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Common issues

• Gasket degradation or leakage at plate seals, especially with age or incompatible cleaning chemicals
• Fouling on the seawater side (biofouling, scaling) reducing heat transfer efficiency over time
• Plate corrosion/pitting, particularly with chloride-containing coolant or seawater in the circuit
• Cross-contamination between circuits from a failed or leaking plate, showing up as unexpected fluid mixing
• Reduced flow or rising differential pressure from fouling, requiring more frequent cleaning
• Frame bolt tension loss over time, contributing to gasket leakage

Inspection checklist

• Monitor and trend inlet/outlet temperatures and differential pressure across the cooler to detect fouling
• Visual inspection of plates for pitting, deposits and gasket condition when opened
• Check for external leakage at the frame/gasket interface
• Verify frame tightening bolt torque/compression length against the maker's specification
• Pressure/leak test after reassembly before returning to service
• Watch for cross-contamination (e.g. oil in cooling water, or a salinity change) as an indicator of plate leakage
• Check sacrificial anodes, if fitted on seawater-side end covers, for consumption

Service intervals

Typical intervals for this design class, not the manufacturer’s figures for your model. The manufacturer’s manual is binding.

Critical spares

• Full gasket set matched to the specific plate pattern - Alfa Laval gaskets are plate-pattern specific, confirm the exact reference against the unit's nameplate rather than assuming compatibility across models
• Individual heat transfer plates, for replacing pitted or damaged plates
• Frame tightening bolts/nuts
• Sacrificial anodes, seawater-side end covers, where fitted
• End cover/connection gaskets and O-rings

Safety

• Frame bolts are under compression - follow the maker's tightening sequence and torque to avoid uneven loading or plate damage
• This is a pressurised system - isolate and depressurise before opening
• Seawater-side biological contamination risk during cleaning - standard hygiene precautions apply

Class survey

Central coolers in the seawater cooling system are checked for external leakage and general condition at machinery surveys; class does not normally require opening unless a performance or condition issue is reported. Note: the source listing for this entry reflects general Alfa Laval marketing content rather than one specific product model - the guidance above applies generically to Alfa Laval gasketed plate central coolers of the M/T-line family referenced in the specs (T6-T35, DN60-DN350).

Estimated lifetime: Gasketed plate heat exchanger frames of this type typically remain in service 20+ years with periodic plate and gasket renewal; individual plates are replaced on condition rather than on a fixed life.