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Heat Exchanger Cleaning and Service Tips

Heat Exchanger Cleaning

Heat Exchanger Cleaning and Service Tips

You take steps to protect business investments all the time, but one of the most important investments you can make is in the cleanliness and maintenance of your heat exchanger. Heat exchangers are vital components of many industrial and commercial systems, and their performance is essential to the success of your operations. Proper cleaning and service of your heat exchanger can help you save money, improve efficiency, and extend its lifespan. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your heat exchanger service.

Onsite Cleaning and Maintenance Options

Turnaround Planners and Operators understand that removal of the equipment may not always be feasible. For this reason, they seek onsite cleaning and maintenance services. Onsite maintenance options may include chemical cleaning, pressure washing, grit blasting, and other cleaning services. These services can help you remove built-up sediment, scale, and other fouling mechanisms that reduce your heat exchanger’s performance.

There are a few challenges to this approach that can make it less desirable than offsite maintenance. For example, onsite chemical cleaning may be insufficient to remove some types of heavy fouling. Additionally, onsite maintenance can be time-consuming and costly at higher field rates and may cause disruptions to other areas of operation. 

Offsite Maintenance Options

Of course, sometimes a shutdown and removal of the equipment are more practical due to the nature of the work. When that is the case, offsite maintenance is your best option. Offsite maintenance allows you to take advantage of specialized cleaning techniques and equipment that may not be available onsite. This includes specialized chemical cleaning, ultrasonics, and other processes that can help restore your heat exchanger to its original performance level.

Offsite maintenance also allows you to diagnose and repair underlying issues that may be affecting the performance of your heat exchanger. This can be particularly important if you are dealing with a recurring problem such as leaking tube sheet joints. Offsite maintenance also allows you to replace or plug damaged tubes, which can help extend the life of your heat exchanger to the next planned outage.

Why You Need Regular Heat Exchanger Service: Benefits

Heat exchanger cleaning on a regular basis can help you save money in the long run. Regular heat exchanger maintenance can help ensure that your exchanger is operating at peak performance, which can reduce your energy costs. Additionally, proper cleaning and maintenance of your heat exchanger can help prevent costly unplanned downtime due to leakage.

Improve Efficiency

The main variable in the performance of a heat exchanger is the efficiency of its heat transfer due to fouling. Regular maintenance and cleaning can help ensure the heat exchanger runs at peak efficiency in terms of heat transfer rate and reduced pumping power (due to lower pressure drop). This can help you reduce pumping costs and achieve targeted operational budgets.

Extend the Life of the System

Regular maintenance and cleaning can also help extend the life of your heat exchanger. Fouling will cause corrosion via various mechanisms that will reduce the lifespan of your exchanger. Regular cleaning and maintenance can help you get the most out of your heat exchanger, so the time between replacements is maximized.

Schedule Cleaning and Heat Exchanger Service with Altex

Altex is Canada’s leading heat exchanger manufacturer, providing heat exchanger optimization and maintenance services to businesses across Canada. Our experienced team of supervisors, engineers, and Boilermakers can help you get the most out of your facility while reducing energy, maintenance, and capital costs.

Contact us to learn more about our services and how we can help you maximize the performance and lifespan of your heat exchanger.