Cleaning Marine Heat Exchanger
Written by woodworker on August 29th, 2009
Cleaning marine heat exchanger tubes poses some difficulties for those managing and maintaining boats. Many might think that boats and ships have a distinct advantage when it comes to managing the heat produced, since these boats and ships already move on water – which, as it is a universal solvent and many times denser than air, is just about the perfect medium to run a heat exchanger with. However, water, especially saltwater, contains many dissolved minerals and other substances that can very easily clog up a heat exchanger tube and/or corrode it as well – as well as flotsam and jetsam, and living creatures like mollusks or clams that can easily take up residence in a heat exchanger tube and make life that much harder for all concerned.
Cleaning marine heat exchanger tubes is therefore very important, albeit somewhat difficult. But there are different ways of cleaning these heat exchanger tubes that, when combined with a good system of constant check-ups and maintenance, can help ensure that a marine heat exchanger tube system is in tiptop shape.
The first of these methods is the purely mechanical method. This method makes use of a myriad of tools to get rid of what is inside the exchanger tubes. Simple pressure jetting, or forcing a large amount of water within the tubes, can be used. However, pressure jetting alone has some drawbacks. If the design of the tubes is very convoluted or complicated, and especially if the water needs to pass through many twists and turns, they may serve to slow the water down, which may simply move the detritus from one area to another. This is why some people who make use of this method use cleaning bodies as well, such as rubber balls, brushes or scrapers, which serve to force out the detritus in front of them and can just be cleaned after they emerge from the other end of the tubes.
The next method for cleaning marine heat exchanger tubes is the thermal method, in which the tube system is heated in order for the materials to dry. Once dry, they can be easily forced out, which can then be done using pressure jetting as discussed earlier.
Lastly, a chemical cleaning method can be utilized. This method involves the use of a chemical that is compatible with the tube material; it is forced through the condenser tube in a manner similar to pressure jetting, in order to dissolve and wash out the detritus that is jamming up the tube.
It’s important to note that whichever method is chosen, it must be backed up by a system of constant and frequent maintenance. Cleaning marine heat exchanger tubes is best done as part of such a system in order to ensure that one’s marine heat exchanger system is working as well as it possibly can.
Sabrina Rocca Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/cleaning-marine-heat-exchanger-1174570.html
Author: “The Ultimate House Cleaning Checklist Book”
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