Study on Anti-Corrosion Technology for Copper Heat Exchangers in Gas Water Heaters

As the main material of heat exchangers， copper is widely used in gas water heaters.However， the corrosion and water leakage of copper pipes have also become a key challenge in the industry.To address the perforation corrosion of copper heat exchangers， based on waterquality and failure analyses， two strategies for inhibiting pitting corrosion were proposed from two aspects of pipeline material treatment and water quality treatment， namely the nickel plating of the inner pipe wall and the application of filming organic formula (FOF) agents for physical scale inhibition.The feasibility of these strategies was validated through electrochemical tests and durability assessments.Subsequently， specimens treated with each strategy were mass-produced and were subjected to targeted field trials in regions such as Shanxi and Shandong， during which their performance was monitored periodically.Results showed that corrosion of the heat exchangers was moderately reduced by nickel plating， and their service life was extended by 60%to 200%.In addition， the application of FOF agents was shown to prolong service life by more than 60%to 200%.