Plate chiller advice needed

[Fil]

i think the major concern is down to break material forming between the plates and the thinner the gap between the plates the more chance of some break material lodging in place, With the larger models with a broader flow passage are less likely to succumb to such problems.

 

[Dronfieldbrewer]

Why thank you Tony...looks a better bet then.

 

[Vossy1]

If food safety is a 'concern' for you, it's also worth checking what braising material has been used in sealed PHE's, most are copper braised which is fine, but not all are.
Also worth noting use of certain chemical cleaning agents and protracted exposure to copper is not ideal, and though I've seen no reports to date of issues in home brewing use and sealed PHE's, it's worth being aware of.

Whichever sort you use you MUST have a 'fine' filter upstream to trap particles greater than 0.5mm (Try a #40 mesh hop stopper)

Ignore at your peril

 

[rodabod]

Does anyone know why you can't just use the standard plastic garden hose compression fitting as shown for the cold water inlet/outlet for the wort inlet/outlet too?

Can you just not rely on the plastic connections being both food-safe and capable of withstanding nearly 100 degrees C ?

 

[Fil]

Does anyone know why you can't just use the standard plastic garden hose compression fitting as shown for the cold water inlet/outlet for the wort inlet/outlet too?

Can you just not rely on the plastic connections being both food-safe and capable of withstanding nearly 100 degrees C ?

you got it , even synthetic fittings used for pottable water systems (speedfit etc) are not expected to maintain a seal over 80-90C in most cases..
and a jet of close to 100C beer escaping a seal under pressure isnt something desirable