wilconrad
Well-Known Member
I'm in the market for a new chiller (currently using an immersion type) and have been reviewing the discussions on HBT about plate vs. counterflow chillers. The horror-stories of cleaning plate chillers (or, rather, of the gunk that builds up if you don't do a thorough enough job) have almost convinced me to go with the counterflow.
But here's the thing: the higher-dollar counterflow chillers all use convoluted copper tubing for the inner coil, i.e. the inside of them is full of nooks & crannies for gunk to hide in. Wouldn't this make them just as bad as a plate chiller to get thoroughly cleaned out? While I understand that convoluted tubing boosts the efficiency of the counterflow chiller relative to smooth-walled tube, if it's just going to trap a bunch of crap, why not go with a plate chiller (cheaper)?
So here's my question: for those of you who own a counterflow chiller with convoluted inner tubing, what's the verdict on keeping them clean? Is it just as tough as keeping a plate chiller clean? Does it harbor a bunch of gunk?
But here's the thing: the higher-dollar counterflow chillers all use convoluted copper tubing for the inner coil, i.e. the inside of them is full of nooks & crannies for gunk to hide in. Wouldn't this make them just as bad as a plate chiller to get thoroughly cleaned out? While I understand that convoluted tubing boosts the efficiency of the counterflow chiller relative to smooth-walled tube, if it's just going to trap a bunch of crap, why not go with a plate chiller (cheaper)?
So here's my question: for those of you who own a counterflow chiller with convoluted inner tubing, what's the verdict on keeping them clean? Is it just as tough as keeping a plate chiller clean? Does it harbor a bunch of gunk?