CHXS Series Compact Heat Exchangers

The Compact Range in Steel

The CHXS covers the same compact size band as the CHX with a steel shell in place of brass. Cast iron bonnets, brass tubesheets and copper tubes are carried over, as is the 300 PSI shell rating that distinguishes the compact range from the larger SU and WU units.

Steel or brass is a fluid decision, not a pressure decision. Both shells carry the same rating. What differs is corrosion behaviour and cost. Steel suits treated closed-loop water, condensate and general industrial service; brass is preferred where the shell-side fluid would attack steel or where dezincification is not a concern.

Longer shells than the CHX. The catalogued CHXS range extends to 96 inch shell lengths against the CHX's 72, which gives more surface within the same diameter band. On a duty that needs area rather than pressure capability, that extra length is often the deciding factor.

Single pass has a real role here. On the smallest shells there is limited flow to distribute, and forcing it through four passes buys velocity at a pressure drop cost that a small pump may not have. The 1-pass arrangements in the range exist for exactly that case.

Identifying a unit. The 5-160 catalogue range covers the CHXS, alongside legacy designations such as CHXS536-4L. Both forms encode diameter, length and the pass and connection arrangement, and either is enough for us to confirm what you have.