4 style C chiller (with R134a) is leak at condenser tube sheet per attached picture.

What is the best way to repair this leak? Please advice.

Thanks

james10
12-02-2012, 06:40 PM
How many tubes are damaged? any more than 10% then it's time for a new chiller or condenser, as it's the seal between the tube and tube sheet that's damaged rather than the tube inner then you need to either have the tubes replaced or try to re-expand them, you can try using tapered brass plugs with loctite to try to repair them but i wouldn't hold my breath

stufus
12-02-2012, 07:31 PM
This lot do a full range of repair kits
http://www.appliedcool.com/products/other_products/tube_plugs.htm
C (http://www.appliedcool.com/products/other_products/tube_plugs.htm)heers
Stu

Magoo
12-02-2012, 11:43 PM
Hi
Crevis corrossion is not good, water blast tube sheets, allow to dry and suck a vacuum on vessel and then apply a wicking loctite product and follow with second loctite product which I cannot remember the number, for the bad ones you can plug off 10 % max number of tubes. Plus get some water treatment sorted out, there is some serious pitting corrossion going on in pics, galvanic corrossion for sure.
Once you get things sorted fit some zinc anode blocke in water boxes that will slow the galvanic effect.

Tesla
13-02-2012, 07:44 AM
I have also seen the tube plate coated with a type of glass like fibre glass. But the photos show a replacement is not far away. Like Magoo says the cause needs to be fixed - water treatment and flow rates need to be checked.

rickyccong
21-02-2012, 08:37 AM
Use Tube Internal Cutter cut off all the tubes behind the Damaged Corroded Tube-Sheet. On the undamaged tube-sheet side extract partially all the tubes. Cut & Remove the damage tube-sheet from the shell and shorten the shell by 1" (inch). Make a new tube-sheet and weld back to the shell and push back all tubes into the new tube-sheet & expand all back all the tubes. Such repairs could last U 5-10 years without problem, if possible protect those tube ends with alloy inserts, as the damage might be caused by the two (2) passes, hitting hard against the tube-sheet.

Best to carry out Eddy Current Tubing Examination on all tubes.

If you are anywhere near Asia country contact me and I could provide the service.

Cool Bananas.
26-02-2012, 09:58 AM
Hi All, is it ok to use the brass plugg & locktite method for Shell & tube condensers? Or is the method more for Shell & tube Chllers? And does the 10% rule apply for chillers as well? Can anyone remeber what the locktite product was?
And finally, is there a reason why you cant try blue tip silver solder with flux??

rickyccong
19-03-2012, 10:57 AM
Tube sheet corroded not tube expansion end leak, if tube expansion end leaked than re-expand might able to solve the problem.

If tube sheet corroded to solve it, replace the tube-sheet, as I have come across such problem before and until now ten (10) years no leakage.