How to Clean Your Heat Exchanger Tubes

Heat exchanger tubes are part of a heat exchanger, which is a device used for efficient heat transfer from one area or medium or another in order that the hot fluids never mix when a solid wall separates it or whether the media are in direct contact. This device has various applications such as in space heating, refrigeration, power plants, air conditioning, petrochemical plants, chemical plants, petroleum refineries and for the processing of natural gas.

A typical example of this tool is found inside your cars known as the radiator where it acts as the heat transfer medium transferring hotness from water in the engine to the air flowing through the generator. There are several types of this device and each is crafted to suit the application where each is used.

As an efficient tool that is designed to work for its costumers, it being a scientific invention will also wear out once not taken care of. One best means to augment the working capacities of heat exchanger tubes is by thorough cleaning. There are a number of advantages why these units must be cleaned. One prime reason is it will protect your system from unexpected and sudden failure and this may work to the owners' disadvantage.

 Apart from ensuring that it will work properly, cleaning will also help increase the unit's efficiency. Checking on the unit at least once every three months will also lengthen the life of the unit and will make you have every penny's worth of your investment.

Since cleaning of heat exchanger tubes is beneficial, how does one proceed with it? What are the common methods of cleaning them? Here are some things to remember:

• Disconnect first the unit from the whole system itself to prevent electrocution. This is followed by removal of loose materials found close. This will prevent possible pushing of these materials towards the tube's interior once you start brushing.

• The next thing to do is to remove the materials found inside the tube prior to inserting appropriate sizes of brushes to start cleaning. Brushes with strong nylon bristles are advised to thoroughly clean the interiors of the tube and to remove whatever loose materials still present inside.

• Sometime brushing the interior is not enough so you have to scrape through the walls to remove materials that adhered to the tubes. It is important that you make use of a scraper made of materials that is less hard than the materials that compose your heat exchanger tubes to avoid damaging it.

• After doing the above step, let water rush through the interior to remove other materials not perfectly taken out by scraping. It will also lighten up the interiors.