What is the difference between same prefix verb + different かえる verbs

Question

What are the differences in nuance between these same pronunciation prefix + different かえる combinations?

For example:

置き換える・置き替える

入れ替える・入れ換える・入れ変える

取り替える・取り代える・取り換える

Thank you very much!

Answer 1

From Daijirin:

かえる《替・換・代・変》
「替える」は“同種の物といれかえる”の意。「メンバーを替える」「シーツを替える」
「換える」は“他の物ととりかえる。交換する”の意。「宝石を金（かね）に換える」
「代える」は“代用する。代理とする”の意。「挙手をもって投票に代える」「命には代えられない」
「変える」は“状態を変化させる。場所を移す”の意。「髪形を変える」「態度を変える」「住所を変える」「位置を変える」「血相を変える」

So roughly in English:

• 「替える」: replace something with something of the same kind. "replace a player" "change the sheets"
• 「換える」: replace something with something else. exchange. "exchange jewels for money"
• 「代える」: substitute. represent. "substitute a show of hands for a vote" "life cannot be substituted by anything else"
• 「変える」: change the state of something. move something somewhere else. "change one's hairstyle" "change one's attitude" "change an address" "change the location of something" "change color (turn pale/red)"

Daijirin lists all the compounds you gave with 替／換:

• 置き換える・置き替える: rearrange
• 入れ替える・入れ換える: replace A with B, change A for B
• 取り替える・取り換える: replace, renew

Typically, you would use the first version unless you wanted to emphasize a particular nuance:

• 置き替える: move to another place of the same kind
• 入れ換える: replace A with B, which is of a different kind
• 取り換える: replace with something not necessarily of the same kind