How to Maintain Heat Exchanger Tubes?

When we talk about heat exchanger tubes, they are designed to transfer heat from one medium to another during processing and are well-suited for high-pressure applications. For maintaining the efficiency of your heat exchanger tubes, you must follow good cleaning practices to avoid degradation. Hence, to avoid all of these problems and prevent the disruption of your production process, it is best to regularly clean and maintain your heat exchangers. Learn how you can maintain heat exchanger tubes and reduce your operational expenses.

Top 5 Tips & Tricks to Maintain Heat Exchanger Tubes!

Periodic Cleaning & Maintenance

For any equipment to work at its maximum efficiency, it must be maintained properly. Cleaning the heat exchanger tubes will prevent deposits of sediments and dust to reach damaging levels. It is beneficial to perform timely inspections to ensure that the equipment is fully operational and meets regulatory requirements. Also, make sure that the external surfaces such as shell sides, tube bundles, and other interior pipelines are cleaned thoroughly.

Be Careful with Sediment Deposits

Removing hard sediment deposits can be challenging. Some companies even use hammers and chisels to remove the build-up. This can be particularly damaging to the tubes. While cleaning, you should read the heat exchanger manufacturer’s instructions and hire professional help. They use the right cleaning tools such as band-saws and ultra-high pressure water jetting to remove thick polymer deposits and essentially enhance the efficiency of your process.

Ensure Proper Flow Rate

The fluid temperature and fluid velocity play a vital role in influencing the degree of fouling on heat exchanger tubes. Hence, you should check and adjust the flow rate from time to time. Moreover, since shell and tube heat exchangers have low internal fluid velocities, there are more chances of fouling in these tubes. Hence, to avoid fouling and maintain efficient operation, ensure that you keep heat transfer surfaces clean.

Use Clean-in-place Equipment (CIP)

If you are dealing with lime deposits or want to protect the surface of the heat exchanger tube against corrosion, clean-in-place equipment can clean your exchanger in a smooth and hassle-free manner. There is no need for disassembly, and the equipment provides both chemical and mechanical cleaning. With the clean-in-place method, you can clean the internal and external surfaces to remove various sediment deposits. However, before proceeding with this procedure, read the heat exchanger manufacturer’s instructions to know whether CIP is not allowed. If not, you may have to clean the tube manually.

Prevent Leaks by Replacing Gaskets Every Once in a While

The majority of gaskets in plate heat exchanger tubes are made from perishable rubber polymers. With time, these rubber polymers can lose their ability to seal. Hence, you must replace the gaskets from time to time to prevent leaks and improve the efficiency of heat exchangers.
 

Get the Highest Quality Heat Exchanger Tubes from Us!

 
At Anand Seamless Tubes Pvt. Ltd, we offer various types of cold-drawn tubes and heat exchanger tubes used across a variety of industries. We are one of the leading heat exchanger tube manufacturers in India and are experts in delivering on-time, high-quality, and customizable solutions to our clients. Call us today at +91-9099996854 or write to us at inquiry@anandseamless.com to send us your inquiries!