Chemical Descalers Make Cleaning Heat Exchangers Easier

Heat exchangers are used in a variety of appliances in our daily lives, including air conditioners, chillers, furnaces, boilers and condensers. They are also widely used in manufacturing environments and processing where shell and tube and plate and frame heat exchangers work to cool air compressors, oil pumps, extruders, food processing equipment and so much more.

In the most basic terms, a heat exchanger is a piece of equipment, comprised usually of ether tubes or plate, that efficiently transfers heat from one medium to the other either heating or cooling.

The problem is that material deposits WILL accumulate on heat exchangers and reduce heat transfer, something that’s known as fouling.  These deposits can be biological in nature or most likely solid mineral deposits if water is used as a primary heat exchange medium. 

Fouling can be caused by various mechanisms. Engineering Page outlines the mechanisms as these:

• Crystallization
• Decomposition of organic products resulting in tar or cokes
• Polymerization/oxidation
• Settlement of sludge, rust or dust particles
• Biological deposits
• Mineral deposits (aka Lime Scale)
• Corrosion

Any buildup that affects heat transfer clearly reduces the effectiveness of the heat transfer, which means your equipment will operate less efficiently, costing money – many time LOTS of money.

This inefficiency increases energy consumption and energy costs, creates wear and tear on your system, and can even increases plant downtime. Even a light coating of buildup can reduce heat exchange.

The best thing a facility manager can do to maintain the building’s heat exchangers is to perform preventative maintenance. Such maintenance should occur at least once a year, but varies greatly based on the type of heat exchanger you may be maintaining. Check the cleanliness of the heat exchangers and clean them if necessary.

To clean your heat exchangers, you can use Goodway’s Scale Removal System, which is a portable descaler with a 15-gallon tank. It’s constructed of heavy duty polyethylene and acid proof components, so the system will last for years when used in industrial applications.

The Scale Removal System successfully removes scale because of its Flow Reversal Valve. In the descaling process, lime scale dissolves, creating foam and gas, which can prevent further scale reduction.

But with the Flow Reversal Valve, the foam and gas is discharged into the tank, eliminating the issue and speeding up the descaling process. The Scale Removal System is effective at removing deposits from all types of heat exchangers.

For use within the Scale Removal System is Goodway’s ScaleBreak Liquid Descaler.

This industrial, biodegradable, descaling chemical safely dissolves deposits quickly, including calcium, lime, rust, lithium carbonate, as well as other types of deposits found in heat exchangers.

It’s safe to use on a variety of materials including brass, copper, plastic, iron, steel and rubber, and it’s ideal for using on heat exchangers. ScaleBreak is fortified with low-foaming wetting and penetrating agents, as well as corrosion inhibitors.

Using ScaleBreak will help improve the operating efficiency of your heat exchangers and lengthen the life of your equipment.

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