Anyone with Plate Chillers

[WESBREW]

Got a new one from Duda and it looks nice (23-30plate) but when you place it on a flat table it wobbles b&f and from corner to corner. The sales guy said they are all like this due to having even number of plates. didn't make sense to me since all of the plates are the same height, they just appear to be out of square, as if you placed hands on the ends and twisted in opposite directions slightly. just want to know if this is typical or if I should insist on sending it back for replacement. thanks

[S-Tuna]

I'll hazard a guess that a noticeable curve in the plates will be a manufacturing defect. Perhaps run some clean water through both circuits, one side at a time to test for leaks. Clamp or block off the outlet hose to pressure it up to mains pressure. If it doesn't leak you should be golden. Obviously, make sure to drain it vertically after you've cleaned and flushed the wort side after use.

[KellerBrauer]

Greetings wesbrew - I have a plate chiller by Blichman and it's quite stable no matter which if it's sides I set it on. So I would tend to agree with Tuna and suggest it has a mfg defect. I would send it back unless you're happy with paying for a product that was made wrong. If so, I would test it as Tuna suggested.

I would close one end of the water side, pump it full of air at maybe 50 PSI and submerge the chiller in a bucket of water. If you leave the wort ports open and air comes out, you know you have an internal leak. Then reverse the process and test the wort side, but I would only pump it up to 5-10 PSI.

[WESBREW]

I got back with Duda Diesel and the manager said they are all like that. Didn't give me any option to send back because According to him every one of them has a slight wobble if laid flat on a table. None of the plates are bent or misshapen. I tested it with sanitizer, then boiling wort, then ran the hose/counterflow side too and zero leaks. I used the mounting bolts to mount it on a wood block so it isn't sitting on the ground.